International. Danfoss published a report on how to make the building-energy equation sustainable. The report, which was developed with Dr. James Freihaut, a professor of architectural engineering at Pennsylvania State University, charts the path of high-performance buildings in the pursuit of sustainability and explores the potential impact of building transformation on energy productivity and the economy.
According to the report, buildings consume 70 percent of the electricity generated in the United States — 66 percent of which was generated from carbon-based fuels in 2015, 33 percent from coal and 33 percent from natural gas. At the same time, projected population growth and current low deployments of renewable energy sources will hamper the ability of countries around the world to jointly achieve the United Nations goal of reducing global temperature rise.
The company explains that transforming the energy-building profile today can not only combat climate challenges, but also reduce costs and improve economic security. However, the science, regulation and practice of buildings will have to look beyond component improvements in order to produce greater increases in performance.
The new vision requires that buildings be seen as a whole – composed of integrated systems and subsystems, capable of being integrated with a larger community of buildings and with electricity generation and distribution systems, as well as throughout a life cycle and within a community.
The toolbox for such a transformation, according to the report, is available today, including practices such as integrative design, benchmarking, modeling and labeling, as well as technologies such as building automation, variable speed, combined heat and power and energy storage.
"Transformation requires new thinking about buildings and energy – a holistic approach that begins at birth and continues throughout the building's lifecycle," said Lisa Tryson, danfoss' director of corporate communications. "We are pleased to partner with Dr Freihaut on this report, which highlights a major shift in the design, delivery and maintenance of buildings and draws attention to potential impacts on energy productivity, quality of life and the economy. Deep transformation begins when the market is persuaded. This report aims to make that case."
