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From Green Building to Green Community

Dr. Edward Yiu

Legislative Council Member

Hong Kong 2016-2020

A Talk at Lee Woo Sing College, CUHK Date: 11 Nov. 2016

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Introduction

Global Warming

• Ramanathan’s warning 1985

Sustainable Development

• UN (1987)

Green Buildings

• 1980s

Zero Carbon Building

• 2000s

Carbon Neutral City

• Masdar initiative 2005

Green Community

• Yiu and Campos (2014)

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Why Green ? • The Greener, the Healthier and the Smarter

– hospital stays reduced by 8.5% when patients were in rooms with window-views of nature

– a 41% reduction in average length of stay for gynaecology patients in sunlit rooms over patients in dull rooms

– Controlling exposure to indoor environmental factors, such as carbon monoxide, dust, and pollen, could prevent more than 65% of asthma cases among elementary school-age children

– the classroom environment can affect a child’s academic progress over a year by as much as 25%.

– annual electricity bill for households is down by 25 per cent

http://www.worldgbc.org/files/1513/6690/5994/

WGBWeek_2013_-_Greener_Buildings_Better_Places_Healthier_People.pdf

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If NOT Green, then?

• Landfills full;

• Global warming;

• Flooding;

• Heat Island;

• Pollution;

• Diseases;

• Disasters?...

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An Atlas of Pollution

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• WWF-Hong Kong’s “Hong Kong Ecological Footprint Report 2016”:

• "Hong Kong people are living beyond the Earth’s limits. 3.9 Earths are needed if everyone lived the lifestyle of Hong Kong people."

HK Ecological Footprint

Biocapacity Ecological footprint 2008

Times

Hong Kong

0.01 global ha per person

5.4 global ha per person 540 times

World 1.7 global ha per person

2.6 global ha per person 1.5 times

http://awsassets.wwfhk.panda.org/downloads/hong_kong_ecological_footprint_report_2014.pdf

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• 7% net increase in a decade:

Electricity Consumption

Hong Kong 2005-2014

Industrial Use -27%

Commercial Use +13%

Domestic Use +27%

Total Consumption +7%

http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?i

d=332989&section_name=wtt&kw=222

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IPCC 2014 • It is not about how to prevent drastic change of climate, • But it is now about how to mitigate! • It is time to take immediate and effective actions!!

http://www.ipcc.ch/

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CoP21 (2015) • UN Climate Change

Conference @Paris, Nov 2015 CoP21 – CMP11

• Paris Agreement on “Nationally Determined Contributions” (NDCs)

• NDCs of China: • Lower the carbon intensity of

GDP by 60% below 2005 levels by 2030.

• Carbon Intensity is a measure of how much carbon economies emit for every dollar of GDP they produce

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What is Sustainable?

• The Brundtland Commission of the United Nations (1987) defines “sustainable development" as:

– "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

United Nations General Assembly (March 20, 1987).

"Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development:

Our Common Future; Chapter 2: Towards Sustainable Development.

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How to Achieve Sustainability?

•Reduce consumption of resources is the best way:

•- it reduces waste, pollution, and retains more materials for future use.

•Reuse and Recycle are limited to physical matters only. •because Energy CANNOT be reused/recycled/recovered!

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Why Energy CANNOT be Reused/Recycled?

• The Second Law of Thermodynamics (also known as the Law of Increased Entropy): – the entropy of an isolated system

never decreases, because an isolated system spontaneously evolves towards thermodynamic equilibrium; i.e.

– Usable energy is converted into unusable energy. Thus, usable energy is irretrievably lost in the form of unusable energy.

http://www.allaboutscience.org/second-law-of-thermodynamics.htm

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What is a ZCB? • Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) is

– a building with zero net energy consumption and zero carbon emissions annually.

– Buildings that produce a surplus of energy over the year may be called "energy-plus buildings.

^ US Department of Energy

•Energy consumption of WHAT? •Total Environment Costing (TEC)? ISO 14001? •How about energy consumption for the materials production, construction and dumping?

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3 different definitions of Zero Carbon Buildings

• 3 standard definitions of ZCB:

– a) Zero carbon dioxide emission for all;

– b) Offset of operating energy consumed from the grid by on-site renewable energy generation with grid-feed-in; or

– c) Offset embodied energy of its construction process and major structural materials.

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HK – the 1st ZCB

• CIC has built the first Zero Carbon Building in Hong Kong in 2012 (Kowloon Bay);

• GFA: 14,700sm

• Site Areas: 1,400sm

• Height: 2 storey

• Use: Exhibition and Education Centre.

