How will the poorest and soon-to-be most populous region in the world lift its people out of poverty and navigate a net-zero transition simultaneously?

Buildings play a key role in this transition hence the focus on net zero buildings for this discussion.

The panel comprised Smita Chandra Thomas, Founder and Principal of Energy Shrink, USA; Pauline Anaman, External Advisor Africa: EU H2020 Negative Emissions (NEGEM) Project; Alexi Miller, Associate Technical Director, New Building Institute (NBI), USA; and Solome Girma, Program Management Director, DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU), USA.

Smita, an expert in energy efficiency in buildings at the cutting-edge of green technology and energy management strategy, brought to the table a wealth of experience on Integrated Design and Net Zero. She pointed out that there is a strong business case for green buildings in emerging economies because:

• Buildings consume large amounts of energy
• The demand for new buildings, especially housing, is booming. Africa is one of the fastest growing regions in the world, and the African construction market is expected to grow at a rate of 6-7% over the next 5 years.
• The utility costs for both residential and commercial sectors is very high. In housing, annual energy savings in homes can cost more than a month of rent.

According to the 2016 IFC Report ‘Climate Investment Opportunities in Emerging Markets’, green buildings are a multi-trillion-dollar opportunity. In addition, GDP and energy use have been decoupled in almost all advanced economies – with GDP continuing to increase, while energy use is decreasing.

Net zero makes enormous sense for these reasons. Examples around the world show that net zero buildings can be attractive, modern, and built at commercially competitive costs. They can even come in under budget if the project team utilizes integrated design principles from the project outset. Commenting that designing for net zero is both an art and a science, Smita emphasised that an understanding of how a building interacts with the grid can produce even better results.

Looking back on the Ghana Green Building Summit, she observed

It was really heartening to see the high attendance and interest in net zero buildings at the Ghana Green Building Summit. Such events can be really effective in helping interested parties to network with each other, and in demystifying some of the newer concepts.

Alexi then contributed his insights about cutting-edge technologies and strategies, as part of a wide-ranging effort to improve the energy performance of the built environment. The central theme in his presentation were the five foundations of the Zero Carbon building policy – namely Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Grid Integration + Storage + EV, Building Electrification, and Life-Cycle Impacts.

Commenting on the GGBS he says: “We know from experience, drawing from our database of 700+ Zero Energy buildings in North America, that there are many pathways to a green building, starting with energy efficiency. A wide range of proven and emerging solutions are available to make buildings more efficient, cleaner, more affordable, healthier, and safer. African zero carbon building professionals have the opportunity to learn from past successes and challenges, both at home and abroad, to leapfrog past many of the dead ends in order to make buildings part of the solution to the climate crisis. The Ghana Green Building Summit showcased a wide range of solutions and actionable steps that local and far-flung buildings industry players can use to lead by example and do well by doing good.”

The importance of efficiency first was really brought home by Chilufya as the moderator, who summarised the discussion:

We saw first-hand examples of just how energy efficient buildings have to be to achieve net zero. The efficiencies reported were 40 to 60% improvement over one of the most stringent energy codes in the world (Ashram 90.1). We also saw the important role that building codes can play in setting the right environment for energy savings.

The race to Net Zero is definitely not a fad. It is an opportunity to not only solve a serious environmental issue but also to create a building stock that is energy efficient enough to solve energy supply issues that are a burden to development in Africa.

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The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11, also known as the UrbanSDG , aims to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”. We regard this as a truly transformational element of the 2030 Agenda, as it is the only goal that is location-specific at a manageable scale. However, collective impact is essential to ensure that the ambitious goals of this, and other related SDGs, can be refined and supported.

Over the past decade, the terms resilience and sustainability have become used more frequently, sometimes interchangeably. It is our intent to ensure that there is greater clarity on the full meaning of these terms because, although these are certainly compatible concepts, they are not the same thing. In an ideal community, economy or business there will be both sustainability and resilience. However, either can exist without the other – although that is not the ideal scenario.

