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TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER

PAGE

INTRODUCTION
1

ASSUMPTION

FOOTPRINT CALCULATION

2.1

Mass of Building and Energy Use

DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION
REFERENCES

INTRODUCTION

According to U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the definition of Green


building is the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally
responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle from sitting to design,
construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction. This practice expands
and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and
comfort. Green building is also known as a sustainable or high performance building.
Although new technologies are continually being evolved to perfect current practices in
designing greener building, the first target is that green buildings are created to lessen the
overall negative effect of the built environment on human health and the natural environment
by efficiently using energy, water, and other resources, protecting occupant health and
improving employee productivity and reducing waste, pollution and environmental
degradation (EPA, 2014).
Opened in August 2014, the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC) is a
multi-disciplinary facility that hosts a wide range of research and industry collaborations to
address the challenges of making buildings sustainable. Professor Paul Copper and the
UOW's team are pioneering new approaches to retrofitting techniques to create more
effective places to live and work (SBRC Brochure, 2014). The aim of the SBRC is to
research, collaborate, and link

with industry to meet the challenge of improving the

performance of our new and existing building stock. The building has a 6 Star Green Star
Design rating and is going to be the first Australian building to be certified by the Living
Building Challenge, the worlds most advanced measure of sustainability in the built
environment.
The SBRC was designed to be a typical example of the use of advanced design and
low energy technologies to reduce environmental footprint. The goal of the report is to
analyses and calculate the draft estimation of the carbon and water footprints of the SBRC
building based on the relevant assumptions. It will discuss and determine the comparison of
the two footprint indicators calculated.

The following information about the SBRC building has been acquired from
the builder/designer:
a) Mass of concrete = vol. x specific density = 425 m3 x 2400 kg/ m3 =
1,020,000 kg
b) Mass of reinforcing steel = 42.1 tones
c) Amount of aluminum has not been provided, but can be estimated
according to glazing
area. Total Glazing Area = 316 m2
d) Total ground floor area of the building is 2,835 m2
e) Total roof area: 2150 m2
f) Estimated SBRC annual electricity consumption: 113,200 KWh.
g) Max cooling and heating load: 150 kW (for air-conditioning).
i) Estimated SBRC annual water consumption: 780,000 Liters.
j) SBRC has a water tank storage capacity of 65,000 Liters.

CHAPTER 1
ASSUMPTION
In this report, we need to do some of assumption to make it the generate the figure of date.
There are the following assumption we made:
a) Lifespan of Smart Building is 60 years without any maintenance
during their lifetime
b) Heating system operates 8 hours per day and max loading of
150kW.
c) From observation structure of Smart Building, Assume that one area
of glazing area needs one rectangular aluminum frame with certain
dimension as the following picture, assume that aluminum width of
1mm.
d) Green water is calculated from rain water filled in water tank
according to monthly rainfall rate in Wollongong area. It is assumed
that it is filled 5 times every year.

CHAPTER 2
FOOTPRINT CALCULATION
2.1 Carbon Footprint Calculation
2.1.1 Mass of Aluminum
Saluminum frame = (2 x 0.3 + 2 x 0.04) x 2 + (1 x 0.3 + 1 x 0.0) x 2 = 2.04
m2
Total area of glazing = 316 m2
Total area of aluminum = (316 x 2.04) / (1 x 2) = 322.3 m2
Volume of aluminum = 322.3 x 0.001 = 0.3223 m3
3
Density of Aluminium = 2700 kg /m

Mass of Alunimium = 0.323 x 2700 = 870.21 kgs

Figure 2.1: Aluminium Frame Drawing

2.1.2 Energy consumption for air conditioning


Q = 150kW x 365 x 8 = 438,000 kWh
Convert to GJ: Q = 438,000 kWh x 10-6 x 60 x 60 = 1577 GJ.
2.1.3 Electricity consumption
Convert electricity use into GJ: Q = 113,200 kWh x 10-6 x 60 x 60 = 408 GJ
E j=Q j EF j

Where

- Qj is amount of material or energy used

EFj is embodied CO2 (CO2-e)

Carbon footprint calculation


Total
amount
used

Material
I

unit

Embodied
CO2

Unit

Carbon
footprint
(tCO2-e)

References

GHG emission from building material 60 years


1020000

kg

0.8

kgCO2/kg

816

http://www.co2list.org/file
on.htm

Steel

42100

kg

kgCO2/kg

168.4

http://www.co2list.org/file
on.htm

Aluminum

870.21

kg

9.2

kgCO2/kg

http://www.co2list.org/file
on.htm)

Concrete

2
3
II

GHG emission from Energy consumption 60 years

Electricity
consumption

Natural gas
consumption

113,200
1577

Kwh
GJ

1.05
71.3

kgCO2/Kwh
kgCO2/GJ

5943
5622

Australian Government (
p6)

Australian Government (
p7)

