Marc Lyon
Implenia
2023
🏗️ Context and Publisher The whitepaper titled "Net Zero: How to take the path to net zero carbon buildings" was published in 2023 by Implenia, a prominent international construction and real estate services provider based in Switzerland. As an organization committed to fostering sustainability in the real estate industry, Implenia aims to provide actionable guidance for developing net zero carbon buildings, thereby contributing to climate targets across Europe. 🌍 Importance of Net Zero Carbon Buildings Buildings play a significant role in global energy consumption, accounting for approximately 40% of total energy use and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions. The urgent need to decarbonize the building sector is emphasized in the whitepaper, as achieving net zero carbon buildings is crucial for meeting climate goals. These buildings are characterized by very low operational emissions, minimal embodied emissions from building materials, and the offsetting of any remaining emissions. 🔑 Key Findings The whitepaper reveals that embodied carbon constitutes around 74% of a building's total lifecycle emissions, while operational carbon accounts for only 26%. This highlights the substantial potential for decarbonization through thoughtful selection of materials and construction methods. The most effective strategies for reducing carbon emissions are identified as being implemented during the early planning and design stages. Decisions regarding site selection, building orientation, and compactness can significantly influence emissions profiles. ☀️ Renewable Energy and Efficiency On-site renewable energy generation, particularly through solar photovoltaics, is deemed essential for achieving net zero operational carbon. It is crucial to optimize factors such as orientation and tilt angle to maximize self-consumption. Additionally, purchasing 100% renewable electricity is recommended to further reduce operational carbon. The whitepaper advocates for the implementation of green leases to secure renewable energy supplies. 🌿 Towards Future Goals Implenia has set ambitious targets for its projects, aiming for net zero operational carbon in new builds by 2030 and for refurbishments by 2050. Furthermore, the goal is to achieve net zero embodied carbon by 2040 for new construction projects. The whitepaper underscores that a combination of strategies throughout all phases of a building's lifecycle—from planning to operation—is necessary to realize the vision of net zero carbon buildings. The emphasis is placed on early focus to maximize impact. In summary, the whitepaper presents a comprehensive framework for understanding and implementing strategies toward net zero carbon buildings, highlighting the critical role of the real estate sector in tackling climate change.
Implenia
Here is a detailed summary of the whitepaper "Net Zero: How to take the path to net zero carbon buildings":
Overview:
- The whitepaper was published in 2023 by Implenia, a leading international construction and real estate services provider.
- It aims to contribute to a sustainable real estate industry and help meet climate targets by providing guidance on how to develop net zero carbon buildings.
Author:
- The whitepaper was published by Implenia's Real Estate Development division, headquartered in Switzerland.
- The foreword is written by Marc Lyon, Head of Real Estate Development Switzerland at Implenia.
Target Audience:
- Real estate developers, builders, architects, engineers, sustainability experts, policymakers and any stakeholders involved in the real estate sector.
Main Points:
- Buildings account for around 40% of energy consumption and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Decarbonizing the building sector is crucial to meet climate goals.
- Net zero carbon buildings have very low operational emissions from energy use, low embodied emissions from materials, and any remaining emissions are offset.
- A net zero carbon building typically has high energy efficiency, renewable energy systems like solar PV, a high share of low-carbon construction materials, and offsets for residual emissions.
- Most emissions come from materials and construction (upfront embodied carbon), not operational energy use. Upfront carbon is about 70-75% of total lifecycle emissions.
- Key strategies include: efficient design, renewable energy, passive design, low-carbon materials, and offsets.
- Decarbonization should be considered early, starting with site selection. Compact building design, orientation, glazing, and other early decisions impact emissions.
- Benchmarks help gauge where a building stands on embodied and operational carbon. More ambitious targets are needed to reach net zero.
- Multiple approaches are needed to reduce carbon across the full lifecycle. No single solution will get to net zero.
In summary, the whitepaper makes a strong case for net zero carbon buildings and provides practical guidance grounded in lifecycle assessment and real projects. The intended audience is real estate professionals looking to reduce the climate impacts of buildings.
Key takeaways from the white paper on achieving net zero carbon buildings:
- Embodied carbon makes up around 74% of a building's total lifecycle emissions, while operational carbon is only 26%. There is significant decarbonization potential in reducing embodied carbon through materials selection and construction methods.
- The most effective levers for reducing carbon are in the early planning and design stages, starting with site selection and analysis of access to renewables, compactness, and passive cooling potential.
- Compact building shapes have lower heating demand and embodied carbon per square meter than less compact shapes.
- On-site renewable energy generation, especially photovoltaics, is critical for net zero operational carbon. Orientation, tilt angle, and storage should be optimized for self-consumption.
- Purchasing 100% renewable electricity further reduces operational carbon. Green leases can secure renewable supply.
- Natural shading, ventilation, thermal mass, and green roofs/facades passively reduce cooling loads and the urban heat island effect.
- Targets are set for Implenia projects to reach net zero operational carbon by 2030 (new builds) or 2050 (refurbishments), and net zero embodied carbon by 2040 (new builds).
- A combination of strategies across all lifecycle phases, from planning through operation, is needed to achieve net zero carbon buildings. The earlier the focus, the greater the impact.