All about environment, energy and water according to building biology

From building biology, 25 guidelines have been established as a starting point for a healthy, natural, sustainable and beautiful living environment. These guidelines are divided into five main themes: indoor climate, building materials and furnishings, design and architecture, environment/energy/water, and eco-social living environment. Building biologist Nathalie Groot Kormelink explains the main theme "Environment, energy and water" this time.

Key Theme 4 is divided into five areas of focus. They are:

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1. Energieverbruik verminderen en duurzame energiebronnen gebruiken.

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2. Tijdens het bouwen en renoveren negatieve gevolgen voor het milieu vermijden.

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3. Geen roofbouw op de natuur plegen. Flora en fauna beschermen.

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4. Gebruikmaken van regionale bouwbedrijven. Materialen gebruiken met zo min mogelijk milieubelasting.

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5. Zorgen voor optimale drinkwaterkwaliteit.

1 Reduce energy consumption and use renewable energy sources

'That's a heads-up,' says building biologist Nathalie Groot Kormelink of architecture firm Sparc in Enschede. 'Everything starts with the principle of trias energetica: reduce demand. It follows that the energy that is still needed then comes from sustainable energy sources. If that is not enough, then you can supplement them with fossil energy, but as efficiently and as cleanly as possible. Renewable energy sources are solar panels, solar water heaters, etc., geothermal energy, etc.

'A lot depends on behavior and awareness. For example, a Swiss professor did a study on energy consumption in an apartment complex with a number of identical homes. The gas meters were moved from the individual homes to the stairwell, where everyone could see them. People talked about it, compared, gave each other tips, participated in information sessions. Before the test, the differences in gas consumption between residents were huge, sometimes really 2:1. Through awareness and understanding of usage, some reduced energy consumption by 50%. On average, energy consumption decreased by 30%. Another eye-opener: your ventilation behavior can have a greater impact on your energy consumption than thermal insulation or the use of solar energy. Behavior, in other words.

2 Avoid negative environmental impacts during construction and renovation

'Also an open door,' thinks Groot Kormelink. 'Yet regular construction in particular still produces a lot of waste, and often all kinds of garbage also litter around a construction site. Here, too, awareness is an important pillar. Besides waste, construction produces a lot of CO₂, a lot in fact. A shocking figure from a UN report published in 2020: buildings and construction together account for as much as 38% of total global energy-related CO₂-emissions. Of all the CO2emissions in the Netherlands, for example, 11% come from the so-called "material-related emissions" from building materials. These are the CO2-emissions that occur during the extraction and production of construction materials. On the construction site itself, diesel-powered machinery such as trucks, generators, etc. are the major emitters of CO₂. Switching to electric machines and electric transport - and this is happening more and more - will reduce that significantly.'

3 No looting of nature. Protect flora and fauna

'The construction industry sees land primarily as a place where you can build,' Groot Kormelink says with a laugh. 'That is precisely why it is good to consider: what is needed? The principle of the triad applies here as well: a smaller house or a more compact neighborhood literally means a smaller site and thus less impact on the ground/nature. Less building material is needed, less energy needed to heat, less energy needed to cool, less water to build, etc. So by building smaller, you protect flora and fauna directly and indirectly. The requirement that nesting stones for protected species such as birds and bats be provided in new construction and large-scale renovations is widely supported both socially and within the construction industry. It would be great if that goes through. Choosing less harmful and toxic products obviously also helps to protect flora and fauna.

4 Utilize regional construction companies. Use materials with as little environmental impact as possible

‘By working with regional construction companies as much as possible, we reduce the number of transport movements and thus CO2 emissions,' says Groot Kormelink. 'All those vans driving criss-cross the country every day, all those miles on the freeway to do a job somewhere far away; if only we could organize that better.

‘Regional collaboration also has a social component. Connection between the place and the person working on it is important. I certainly notice that here in Twente. People like it when you speak a word flat, it gives confidence, sense of commitment.'

Using biobased materials is an important solution to reduce the environmental impact of building. Biobased materials are natural, easy to recycle, and they also grow back. Biobased materials store CO2 from the air: as they grow, they absorb CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, so biobased materials form a kind of "carbon store. Building with biobased materials, and continuing to reuse these materials, thus means CO2 storing from the air.

'If we build more biobased instead of traditional, more CO2 captured from the air,' Groot Kormelink said, explaining: 'If you build 1 million homes in the traditional way, the net cost is about 30 to 40 megatonnes of CO₂. If you build that same number of homes in wood, you will save about a net 100 megatonnes of CO₂ on. To calculate and make that clear, a number of parties developed a handy tool. And yes: there is enough wood to build a million houses in wood. Every second in Europe enough wood grows for one timber frame house. Another fact: the primary energy required to make, recycle and dispose of 1 m² of exterior wall in wood frame construction is 3 cubic meters of gas, and in reinforced concrete, in the same thickness, it is 20 cubic meters of gas. So quite a difference as well.'

5 Ensuring optimal drinking water quality

'We have very good water in the Netherlands,' says Groot Kormelink. 'According to building biology, it is important to make sure that the drinking water in your building or home is/remains of the highest possible quality. The market for water softeners is growing, but there is division about it. The question is whether it is really necessary. By nature, drinking water contains in some areas more calcium (lime) and magnesium than in others, but the water company takes care of softening it. In many places it is already naturally soft(er) and softening is not necessary. Where the water is hard, the water is softened in a softening plant during treatment. In the Netherlands, hardness ranges between 5.6 and 12.5 dH, with an average of 8dH. Between 4 and 8, water is called soft, between 8 and 12, we call it average. If you do decide to install a water softener, don't put it in front of the main tap. It's better to use the water in your kitchen - that you drink for coffee/tea, and that you cook with - unfiltered. The crucial part of a water softener is the filter, and that's where things often go wrong. If a filter is not replaced on time, there is a demonstrated increased risk of bacteriological contamination. Water of poor microbiological quality can make you quite ill. The softener for the bathroom faucet is okay, but again: usually not really necessary.'