Author: Andrew Mawson
Any hope of reducing CO2 to 26 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 has to focus on ‘green occupancy’ argues Andrew Mawson. The greenest building you have could be the one that you do not need to occupy.
THE DRIVE TO REDUCE CO2 is on. The UK’s carbon reduction commitment scheme is evidence of the Government’s seriousness in getting a focus on CO2 reduction. About 50 percent of the UK’s CO2 is generated by offices, so some serious focus needs to be put on reducing energy in offices. Rightly, there is much interest in new technologies that are designed to reduce the energy consumed in buildings and that consequently generates CO2. Sophisticated Energy Management solutions enabling equipment (PC’s Phones, Printers etc) to be switched off when idle, new lighting solutions consuming less power, and natural ventilation and cooling systems, better materials etc, are all important contributors.