The term sustainability implies continuity – an ongoing process which starts with a functional system and works to maintain that system without artificial inputs. Resilience, on the other hand, refers to the ability to bounce back after a disaster (man-made or natural), so this path starts from a negative point of impact and works toward recovery and proactively preparing for the future.

Since its inception, Solid Green has worked with sector leaders and policy makers to further both sustainability and resilience in Africa’s urban centres. Recently, this work has included Net Zero and Net Positive certifications and advocacy work; training and policy formulation in South Africa and other African countries; and projects that move toward addressing sustainability and resource efficiency at a precinct, district or even city scale – such as Oxford Parks and Sandton Gate; and our current work testing the EcoDistricts protocol for the City of Johannesburg.

We envision that Solid Green’s newly formalised Sustainable Cities and Research department will provide a platform for our experts to engage in various research projects, sustainable city-making guidelines, and strategic input to guide the implementation of policies and plans. We are inspired by the opportunity that this affords us to continue our important work in this sector, to support our clients and our communities and, importantly, to actively participate in shaping our ambitious shared future.

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In her presentation, Gardner explained the measures that should be put in place to achieve Net Zero – through both operational carbon and embodied carbon.

We envision a world of carbon-positive buildings with carbon-positive products that actively reverse the effects of climate change and help local economies thrive.

Strategies for reducing Operational Carbon are reducing site energy consumption and eliminating new combustion (in new buildings); and offsetting with installed or procured renewable energy. Strategies put forward for reducing Embodied Carbon are reducing carbon in primary materials; disclosing reduction strategies and the total embodied carbon of materials; and offsetting sequestering materials or carbon offsets.

Case studies discussed were the Catalyst Project in Spokane, an institutional and laboratory pilot project; 6 Pancras Square in London, a commercial office fit-out; and 303 Battery Street in Seattle, a multifamily residential and retail development.

‘Sustainability Leapfrogging: Net Zero Energy Buildings’, presented by Chilufya Lombe, looked at the Energy Efficiency Gap – that is, the difference between what a building uses and what it is able to generate. Lombe emphasised that attaining Net Zero Carbon involves a process driven approach – setting targets; investigating climate; reducing loads; selecting appropriate technology; optimising building operation; and, finally, considering alternative power and synergies.

Chilu discussed two precedents: 78 Corlett Drive, developed by Legaro Properties, which has received to date Green Star Design and As-Built Office v1.1 certifications, as well as Net Zero Pilot Design and As-Built certifications; and the Rugby Road residential development in Oranjezicht, Cape Town.

‘Getting to Zero’, presented by Francois Retief, identified the following factors for success in targeting Net Positive:

• Efficiency First – Aiming for a Target
• Thermal Comfort is Critical
• Building Simulations (energy modelling, artificial lighting quality, daylighting & glare, solar performance, thermal comfort)
• Passive Strategies
• Active Strategies
• Renewable Energy

Retief then discussed how people and relationships are critical to success in driving sector-leading initiatives, which are underpinned by developing the right culture and mindset; collaborating and iterating; actively pursuing a target; hiring the right team; prioritising commissioning; and educating the building/precinct occupants.

Next event

Join the Living Future Collaborative South Africa for a webinar on how to design our built environment for Net Positive Water!

Date: 19 November

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/net-positive-water-buildings-tickets-127831123331

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The 3rd Ghana Green Building Summit in 2020 was adapted as a virtual summit, taking place online only, in order to observe safety protocols in the fight against the global pandemic. The aim of the event was to reduce the negative impact of real estate projects on the environment while conserving natural resources.

The premise for the 2020 Summit’s theme was that, in the near future, greenness will rank far higher on the purchase and letting decision-making process of prospective property owners. The main theme was ‘BEYOND COVID-19: is a pandemic-proof architecture a reality?’, which was discussed under the sub-themes of Design, Innovation, Certification, Finance, and Sustainable Cities.

Chilu introduced his talk by identifying a major focus shift that has taken place over the last five months towards a greater awareness of health and indoor air quality; decentralised renewable energy networks; and socio-economic imbalances.

