Tag: energy efficiency

What about GMOs in our homes?

Adopting biobased materials in home building can slash construction costs, but is Europe ready to put aside its fears about GM products?

One of the main contributors of CO2 emissions are the homes we live in. In the EU, buildings are responsible for 36% of CO2 emissions and 40% of energy consumption.

Researchers argue that, compared with using traditional mineral-based materials in construction, “eco-friendly” durable composites can slash by half the embodied energy and improve insulation by 20%. This means better efficiency but also reduced building costs. The hitch, though, is what biobased materials to use. And is it advisable to avoid GM products?

GMOs, genetically modified organisms, are among one of the most controversial topics in agriculture. Experts have divergent views. “The current EU GM regulation is very much outdated and dysfunctional. Plant science has in the last 15 years made enormous progress,” says Stefan Jansson, professor in the Department of Plant Physiology at Umea University, Sweden. “Gene transfer from GM crops to wild relatives is no more or no less risky that gene transfer from all other (domesticated) crops to wild relatives, which no-one ever cared about.”

It is important to ask why we are shying away from GMO products, argues Jonathan Jones, a professor at The Sainsbury Laboratory, UK, working on a project to test modified potatoes and their resistance to blight. “The GM method is totally benign and totally safe and it enables you to move genes that do different things from one plant to another,” he says.

However, some groups pioneering the use of natural products in construction have opted to avoid GM materials.

It is the case of the European project ISOBIO, which is developing innovative solutions to boost the use of bio-based materials in construction. They do not use agricultural waste from GMO plants.

Moreover, the companies that joined the consortium source local products, which will be easier to recycle being part of their landscape. Manfred Lemke, from Claytec, a Germany-based developer and producer of clay, points out that they take their straw from the fields around the factory. “Cavac, another partner in the project, sources hemp from local farmers near its base France, rather than importing materials from overseas. ‘Think global act local’ for supply chains, it avoids contamination and further risks of anonymous, global supply chains,” he adds.

“Recycling agricultural waste sounds like a positive aim. If GM crops were involved, then the potential harms would need to be thoroughly, and independently, examined,” argues Liz O’Neill, director of campaign group GM Freeze. “Even the tiniest change to the genome can have unexpected impacts, both within the organism itself and in the ecosystem into which it is introduced, ” she says. According to O’Neill, EU labelling laws help consumers identify products with GM ingredients and avoid them if they wish.

In this context, EU Ecolabel, a voluntary labelling scheme, certifies, among other things that products do not originate from genetically modified organisms.

However we approach the GM issue, looking forward to further research on it, it is certainly important to brand any products containing GMOs to allow consumers to make their own decision.

 

By Sam Edwards

Photo credits: Redd Angelo

4 October 2017

Beyond research, towards the market

ISOBIO is emerging from the research phase and taking its first steps towards its target market. Bringing innovation and research outcomes to the attention of experts and stakeholders is essential to tackling some of the possible challenges in the industrialisation phase.

Against this backdrop, ISOBIO innovation partners held a workshop on 14 September this year at the University of Bath. The aim was to stimulate discussion about bio-based insulation materials and the associated environmental and LCA issues. The workshop took place alongside an event held by the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP), focusing on embodied carbon issues and providing useful insights and strategies for reducing it.

ISOBIO had the opportunity to share knowledge about major topics such as life cycle assessment and cost analysis, key results of demonstration actions (including, carbon sequestration, waste minimisation, efficient energy and raw material use) as well as a case study of a nearly-zero energy residential building made with straw bales and timber. This highlights a strong link among bio-based building systems, energy efficiency and indoor comfort, allowing strong connection between the bio-economy and energy sectors to be created. The workshop was also an opportunity to hear about ASBP activities associated to the challenges of applying LCA and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) to external thermal insulation composite systems and to embodied carbon policies and decision making tools.

LCA and LCC are essential aspects that can bring research outputs closer to the target market. Engaging with stakeholders, sharing knowledge and best practices is key to stimulating stakeholders’ acceptance of the designed bio-based material, which aims to turn a niche innovation into a mainstream product of the construction sector. ISOBIO is taking its first steps in this direction and, little by little, it will need to address all challenges of industrialisation, firmly drawing on its particular strengths and exploiting the opportunities ahead.

