With serious issues like global warming or climate change challenging the very existence of human beings, need for green ways of living, or construction for that matter, has been felt more than ever before to make the world a better place to live. In fact, shattering the notion of in-thing or style, green buildings have now become the need of the hour that will more or less determine our future on earth. Here are some of the most prominent trends that are likely to influence the green building industry worldwide in 2015:
Net-zero energy or energy plus buildings:
Even though there have been a surge in the construction of net-zero energy buildings in the recent past, we need more buildings that creates adequate or even surplus renewable energy to fulfill their energy requirements without relying on external sources of power. While net-zero energy buildings produce more than half of their energy they need from the integrated alternative energy sources, on the other, the energy plus buildings produce a surplus of energy they require to power them over the year. Therefore, the focus of green buildings in 2015 is going to be on energy efficiency.
Self powered buildings:
Realizing the dream of true green buildings (be they net-zero or energy plus buildings) is virtually impossible, until we make them self-reliant or highly energy efficient. Therefore, modern green buildings will focus not just on meeting their own energy requirements but also produce surplus energy and send it back into the power grid for other uses. To make the future building self-sustainable, alternative energy sources like photovoltaic cells and wind turbines will play a major role. We have already tested solar power successfully and using it as renewable source of energy for some time now, while skyscrapers offer an ideal setting for roof-mounted wind turbines to make the most of the continuous air currents high above the ground and produce adequate energy for the building.
Healthy buildings:
No matter how energy efficient is a building, people prefer to reside in a home that is healthy and esthetically beautiful. So more and more people are looking for buildings that not just use green, natural building materials to support sustainability but also create a health environment for residents. In addition to natural materials, such as stone countertops, natural flooring and cabinetry, living roofs are trending in modern green buildings.
Insulated Buildings:
Despite using alternative energy sources, a building cannot be energy efficient, unless we use some high-efficiency insulators, such as insulating concrete forms (ICFs) phase-change materials (PCMs), and Structural insulated panels (SIPs), to stop the warmth leaking from the small pores around the building. Therefore, staying insulated is another trend to look for in futuristic green buildings.
Summary:
Addressing the environmental issues, a number of green building trends are emerging in different parts of the world, encouraging residents to adopt a cleaner and greener lifestyle.