He said, “In our pre-Covid19 reality, commercial buildings guaranteed a degree of security around energy and IT infrastructure. But fresh air, thermal comfort and an environment conducive to motivation and productivity were not guaranteed. We spend 90% of our time indoors, and our environment is the largest determinant of our overall health. Yet indoor air quality is 2 to 5 times worse than outdoor air quality; indoor air pollution is ranked in the top 5 environmental risks to public health; and 50% of illnesses are known to be caused by aggravated indoor air pollution. Despite this knowledge, in most buildings, there is little to no awareness of the quality of the indoor environment being provided.

The pandemic and resulting lockdown displaced people from commercial buildings. Where were we displaced to? Many employees who previously had access to equal resources in their places of work found that they did not have the requisite infrastructure at home to continue to be productive.

“So, the current context has highlighted not only the need for healthier, more self-sufficient buildings, but also equal access to healthy places that are conducive to wellbeing and productivity. In responding to these demands – essentially the demands of a better-informed workforce – the future office will therefore have to deliver fresh air and a high indoor air quality, as well as thermal comfort, energy security and IT infrastructure – in order to ensure motivation and productivity.

“In future, there are a number of things we look forward to seeing. These include companies providing little pods for home offices (4mx2m). This solution helps with controlling your own indoor environment, providing energy security and the kind of IT infrastructure that you need. We expect to see more commercial clients actually willing to offset the cost of home offices or places for employees to work.”

It is interesting to note that most countries do not yet have legislation on air quality. In the new, healthier normal, good air quality will become non-negotiable. Reporting of building performance will have to include data on the quality of indoor air being provided to occupants. And the private and public sectors will have to work together proactively in defining and developing appropriate policies that address air quality and, indeed, all aspects of occupant health and wellbeing.

Download Ghana Green Building Summit 3 Report

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The keynote address was delivered by the Minister of Works and Housing, Hon. Samuel Atta Akyea, who charged some of the relevant professional bodies to ensure extensive training and adoption of green building principles and technologies by their members. He also intimated that government was willing to support green building projects with land and other resources.

The Honourable Minister was among eight other speakers and eight panelists who made presentations and discussed alternative material use, rating and certification, green finance and the creation of sustainable smart cities. Chilufya Lombe, Director at Solid Green, presented on ‘High Performance Buildings for Ghana’ and conducted a post-summit workshop that looked at the detailed application of building physics for improving performance of buildings.

Chilufya Lombe, Director at Solid Green, presented on ‘High Performance Buildings for Ghana’

The event aims to continue to engage key stakeholders to achieve the main target of public sensitisation, access to green funding, and certification of residential and non-residential developments. The Summit was organised by Yecham Property Consult, with the IFC-EDGE as major partner.

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With the energy scarcity that is common in Africa, energy efficiency becomes very important in allowing and maintaining development. In Nigeria, we have found that energy efficiency can have a bigger impact than renewables. It is easier to build a building to consume 30 to 40% less energy than to pay to add renewable technology onto an inefficient building. In other words, we are talking about buildings that perform well from a first principles point of view.

As technical consultants on the BEEC, Solid Green was commissioned to carry out work in four parts, namely:

• to investigate existing building practices and establish a typical baseline for residential and office buildings;
• to research building labels and incentive schemes that could encourage people to make use of the BEEC;
• to provide guidance on enforcement and control, including identifying training requirements for building code enforcement personnel, building industry professionals, developers and financiers;
• and to investigate energy modelling tools and their suitability for use in the Nigerian market.

Research for the BEEC was conducted primarily in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) but the new minimum energy efficiency requirements can be adopted by any state in Nigeria. The scope of these minimum requirements cover two building categories – residential and office buildings.

Lombe explains:

We used modelling and simulations to determine the expected energy performance of a Business as Usual building (BAU model). We then reviewed simulated variations of the BAU model as well as international references to identify the minimum efficient requirements. The simulations take into account the various climatic conditions found in Nigeria.

