Govts urged to go in for zero-energy buildings
Originally published in Gulf Times on March 3, 2011
Award-winning sustainability specialist Salah Nezar yesterday called on the governments around the region to implement integrated construction approaches that achieve net-zero energy buildings, while shifting away from concepts to measurable goals, at the GBS 2011.
In an exclusive interview with Gulf Times, Nezar insisted the time is short, given how Qatar in particular has to prepare for a carbon-neutral global event in 2022, as part of its bid.
“Today, sustainability goes above and beyond slogans. We need to realise the interconnected nature of our decisions, and how implementing intelligent solutions now, will resonate throughout future generations,” Nezar, MEP manager at Qatar Project Management (QPM) said.
The Algeria-born Nezar has been associated with projects such as the world’s first zero-energy tower in Guangzhou, China; the UN Capital Master Plan in New York City; and the new Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, India.
“At a net-zero site, you are exporting an equal amount of site-delivered energy, measured over the course of one year,” Nezar said.
For instance, if a site used 37,000kwh for one year, it must also generate similar amount of energy, he explained.
“The Pearl River Tower in China (world’s first zero-energy tower) had in its plan to be 100% sustainable, but you know what, during construction glitches started taking place,” Nezar said.
This is why, he said, its important for Qatar to start on-ground, real activity for the carbon-neutral stadiums the country promised FIFA.
“If we are provided with a site, say a stadium for 10,000 people, we can try out our net-zero model to see how energy efficiency, the optimisation, the right-mix of energy can be best achieved in local conditions,” Nezar said.
Energy in the net-zero model, he said will be produced using parabolic trough collectors power two-stage absorption machine, photovoltaic system for electricity, photo-thermal for hot water, as well as integrated vertical wind turbines.
Photocaption: Nezar: calls for action
As Published