Table 2.2: Carbon Footprint for Building Material and Energy Use
2.2 Water footprint calculation
2.2.1 Blue Water
The amount of blue water used by SBRC is not directed known but it is
estimated by the assumption that SBRC utilised its full green water
capacity then the rest of its water requirement is taken directly from the

Wollongong water system. Therefore, if the annual water requirement is


780m3 then the blue water footprint is as follow:
Bluewf = 780m3 325m3 = 455m3

mm

63.4

83.3

67.4

100.5

115.6

94.6

132
0.0

m3

179.0

130.4

194.5

223.7

183.1

Year

122.7

Dec

112.4

No
v

217.5

Oct

106.4

Sep

205.9

Au
g

129.3

Jul

250.2

Ju
n

160.4

Ma
y

310.4

Ap
r

156.4

Collecta
ble Vol.
From
Roof
Vol. in
tank
from
Roof

Ma
r

302.6

Rainfall

Fe
b

3 130.

Ave.
Monthly

Ja
n

252.1

Unit

257
2.0

65.0

65.0

m3

65.0

65.0

65.0

325

2.2.2 Green Water

Table 2.3: Rainfall Data in Wollongong


Although the data shows that it is possible to fill the water tank every
month, it is important to conduct this analysis in a more sensible step. It is
therefore, assumed that the water tank could be filled once in every two
months during the wet season and once in every three months during the
drier months.
It is assumed that it is filled 5 times every year.
Green water footprint for 50 years = 325 kL x 60 = 1950 m3
2.2.3 Grey Water
E j=Q j EgwF j
Where

- Qj is amount of material or energy used

- EgwFj is embodied grey water factors


Material

Total
amount used
(tonnes)

Process water
requirement
(m/ton)

Grey water from building materials

Water
footprint
(m)

60years

Reference
(Zygmunt, J
2007)

Concrete
Steel

1020.00

2.00

2040.00

42.10

40.00

1684.00

Aluminum
0.87
88.00
76.56
Total embedded on material
3800.56
Operation water
Annual
780.00
1.00
Ops
780.00
Grey water from annual energy consumption/ production
GJ
m/GJ
m
Electricity
203.76
0.007
1.426
consumpt.
Wind
36.000
0.000
0.000
Solar
203.760
0.001
0.157
Total Grey Water in 60yrs if use the grid
Total Grey Water in 60yrs if use the solar

3796.16
46800.0
0

(Epia 2012)
85.58
0.000
9.414
50680.52
50605.57

Table 2.4: Grey Water footprint for Building Material

CHAPTER 3

2%

98%

Building Material

Energy Use

DISCUSSION

Building Material; 7%

Energy Use; 93%


Building Material

Energy Use

Figure 3.2: Carbon Footprint


Figure 3.3: Grey Water Footprint

20%

52%

28%

Green

Blue

Grey

Figure 3.4: Percentage for Water Footprint

2%
44%

Conrete

54%

Steel

17%

Aluminium

1%

82%

Concrete

Steel

Figure 3.5: Carbon Footprint

Aluminium

Figure 3.6: Grey Water Footprint

This study has found that the estimation of the carbon and water footprints of the SBRC
building vary in different researches regarding to different assumptions and resources. From
the charts above, showing that all the percentage for the carbon and water footprints due to
the data and assumptions that we have done. Percentage for energy use higher than building
material for carbon footprint but for grey water footprint, the energy use is lower than
building material. Operation energy is the highest require to be compensated by onsite
renewable energy production. For the water footprint, if we consider to use the 50% solar and
50% electricity consumption, it will more sustainable. For the 60 years onwards, the
percentage of green water only 20%, we can collect more green water or increase the capacity

of green water if we considered to change the size of water tank, so it will decrease the
percentage of grey water. If we decrease the energy consumption, we will decrease also grey
water footprint. Although aluminum that is sustainable material has been used, the percentage
is still inconsiderable, the material for concrete and steel provide more carbon footprint
during the construction process accounted 93%.

CONCLUSION

References
1. Amount of CO2 released when making the product, viewed 30 April 2015,
<http://www.co2list.org/files/carbon.htm>

2. A holistic approach for sustainable buildings, viewed 28 April 2015,


< http://sbrc.uow.edu.au/aboutus/index.html>

3. Australian Government (2004) AGO Factors and Methods Workbook


August 2004.
4. Water Footprint Network viewed 16 April 2015
<http://waterfootprint.org/en/water-footprint/glossary/

5. Green Boss Group viewed 16 April 2015,


<http://www.aquaboss.com.au/calculator.htm>

6. Australian Bureau of Meteorology viewed 16 April 2015,


<http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_068188.shtml>

7. Zygmunt, J 2007. Hidden waters, A Waterwise Briefing. Waterwise,


London, viewed 15 April 2015,
<http://www.waterwise.org.uk/data/2007_Waterwise_hidden_waters.pdf>

8. European Photovoltaic Industry Association, 2012, Sustainability of


photovoltaic systems; The Water Footprint viewed 12 April 2015,
<http://www.epia.org/news/fact-sheets/?L=0>

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