Impact of Sustainability

We can all do our part in ensuring sustainability by reducing energy and water consumption, and using construction materials that are locally produced in an environmentally conscious way. But when I hear such general statements my engineering brain automatically thinks: “Does this truly make a difference?”

Let’s take a look.

Residential Energy Use

The University of Waterloo analyzed data from Statistics Canada and found that there has been an overall reduction in residential energy usage since 1996. This decrease coincides with a time when energy saving campaigns began to have an impact, time of use billing was introduced, and energy efficient solutions were made available to the market. If we look at energy usage in 2014, we can see that 1,000 dwellings in Canada used 100.02 petajoules of energy. That means that each dwelling consumes approximately 100 terajoules of energy annually. (We’ll use this number a little later when looking at potential energy savings.) To put this in perspective, 100 terajoules of energy would power more than 3000 stadium music concerts.

Do common energy saving tips actually work?

In order to reduce this residential energy usage we have all been inundated with information about how we can save energy. We can be conscious of turning the lights off when a room isn’t in use, upgrade to energy efficient light bulbs and appliances, and keep our houses a little warmer in the summer and a little cooler in the winter. The problem is, despite our best intentions, we sometimes need to turn on lights if there are few windows in a room or run the heater when 17°C doesn’t feel like a comfortable temperature for our home. This is where sustainable design comes into play.

How does sustainable design make a difference?

Here’s how sustainable design is different from energy-saving tips: it helps improve energy savings through design, not behaviour. Sustainable design finds ways to reduce heat loss in the winter or heat gain in the summer in order to greatly reduce your need to heat or cool your space. It optimizes window placement to light a house naturally and reduce your lighting needs. Building scientists along with architects and engineers versed in sustainable and passive house design renovate, retrofit, or rebuild with sustainability in mind.

What impact can sustainable solutions have on energy consumption?

Let’s explore the improvements you can see in energy consumption once you’ve decided to take the plunge and do major work on your space to reduce your heating, cooling, and lightning needs.

Heating and cooling accounts for approximately 60% of residential energy consumption. Since we know from earlier that a dwelling uses 100 terajoules of energy a year, heating and cooling accounts for 60 terajoules of energy in that year. A 20% reduction in energy usage would save 12 terajoules annually. Now imagine the energy savings if you upgraded your appliances, installed sun tubes, and made minor improvements to further reduce air exchange!

Can sustainable design for just one home really have an impact?

Yes, it can make a difference! If each home is able to save 10-12% in energy consumption, then the result would be 10-12 fewer petajoules of energy that would need to be produced per 1,000 homes. If everyone does their part with both behaviour and design, we will all be able to contribute to a sustainable future.

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References:

Residential energy use (petajoules per 1,000 households) | Canadian Index of Wellbeing

https://uwaterloo.ca/canadian-index-wellbeing/what-we-do/domains-and-indicators/residential-energy-use-petajoules-1000-households

The National Academies presents: What You Need to Know About Energy http://needtoknow.nas.edu/energy/energy-efficiency/heating-cooling/

Energy Efficiency for Small and Medium Sized Clubs and Venues|Energy Efficient Music Culture https://ec.europa.eu/energy/intelligent/projects/sites/iee-projects/files/projects/documents/ee_music_training_handbook_venues_a4_doubleside.pdf