Numerous stakeholder engagements were conducted in the FCT state, including workshops with design engineers, architects, financiers, technical advisors, officials from the Ministry and the State Department of Development Control. This ensured that any minimum interventions proposed were reasonable for the region and would be possible to implement; and that a balance was achieved between interventions that led to savings and ones that made sense for the first iteration of the building code.

Nigeria’s first Building Energy Efficiency Code (BEEC).

Minimum Energy Efficiency Requirements

Under the BEEC, two compliance methods are possible – Prescriptive and Performance. For the Prescriptive option, projects must adhere to all the requirements as a checklist,
and no energy calculations are required. The Performance option looks at a whole building analysis using energy simulation software, and project teams may deviate from the prescriptive requirements provided that the theoretical energy use of the building is less than or equal to that of the same building with all the prescriptive requirements included.

To set the standard for minimum energy efficiency requirements, interventions were identified that lead to a minimum of 40% energy savings over current building practices. These interventions include:

• Overall Window to Wall Ratio must not exceed 20%;
• Shading is required when the Window to Wall Ratio exceeds 20%;
• Reduction of installed lighting power density;
• Minimum requirements for roof insulation;
• Minimum performance of air-conditioning equipment specified;
• Restricted use of non-inverter split units.

Nigerian Energy Code Dignitaries (from left to right). Engr. Julius S. Olurinola, Director: (Electrical) Engineering Services at Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing; Engr. Esther Okougha, Director: Engineering Services at Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing; Hon. Mustapha Baba Shehuri, Honourable Minister of State: Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing ; Babatunde Raji Fashola, Minister: Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing ; Ene Marcharm, Project Coordinator: Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); Ina Hommers, Head of Programme: Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Building Energy Labels and Energy Efficiency Incentives

As an incentive for building owners and developers to comply with the BEEC, a comparative building label was developed, which rates a building depending on how many of the BEEC initiatives have been implemented. As the programme is voluntary for the first two years, this is a way of encouraging compliance with an official ‘badge of honour’.

After a voluntary period of two years, the intention is that the competent authority should make all requirements mandatory, and the label will be revised to communicate building energy efficiency on the market.

Public Education, Awareness and Training

“Campaigns to educate the public and prepare key market players are critical to the success of new building labelling and rating schemes,” Lombe observes. “Education and awareness build demand for voluntary labels and help to engage the market.

Training has been identified as the most important enabler to effective control and enforcement of the BEEC. We carried out a survey to determine the capability of staff responsible for building permit approvals in assessing submissions related to energy efficiency in general and a BEEC in particular. From the survey, it was clear that not many of the staff have had previous exposure to the building physics elements that are important to a BEEC. Accordingly, we recommended training that focuses not only on the procedural requirements of a BEEC but also on the background knowledge of energy efficiency in general.

The training will cover all aspects of the BEEC including understanding building physics; how to use BEEC calculation sheets; recognising correct details pertaining to the BEEC on drawings; recognising different types of equipment; and understanding the performance route to compliance. This training also has the potential to serve as a minimum qualification for staff who will process building permit approvals as well as for professionals in the construction industry.

Lombe adds that barriers to market adoption include a lack of sufficient information and understanding on the part of tenants and building owners to make well-informed investment decisions; a lack of information about the energy performance of buildings; and a misperception that energy efficiency measures make buildings more expensive.

Training of building owners and vendors has a marked impact on participation. A look at the common barriers experienced in the procurement of products and commissioning of energy efficient buildings in the public sector immediately identifies awareness as the starting point to unlocking the remaining barriers. For example, a better understanding of life cycle costing can lead to questions around stringent policies of lowest initial purchase price requirements for equipment.

Q&A with Solid Green’s Chilufya Lombe at the launch of the BEEC.

Case Study

The BEEC’s minimum energy efficiency requirements will also apply to the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing’s own buildings, and the current Ministry building was used as a case study for the BEEC technical report.

Using data from an energy audit conducted on the building together with a simulation model, it was determined what the impact would have been if the BEEC had been applied to the building when it was built, in terms of both capital and running costs.

