Buildings and their construction account for around 40% of all carbon emissions today. Half those emissions come from the construction alone, so buildings successfully powered by clean energy wonât come close to fixing the whole problem. John Matson and Rebecca Esau at RMI describe how industry leaders are creating the tools to measure and gather data on the âembodied carbonâ in building materials (concrete, rebar, glazing, insulation, other … [Read more...]
Buildings: France and Flanders lead on decarbonising new builds
Buildings are responsible for 36% of total EU carbon emissions. So, since the start of 2021 European legislation requires all new buildings to be ânearly zero energyâ. The frontrunners are France and Flanders in Belgium, according to a new report from the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), writes Clare Taylor. Both jurisdictions have plans for phasing out fossil fuels in new buildings within five years. Taylor explains how Flanders … [Read more...]
Study identifies causes of soaring Nuclear plant cost overruns
Why does nuclear power cost so much when the technology has had decades to get it right? MITâs David Chandler explains how researchers there have identified the main causes of the cost overruns in the U.S. It turns out that building new plants by copying existing designs actually costs more. Thatâs because site-specific constraints mean problems are being fixed during construction, adding to costs and delays. New types of concrete are being … [Read more...]
How to cut Full Life-cycle Buildings Emissions
Most efforts to decarbonise buildings are focused on âoperationalâ emissions. Thatâs because, once constructed, buildings are responsible for a massive 30% of global final energy use and 28% of carbon emissions. But that focus has meant the âembodiedâ carbon â from the materials, construction, demolition, and recycling of buildings â has received little attention, explain Meng Wang and Yihan Hao at RMI. Thatâs despite the numbers still being … [Read more...]
IEA: Three ways governments can keep Renewables growth on track
Before the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 was set to be another record year for renewables installations. That is now looking very unlikely. Heymi Bahar at the IEA identifies three main challenges facing the growth of renewables due to the global economic consequences of the pandemic: Supply chain disruptions, anywhere, will surely lead to delays in completing projects everywhere; Compounding those delays, major renewables incentives expire at the … [Read more...]
Construction emissions: âmass woodâ prototypes halve CO2, rapid modular deployment, 18 stories
Building and construction emissions account for two-thirds of the global total, with one tenth coming from the construction phase alone. David Chandler at MIT reviews their research, in collaboration with a range of specialist companies, into wooden buildings. Their construction emissions should be as low as half that of concrete or steel. The key is the development of large scale, cross-laminated âmass woodâ. Factory built modules can be … [Read more...]
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