Sustainable Construction and Renewable Energy

What sustainable construction means

Sustainable construction is building in a way that meets the needs of people today without spoiling the world for those who come later. It looks at the whole life of a building: the materials it is made from, the energy it uses, the waste it creates and what happens to it in the end. A sustainable building keeps its running costs and its impact on the planet low, often by using energy from natural sources that will not run out, by wasting as little as possible, and by fitting well into its community. This module looks at three things: what sustainable development involves and how planning rules protect the land; the renewable energy technologies that can heat and power a building; and the ways a builder can cut the environmental cost of the materials and methods used.

Sustainability words

Learn these terms before the renewable technologies are matched up. They name the ideas used in this topic.

Match each renewable technology to how it works

Renewable energy against fossil fuels

When you evaluate a renewable technology, you weigh it against the fossil fuels it replaces on cost, performance and reliability.

Which renewable technology is this?

A device on a roof turns sunlight straight into electricity for the home. Which technology is it?

• A solar panel with photovoltaic cells
• A solar water heater
• A ground source heat pump
• A wind turbine

Cutting waste on site

A build can be made kinder to the planet long before the first renewable device is fitted, simply by using materials wisely. Quarrying stone and gravel responsibly, ordering the right amount so less is thrown away, recycling broken material into new use, and reusing bricks, timber and fittings from old buildings all cut the impact of a project. Good sites plan their waste: they sort it, keep back what can be used again, and send as little as possible to landfill. Choosing local materials also cuts the fuel spent hauling them across the country. None of this needs new machines, only careful ordering, sorting and reuse, and it saves money as well as the environment.

Pick what makes a build greener

Select every statement that describes more sustainable construction.

• Reusing bricks and timber from old buildings
• Choosing local materials to cut transport
• Heating the building with a renewable source
• Sending all offcuts straight to landfill
• Ordering far more material than the job needs

Order the steps to plan a sustainable build

Put these planning steps into a sensible order.

• Design the building to waste little energy
• Apply to the council for planning permission
• Choose low-impact and local materials
• Fit a renewable energy source
• Plan how site waste will be sorted and reused

Complete the sustainability facts

Energy from the sun, wind and water that will not run out is called _____ energy. Building to meet the needs of today without harming the future is called _____ development. The total greenhouse gas that a building causes is its _____ footprint. A boiler that burns wood pellets and other once-living matter for heat uses _____.

Tap the two renewable energy sources

Read these four energy sources. Tap the TWO that are renewable.

• wind
• solar
• coal
• natural gas

A house that pays you back

Fitting a renewable system feels a bit like buying a bicycle to get to work instead of paying the bus every day. The bicycle costs a chunk of money on the first morning, far more than a single fare, and it is tempting to think the bus is cheaper. But every ride after that is free, and within a year the bicycle has quietly paid for itself. Solar panels and heat pumps work the same way: the fitting costs a lot up front, then the low running cost saves a little every single day. Add those savings up and, after a set number of years, the system has paid back what it cost and is saving money from then on.

Work out the payback time

A solar panel system costs 2400 pounds to fit and saves 300 pounds on energy each year. Work out how many years it takes to pay back what it cost. Give the number only.

Make the build more sustainable

Read each situation and choose the best answer.

• A client wants electricity made on site from sunlight. Which technology fits?
• A site has a large pile of usable bricks from a demolished wall. What is the greener choice?
• A build sits on protected green belt land. What must the builder do first?

Build a sustainability point

Choose the word for each gap to complete one point about sustainable construction.

Explain sustainable construction

A friend asks what sustainable construction is about. Using what you have learned, explain the main ideas.

• Explain what sustainable development means
• Name two renewable energy technologies and how each is used
• Explain one way renewable energy beats fossil fuels and one drawback
• Explain two ways to cut waste and material impact on site
• Explain why planning permission matters