According to a 2050 climate scenario developed by NASA, unabated and ecologically-unfriendly economic growth could result in an additional global warming of ~1.5 degrees Celsius, unless urgent measures are taken to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In fact, the real estate sector accounts for nearly 40% of current global carbon dioxide emissions, with ~70% contributed by building operations and the rest emanating from construction-related activities. This has underscored the need for adopting sustainable facility management practices across residential and commercial real estate spaces, with an additional focus on achieving net-zero emissions by implementing advanced green initiatives to help regenerate the environment.
Let us look at key applications and how they can be tailored to meet specific building requirements to help attain eco-friendly building operations.
Protecting the environment through regular maintenance and adopting eco-friendly solutions
The most elementary step that real estate owners ought to take is ensuring regular maintenance and upkeep of equipment being used within their premises. Not only does this result in cost savings due to longer replacement cycles, but also lowers GHG emissions by reducing energy consumption. From a waste management and environmental perspective, setting up an effluent and sewage treatment plant is highly critical, especially for manufacturing-based and commercial establishments. Moreover, moving away from harmful chemical-based cleaning solutions and embracing eco-friendly alternatives are other steps that can be taken to reduce the environmental impact of commercial operations.
For residential housing complexes and gated societies, encouraging proper waste sorting, reducing consumption of single-use plastics and initiating recycling programs are highly recommended. What’s more, with first home buyers increasingly opting for eco-friendly and well-maintained residential projects, developers could benefit with faster sales and improved brand loyalty by opting for professional facility management firms to efficiently manage their premises.
Conserving water by installing water-saving fixtures and rainwater harvesting systems
Apart from GHG emissions, increased water consumption is one of the leading factors accelerating the negative effects of climate change on our sensitive ecosystem. Depleting natural water reservoirs and reducing water table levels inadvertently lead to increased water treatment costs, eventually leading to higher energy consumption. Thus, in order to eliminate unnecessary water wastage, it is vital that all water leaks are repaired promptly and additional water-saving fixtures are installed to reduce per capita water consumption.
Additionally, for tropical countries like India with most regions receiving abundant rainfall, implementing rainwater harvesting solutions can reduce the dependence on external water sources. The harvested water can then be deployed for non-potable purposes and used extensively to develop landscaped gardens in non-developed areas within real estate space. This can help in restoring the green cover lost due to urbanisation and can also considerably improve the well-being of building occupants due to better air quality levels. Thus, working to reduce water consumption, reusing spent water for agrarian purposes and planting more trees are important actions that can decarbonize real estate.
Optimizing energy usage through smart automation and energy-efficient systems
With increasing economic activity resulting in increased demand for developed real estate spaces, it is becoming vital for developers to follow an integrated environmental approach when designing new buildings. That said, implementing green building practices that includes the use of eco-friendly building materials is much easier when conceptualized at the design stage. For completed projects and existing buildings that are devoid of such elements, upgrading old lighting and HVAC systems to the latest energy-efficient technologies should be prioritized at the earliest. Similarly, installing solar panels and other renewable energy applications can also be undertaken.
To further optimize energy consumption, however, incorporating smart building systems to control important building functions is fast emerging as a future-proof solution. These systems utilize a network of connected devices and sensors to automate heating, cooling and lighting functions; unlocking significant energy savings by optimizing lighting and temperate control in line with occupancy levels. Moreover, with the increasing use of AI-based algorithms to study energy consumption patterns, developers can reduce wasteful energy deployment without affecting occupant comfort levels. Obviously, educating and involving the facilities staff in these sustainability initiatives will help promote a culture of responsibility and go a long way in inspiring future generations.
(By Natasha Jain, Assistant General Manager, SILA. Views are personal)