In terms of overall capital cost savings for the project, a 40% peak load saving would have been achieved. This could have equated to a N10 million saving per generator at today’s prices. As the building has two 500kVA generators, the total saving would have been N20 million.

In terms of running costs, a N9.8 million running cost saving per year would have been achieved if the BEEC had been implemented, through the specification of roof insulation and a more efficient air-conditioning system. This represents a 32% saving on overall energy use.

Lombe concludes:

Implementing the BEEC on the Ministry project provides almost the same cost saving as providing renewable energy in the form of photovoltaics. However, the BEEC also provides a capital cost saving for the project whilst the photovoltaics require a significant capital investment.

The BEEC’s minimum energy efficiency requirements are to be voluntary for up to a maximum of two years to give individual states an adoption and inception phase, after which the requirements will become mandatory – a significant move towards more sustainable development in Nigeria.

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Born in Zambia and raised and educated in Botswana and Zimbabwe, Lombe studied electromechanical engineering at the University of Cape Town before being exposed to the building industry while working for a local consulting engineering company. Early in his career, with no background in sustainability, he attended a talk on innovative HVAC solutions by Australian mechanical engineer and leading sustainability consultant, Shane Esmore. “I was inspired by the really innovative ways that heating, cooling and comfort can be provided in buildings,” Lombe says. “The appetite for this type of innovation is still growing in Africa, but these insights gave me a goal in terms of where our industry needs to go.”

Access the article below here, or at Asset magazine online.

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Chilufya Lombe, Director at Solid Green, says:

One of the most important aspects of passive design is fully understanding the local climate and making sure that the building is able to take advantage of the prevailing conditions. Solid Green has an extensive library of detailed weather data that are used to conduct simulations and analyse weather data.

1. Sunlight and Thermal Modelling

The area is characterised by high diurnal temperature swings for large percentages of the year. This large difference between maximum and minimum daily temperatures indicates that there is a lot of potential for using thermal mass for passive cooling. Low night time temperatures means the building fabric can store ‘coolth’ and release it during the day, greatly reducing the need for active cooling. Fig. 1.1 – 1.5 below illustrate the modelling for this building in these specific climatic conditions.

Sun Path Diagrams

Fig. 1.1 – 1.2 represents the path the sun follows with respect to the site location. This is often the easiest way to help design teams visualise the impact of the sun on the building. All shading elements as indicated on the tender drawings are captured in the actual building model; and self-shading from the building’s own form is also accounted for in the model. No adjacent buildings are present on site that can have overshadowing impact.

Sun Path Diagram, Fig. 1.1

Sun Path Diagram, Fig. 1.2

Temperature Distribution Charts

Fig. 1.3 – 1.5 show the temperature and humidity distribution for different months of the year. Every hour of the year is represented.

Temperature Distribution, Fig. 1.3

The percentage of hours above 26 °C is a good indicator of how much discomfort should be expected when using natural ventilation for cooling.

Temperature Distribution (Day), Fig. 1.4

With the correct treatment of the façade, night time temperatures should always be comfortable in this climate. It is also clear that winter temperatures can fall quite low and heating will be required in winter months.

Temperature Distribution (Night), Fig. 1.5

2. Passive Design Modelling

A baseline model was created using known design parameters and best-practice inputs for different building elements. This baseline was then used to test the impact of various passive design elements.

To truly optimise a building, a large number of combinations must be tested to ensure the interconnectivity between important design variables is fully assessed. Take glazing as an example: if the glazing specification is changed, then shading requirements, heating and cooling loads, thermal mass and natural ventilation requirements will also change. Fig. 2.1 illustrates how, with just a few options for various building elements, you can generate a large number of combinations to test.

Parametric Design Combinations

The most efficient set of solutions must be identified and assessed for accurate recommendations to be made. This is one of the big advantages of optimisation – you typically end up with a number of optimal solutions and have the choice to decide which solution best meets the design objectives.

Parametric Design Combinations, Fig. 2.1

3. Building Fabric Investigated

Thermal properties of standard materials were used directly from the extensive DesignBuilder materials database. The following tables represent various changes that can be implemented to achieve both the most energy efficient and thermally comfortable solution.

