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From the United States to the UAE, the new urban trend is the growth of sustainable ‘eco-friendly’communities. In New Orleans, a legacy of Hurricane Katrina is the development of new high-performance, and more affordable, eco-friendly homes with energy bills that are 75% less than conventional homes.
The Make It Right Foundation, led by Hollywood star Brad Pitt, is transforming the New Orleans community with affordable eco-homes, and across the globe, eco-friendly dwellingsare emerging as a new standard in sustainable construction.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), our buildings are responsible for 60% of the world’s energy consumption and as much as a quarter of harmful greenhouse gases resulting from energy use, which makes them the single largest source of carbon emissions produced by human activity.
Changes in consumer behaviour can make a world of difference. It is estimated that a global shift to energy-efficient lighting systems, for instance, could save as much as US$151 billion in energy bills.
With that in mind, the 7th annual World Future Energy Summit is introducing the Sustainable Living Expo (SLE), a concept promoting water- and energy-efficient solutions in urban environments. One of the exhibition feature’s star attractions is an actual-size home incorporating sustainable technologies.
Organised in partnership with Abu Dhabi Electricity and Water Authority, supported by Abu Dhabi Quality & Conformity Council, Future Build, and designed and built by Genesis Manazil, the SLE eco-home will display organic paint, insulating windows, and low-flow water fixtures, among other advanced products and services that reduce waste and use natural resources more responsibly.
The home is designed on a recycled steel frame and incorporates more environmentally building materials such ECOMAG boards, a lightweight non-toxic structural covering used for walls and floors.
Overall, the SLE eco-home produces less waste, is cheaper to cool, and is as much as 80% quicker to build than regular homes.
The UAE is endeavouring to set a benchmark for sustainable development in the MENA region: producing less waste, reducing water and energy consumption, and increasing energy efficiency.
Here in Abu Dhabi, the Emirate aims to produce 7% of its power requirements from renewable energies and divert as much as 85% of solid waste from landfill sites.
GCC governments are also introducing a raft of new regulations to enforce stricter energy efficiency requirements and Saudi Arabia is a case in point. The Kingdom is introducing new building codes to help reduce thestaggering volume of oil – as much as 4 million barrels per day -- diverted to meet domestic energy needs.
Eco-homes like those on display at WFES 2014 could have a role to play in tackling our burgeoning demand for power and water, encouraging recycling and promoting healthier lifestyles into the bargain.
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