chinagreenbuildings.blogspot.com
Green Building Design in China
Developing Whole Systems Approaches
Geoffrey Lewis, LEED AP
December 17, 2008
Beijing Energy & Environment Roundtable
Hosted by Beijing Energy Network

Buildings produce a LOT of CO2 emissions
The energy consumed in manufacturing and
transporting building materials, constructing
homes and offices, and heating and cooling
structures represents almost 45 percent of China’s
total energy use.
Source: NRDC China Program http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/china/greenbuildings.asp

Source: McGraw-Hill Global Green Building Trends http://greensource.construction.com/resources/smartMarket.asp

Buildings are cheapest source of carbon reduction
Source: McKinsey www.epa.gov/air/caaac/coaltech/2007_05_mckinsey.pdf

Source: IPCC www.ipcc.ch/pdf/presentations/poznan-COP-14/diane-urge-vorsatz.pdf

Buildings= HUGE opportunity
• Buildings are huge source of carbon
emissions
• Buildings are cheapest place to reduce
emissions
• BUILDINGS ARE THE BEST
OPPORTUNITY TO COMBAT GLOBAL
WARMING

Source: US Green Building Council http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1720

So why aren’t more green buildings being built?

http://www.wbcsd.org/Plugins/DocSearch/details.asp?
Source: World Business Council for Sustainable Development DocTypeId=251&ObjectId=MzE0NzA

Traditional Process
http://www.wbcsd.org/Plugins/DocSearch/details.asp?
Source: World Business Council for Sustainable Development DocTypeId=251&ObjectId=MzE0NzA

Diminishing returns to investment in
energy efficiency
Source: Natural Capitalism http://www.natcap.org/

Source: CTG Energetics internal presentation

New Process: Integrated Design
Source: Roadmap for the Integrated Design Process Source: CTG internal presentation

Design is the most important step in the process
http://www.wbcsd.org/Plugins/DocSearch/details.asp?
Source: World Business Council for Sustainable Development DocTypeId=251&ObjectId=MzE0NzA

Importance of design
Although up-front building and design costs may
represent only a fraction of the building’s life-cycle
costs, when just 1 percent of a project’s up-front costs are
spent, up to 70 percent of its life-cycle costs may already be
committed.
- Joe Romm, energy efficiency design expert
Source: Natural Capitalism http://www.natcap.org/

Tunneling through the cost barrier
Source: Natural Capitalism http://www.natcap.org/

Source: CTG Energetics internal presentation

Case study: high efficiency glass
Conventional Design Process
Upfront construction costs
Glass HVAC Electrical
$44/sf $48/sf
20
15
Upfront costs higher
10
5
0
Base Case Green “Add-on”
Source: CTG Energetics internal analysis

Case study: high efficiency glass
Integrated Design Model
Upfront construction costs
Glass HVAC Electrical
$44/sf $42/sf
20
15
Upfront costs LOWER
10
5
0
Base Case Integrated Design
Source: CTG Energetics internal analysis

Case study: high efficiency glass
Integrated Design Model
Annual energy costs
$95,000
10% lower
$71,250
Operating costs lower
$47,500
$23,750
$0
Base Case Integrated Design
Source: CTG Energetics internal analysis

Source: Good Energies http://www.goodenergies.com/news/research-knowledge.php

Source: Good Energies http://www.goodenergies.com/news/research-knowledge.php

So what’s really holding us back?
LACK OF AWARENESS

What do you see as the role of your company in the
adoption of sustainable business practices?
http://www.wbcsd.org/Plugins/DocSearch/details.asp?
Source: World Business Council for Sustainable Development DocTypeId=251&ObjectId=MzE0NzA