 

13 October 2016

ISOBIO profiled in 5th EeB project review

The fifth edition of the EeB PPP Project Review, published in March 2016, gives an overview of 110 co-funded projects within the Energy-efficient Buildings Public Private Partnership (EeB PPP) under the 7th Framework Programme (FP7) as well as 17 new co-funded projects under the Horizon 2020 programme.

The review highlights current results and achieved or potential impact of the EeB PPP projects with demonstrations of scientific and technological excellence from early stage conception to almost ready-to-market innovations. The projects also illustrate the diverse innovation approaches and the importance of embracing all aspects of the building and construction sectors.

The review includes the following topics:

  • EeB PPP Impact
  • Design
  • Technology building blocks
  • Advanced materials and nanotechnology
  • Construction process, end of life, cross-cutting information
  • Energy performance monitoring and management
  • ICT
  • BIM/ Data/ Interoperability

EeB PPP is a joint initiative of the European Commission (EC) and the Energy Efficient Buildings (E2B) Committee of the European Construction Technology Platform (ECTP).

Download the review on the ECTP site

Back to basics – Setting the path towards making bio-based materials mainstream: opportunities offered by nature are facing cultural, technical and market challenges

ISOBIO aims to develop new bio-based insulation panels and renders, and to scale them to mainstream adoption in the building and construction industry. A purpose driven by a common vision: the less we intervene on materials, the more we achieve.

In ISOBIO, innovation is coming straight from nature: fibres and straw are some of the raw materials at the core. Scientists and stakeholders do acknowledge this but demonstrating this vision presents a number of research and technical challenges. This could be a niche market, and a highly eco-friendly one.

The University of Rennes hosted the first regional stakeholder workshop on 4 February 2016. It brought together academia and research stakeholders to tackle the main challenges of the project’s objectives and to explore opportunities offered by bio-based construction materials.

Multifold barriers were identified that need to be overcome if bio aggregates are to be widely adopted across the construction sector: technically, the challenge is to do with confidence in producing raw materials and meeting the technical standards for natural insulation materials. Scientifically, water repellence and fire resistance are essential issues under the microscope.

Behind the uptake of bio-based aggregates, there is an even more substantial question: is the market ready for them? This raises the issues of public perception and market penetration.  Persuading users that they can safely benefit from bio-based materials may be as challenging as reaching the market penetration level required to replicate the solution developed while keeping the same quality level of the final product.

The workshop enabled a wide range of research and academia stakeholders to engage directly with one another and explore these challenges, in view of working together towards ISOBIO’s aim of widespread adoption and design of a bio-based product with high-insulating properties, low embodied energy and carbon, hydrothermally efficient, greening the building and construction industry.

COP 21 wave – Towards a new era in the green construction sector

The impacts of the Paris Agreement on green business environment: The role of the private and public sectors, the effects in terms of legislative & legal frameworks and possible benefits for novel construction materials

“History will remember this day,” said Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations, moments after the green-topped gavel, symbol of the Paris talks, was dropped on what is considered the most ambitious deal on climate change that the world has ever seen.

Households are responsible for 32% of greenhouse gas emissions and 42% of energy consumption in Europe. During the COP21 Buildings Day on 3 December, a Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction was launched, with the aim of scaling up low-carbon development in the sector.

Participating countries include Austria, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Norway, Senegal, Singapore, Sweden, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, and the United States. Furthermore, over 60 organisations are members of the alliance.

The World Green Building Council is a key member of the initiative. “While the Paris Agreement is not itself legally binding, many countries will choose legislative and legal frameworks to support its implementation,” says Terri Wills, CEO of the World Green Building Council, a network of national green building councils in more than one hundred countries. Many of them are working closely with their national governments to develop renovation strategies.

“Some countries will opt for a ‘carrot’ over a ‘stick’ approach” adds Wills, explaining that “they will decide to offer incentives in the form of subsidies, grants for ambitious green building projects, or planning approvals for extra building space if a building complies with a green certification standard.”

The COP 21 Paris Agreement has put emphasis on the construction sector and on the adoption of novel building materials, designs and technologies.

“States should provide long-term incentives and support for emissions reductions to show real commitment to change. Policy actions could include carbon pricing, ambitious buildings standards and targeted spending on new technologies through green public procurement”, says Simon Hunkin from Greenovate!Europe. The independent expert group, dedicated to developing sustainable business, is collaborating with a research project called ISOBIO, which aims to develop bio-based materials as an alternative to traditional insulations while reducing their cost.

The researchers are developing a new approach to insulating materials, through the combination of existing bio-derived aggregates with low embodied carbon and innovative binders to produce durable composite construction materials.