GHG emission reduction by on-site renewable

energy: 8,250 tonnes (over 50 years)

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ZCB HK - Design

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ZCB HK - Renewable Energy

• photovoltaic panels

• biodiesel generation system

• large scale use of biodiesel made from waste cooking oil

• greenery coverage > 60% of the site

• Building Management System with smart control

• Energy (electricity, fuel)

• Water

• Food

• Materials

• Products Resources

IN

• Consumption

• Waste

City • Water Drained

• Gas Exhausted

• Kitchen Wastes

• Recyclable Wastes

• Other Solid Wastes

Wastes OUT

Rely on a lot of Resources Inputs

and Disposition of Outputs

Traditional City Model

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A Sustainable Model of Green Community

Individuals

Buildings

Community

City

Country / Global

Zero-energy

Zero-water

Zero-food

Zero-waste

Zero-material

5-level, 5-zeros

sustainability model

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UAE – Carbon Neutral City

• the Masdar initiative - a carbon-neutral, car-free, 1,482 acre sustainable city powered by the sun, in United Arab Emirates;

• The development project is expected to be completed by 2023, at an estimated cost of $22bn, designed by Norman Foster.

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A Trial of 4-zero Community

• A Zero-energy, Zero-water, Zero-food and Zero-waste Community:

• Yiu and Compos (2013) Sustainable Communities, ISSF 2014, or:

• http://ecyy.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/9/3/12935669/sustainable_building

s_2013.pdf

HKAEE Golden Award 2015

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Reduce Waste / Recycle

Reduction

Reuse

Recycle

15 items

Collect Organic

Wastes Collect Rain

Water

Solar

Energy

Education &

Training

Information &

Measurements

Competitions

and Awards

Energy

Saving Farming Fertilizers

Cleansing Cleansing

Liquid

Sharing

Economy

Empowerment

& Cooperation

Green scape

Reduce Pollution

At Source

Reduce Waste

from Source

Residents’

Participations

Food Self-

Sufficiency

Reduce Inputs

Reduce Wastes

A Green Housing Estate Scheme

Zero Energy

(Saved 40%)

Reduction of Electricity Consumption

• LED, Energy Efficient Motors, Water-cooling A/C*

• Auto Switch-off, PPO

Natural Renewable Energy

• Solar Panels, Wind Turbines*

Other Auxiliary Installations

• Bicycles for Charging, Tree Planting against Heat Island Effects

• Kids Plantation Day, Energy Saving Competitions

Zero Water

(Saved Water)

Save Water

• Recycle grey water, Aquaponics, Reduce water tank cleansing times

Other Sources

• Collect rain water for planting, Salt water for flushing*

Others

• Water saving competitions

Zero Food

(Local Farms)

Urban Farms

• Farms on rooftop, open area and garden, vertical farms, interior farms

Foodscape

• Aquaponics, edible landscape, fruit trees*

Farmers’ Markets*

• Harvest Festivals*, Local Food Cuisines

Others

• Food consumption reduction competitions

Zero Waste

(Reduce Solid Waste 15%)

Sharing Economy

• Barter, Time-money notes, Sharing, Car pools*

Composting

• Kitchen Waste and Leaves Collections

Recycling

• 24 items, Producers’ Responsibility

• Fruit peels collection for cleansing agents Others

• Recycle Competition, Improve Air Quality

• Preserve Ecology, Social and Cultural Heritage

Green Path and Green Corners

Aquaponics

Farming and Food Landscape

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43% landscape area (3 ha)

No. of trees = 479 (absorb

11,017t CO2/yr)

Vertical green walls

Greenery

Merge with Green belts and country parks

Biodiversity, including 60 species of birds, insects,

endangered toad and vulnerable frog

Old Valuable Trees, Hundred Years Old Heritage

Ecological and Heritage

Preservation

紅嘴藍鵲 (Blue Magpie), Urocissa

erythrorhyncha

Eco Enzyme

Leaves and Branches

Composting

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Reducing Wastes, Reducing Purchases

It saves

29,232 litres of

Cleansing Liquid

Sharing Economy

It saves

914 books

and 167 items

In 2014

Sharing: Books, Toys, Sports Equipment, Furniture, Baby Stuffs, Musical Instruments, Electrical Appliances

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27 Recyclable Items

Carbon Powder Cartridges

Rechargable Batteries

Construction Materials

Producer Responsibility

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Reduce 15% Solid Wastes in 2015Q1

Reduction of Wastes

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50

55

60

65

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3

2014 2015

Daily Reduction of Solid Domestic Waste (in 660L Bins)

Energy Saving

LED

Transformer

Lift Control System

Solar Panels

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Smart Grids

• Smart grids allow selling electricity by users to the electricity grid of the district.

• Offsetting GHG becomes possible.

From 2004 to 2013, it saves 9,011,934 Kwh electricity (7,570t CO2)

It saves 47.5 % electricity consumption

Energy Saving

Green Kids

• http://www.hk01.com/%E7%A4%BE%E5%8D%80/53155/-

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%E6%A4%8D%E6%A8%B9%E7%A8%AE%E5%87%BA%E9%84%B0%E9%87%8C%E6%83%85-

%E5%B0%8F%E5%B1%85%E6%B0%91%E6%90%9E%E5%A2%9F%E5%82%B3%E7%92%B0%E4%BF%9D 44

More 4 Zero Communities

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• Green Community:

– 4-zero Scheme

– Circular Economy

– Self-Sufficient

• If you are interested in promoting green communities,

you are welcome to join our team

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The End

comments are welcome. Enquiries to:

contact@edwardyiu.org