Energy efficiency in buildings
Did you know that about 40% of the energy used in Europe and North America is used by buildings; with heating and cooling representing the biggest energy guzzlers?
Also in the Asian context, buildings are one of the biggest energy consumers – using about 30% of the overall energy in Asia. One of the main reasons is that in hot climate countries there is an increasing demand for cooling systems and the need to improve indoor comfort.
With buildings being such a big energy consumer, here lies a clear opportunity to make them more energy efficient. Good insulation, intelligent building design and efficient appliances actually make it possible to construct buildings with low or even zero energy usage. Zero Energy Office of Malaysia’s Energy Center (PTM) is one of the great examples.
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"The lowest hanging fruit"
There are many technologies available today to architects and designers to make buildings more energy efficient, e.g. shading, glazing, lighting system, etc. However, a study done by McKinsey showed that insulation is one of the “lowest hanging fruit”, meaning it is one of the most cost effective measures to save energy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. With insulation, it is possible to save up to 70% of energy used for cooling.
Source: McKinsey & Company
Read more about how insulation can be used to save energy in buildings.
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