Glazing – options investigated, Fig. 3.1

Roof Insulation – options investigated, Fig. 3.2

External Walls – options investigated, Fig. 3.3

Ground Floor – options investigated, Fig. 3.4

4. Summary of Results

Based on the results generated from the above, recommendations were then made with regards to the best combination of building fabric. The initial design was over-insulated for this climate and led to the building not being able to cool down passively at night. The table below shows that the proposed changes not only reduce the buildings energy use for active cooling but also save the client money.

Best combination of building inputs:

Best Combination, Fig. 4.1

Fig. 4.2 shows the savings by means of the most effective combination of factors.

Overall Savings, Fig. 4.2

5. Conclusion

The baseline building can be improved by 30% overall in HVAC energy by optimising the building fabric. That represents 30% less energy to offset if the client would like to make the house carbon neutral. Reducing the cooling load effectively decreases the number of hours that the building will require active cooling. Although the overall heating has been increased, the energy consumption over a whole year has been decreased because heating is only required for two and a half months. These recommendations are therefore in line with the client’s objectives for an energy and cost efficient home.

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Solid Insight’s initiative has already been piloted at GBCSA’s offices in Cape Town in 2014 – and at Solid Green’s offices in Johannesburg – which have just received the first 6-Star Green Star SA Interiors certification for refurbishment undertaken in 2015.

“Solid Insight is like internet banking for your energy,” says Warren Gray, a director at Solid Green. “When users are provided with clear, real-time insight into the workings of their buildings, they are able to pursue sustainability goals as informed and responsible agents.”

The platform presents a building’s environmental data and green features in a way that engages both occupants and visitors by generating accurate live-metering data that are displayed both in building foyers and online – and which can be accessed from any connected device. By integrating with a building’s existing smart-metering systems, the application enables automated billing of energy and water consumption. Environmental reporting is also handled automatically – thus giving stakeholders access to their energy and water use in an easy to read format.

“Many BMS or SCADA systems are complicated and generate too much raw data, making them inaccessible to the average building user,” observes Chilufya Lombe, a Solid Green director. “Solid Insight allows you to display accurate live-metering data in a clear and easy to understand manner, allowing you to influence the behaviour of the users of your building.”

Solid Insight was developed to directly and efficiently address this issue, providing a simple, affordable and presentable system for green-building developers to showcase live-metering data and earn innovation points for a building’s Green Star rating. The system was then extended into the currently available Solid Insight suite, and big plans are afoot for its evolution into a complete solution.

Green City Startup

Earlier this year, Solid Insight entered Green City Startup, an initiative of the City of Johannesburg in collaboration with the University of Johannesburg and Resolution Circle, which aims to give innovative entrepreneurs with ideas in building, energy, water, transport or waste the opportunity to develop their ideas into green startups.

Solid Insight was selected as a top-20 candidate and, following an investor pitch for the Green City Startup judging panel on 10 March, was selected in the top eight. Using a R250 000 grant awarded for this purpose, the Solid Insight team is developing the platform further in anticipation of the top-three adjudication in August. This will require demonstration of a working prototype that has market traction. The first-place winner will receive an additional R1 million from the City, with prizes of R500 000 and R300 000 for second and third places, respectively.

“A further advantage of the system is that building owners can use the system to inform, educate and instil pride in a building’s users,” Gray adds. “By giving occupants access to resource-consumption data, as well as tools to affect that consumption, tenants, clients and prospective tenants know just how much you are doing to mitigate your lettable space’s carbon footprint.”

A direct benefit to building owners and developers is that the Solid Insight service is approved for earning Innovation points when determining a building’s GBCSA Green Star rating. Solid Insight is recommended for all commercial real estate, including office, retail, industrial and residential developments that either already have smart energy and water meters or are looking for such solutions.

More information on Solid Insight is available at the Solid Insight website, and Green City Startup on Twitter  (#GreenCityStartup, @TheGCStartup) and the Green City Startup website.

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