With these novel composites, the aim is to cut embodied energy and carbon dioxide at component level by 50%, and to improve insulation properties by 20% compared to conventional material. The study will also seek to demonstrate a reduction in total costs by 15% and in the total energy spent over the life time of a building by 5%.

But could such biomaterials be commercially attractive? “To a certain extent, these materials may appeal to businesses, contractors and homeowners. As they have low or even zero-embodied energy, there is proof of increased sustainability and energy efficiency when compared to traditional materials,” says Anthimos Pavlidis, a civil engineer and quality coordinator in the project of the skyscraper centre One Blackfriars, London.

Financial profit can be identified from manufacture through to impact across the operational life-cycle of buildings. “Nevertheless, a rationalised piece of legislation is needed in order to woo manufacturers and contractors. Integrated policy measures including incentive schemes and training seminars have to be implemented in order to achieve widespread use of biomaterials,” Pavlidis tells youris.com.

As for construction companies, they are smelling the business opportunities. “These companies – particularly those in the green building sector – aren’t going to wait for their national governments; they are simply going to act on climate change because they know it makes good business sense,” says Wills, “There is no longer any question of whether or not to decarbonise. In our opinion, this is the greatest triumph of the COP21″.

By Elias Aggelopoulos

Low carbon materials to capture the imagination of homebuilders and owners

Innovation in the construction industry will play an important role in reducing emissions and improving energy efficiency — though developing new materials and methods is only half the battle. Convincing architects and homeowners of the performance and long-term financial benefits of a new product presents a significant challenge.

In Europe, households are responsible for 32% of greenhouse gas emissions and 42% of energy. Cement production alone contributes to 5% of manmade CO2 emissions.

By contrast, bio-based insulation typically have much lower “embodied energy” levels compared with more conventional building materials. Furthermore, the source materials themselves sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide via photosynthesis.

“The beauty of bio-based materials is that they are often a byproduct of growing our food. We can build with carbon. Instead of seeing carbon as a problem, we can recast our relationship with it to one of positive innovation”, says Craig White, director of ModCell, which produces straw-bale eco-homes.

The company is one of the 12 partners in academia, research and industry that are collaborating with the European project ISOBIO. It aims to deliver bio-based insulators with 20% better performance than conventional materials, leading to a 5% total energy reduction over the lifecycle of a building at reduced costs of 15%.

Producers of bio-based insulators have the advantage that users are both receptive to change and familiar with the products in some capacity. In a study conducted by the Architects’ Council Europe (ACE) for the Low Embodied Energy Insulation Materials (LEEMA) project, 94% of architects surveyed said they would consider using a new and innovative insulation material. An overwhelming endorsement for what remains a niche application in the construction and renovation industries.

Renovations present a key market for producers of new insulation materials. According to the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), more than 40% of Europe’s existing homes were built before the 1960s, when there were few requirements for energy efficiency, leading to low insulation levels.

Increasing awareness of the importance of insulation among homeowners is an important consideration. Homeowners may be inclined to, for example, upgrade appliances and install energy saving light bulbs, unaware that retrofitting wall and roof insulation leads to the greatest savings opportunities.

Veronika Schröpfer, lead author on the ACE survey, believes that bio-based insulation materials will continue to move from the niche into the mainstream and that new skill requirements will not present significant roadblocks.

Schröpfer says new building materials are often applied the same way as commonly used ones and manufacturers usually offer training when this is not the case. She states the main concerns involve pricing and regulations in different European countries.

“For architects it is important that a new material has all the necessary certificates and that the product information is transparent, to quickly compare its performance and price with traditional products,” says Schröpfer.

White believes that developers will be receptive to change. “The challenge that ISOBIO will overcome will be to bring [products] to market at scale at the price point that matches their performance to market demand,” he says.

Europe’s construction industry has experienced a turnaround over the last two years. After registering negative growth in 2013, the industry grew by 2.1% this year, and is forecast to grow by a further 2% over the next five years.

Evidence suggests that a growing minority of these builds will involve green projects. A market report from the Word Green Building Council states the proportion of architects and engineers that dedicate 60% or more of their project load to sustainable builds more than doubled over a four-year period — from 13% in 2009 to 28% in 2013.

The report states that increasingly, industry consumers not only demand that new innovations improve performance, but also reduce environmental impact. Fertile territory for the right nature-inspired solutions.

By Angus McNeice