elpais.com
Sustainable Building Technologies: Reducing Energy Consumption in Housing
Current housing construction and maintenance consume 40% of global energy, with 63% used inefficiently; research focuses on creating self-regulating buildings using phase-change materials and biominerals to reduce energy waste and emissions.
- How are researchers addressing the energy inefficiency of buildings, and what innovative materials are being explored?
- Researchers are exploring phase-change materials that store and release heat based on temperature fluctuations. These materials can be incorporated into building materials to reduce energy needs. Another approach uses a "super-cool cement" that reflects sunlight and reduces temperatures by 5.4 degrees compared to the surrounding environment.
- What are the most significant challenges and potential solutions in reducing energy consumption in the housing sector?
- The housing sector consumes 40% of global energy, with 63% wasted due to inefficient building design and materials. Solutions include developing self-regulating buildings using phase-change materials that store and release heat as needed, mirroring the human body's thermoregulation. Another solution is using biomineral-based concrete to reduce CO2 emissions.
- What are the main obstacles hindering the widespread adoption of sustainable building technologies, and what factors might accelerate their implementation?
- Obstacles include increased housing costs, the long lifespan required of building materials (at least 20 years), limited space in existing buildings, and a lack of training. However, rising energy costs and successful examples like the increasing use of solar panels suggest that these technologies will gradually gain wider adoption.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The article presents a balanced view of the challenges and potential solutions in sustainable building, highlighting both the significant energy consumption in housing and the ongoing research efforts to improve energy efficiency. While it mentions economic and practical barriers to wider adoption of new technologies, it doesn't overtly favor any particular solution or perspective.
Bias by Omission
The article could benefit from including more information on the policy landscape and government regulations related to sustainable building practices. Additionally, the economic impact of transitioning to sustainable building materials on the construction industry and related jobs could be explored further. The geographic scope is primarily focused on research in Spain, the US, and China which might not be fully representative of global efforts.
Sustainable Development Goals
The article focuses on innovations in building materials and construction techniques aimed at reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions in the building sector. This directly addresses climate change mitigation by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, a significant contributor to global warming. The development of "super-cold cement" that reduces the need for air conditioning and materials that store and release heat efficiently are key examples. The research on biominerals in concrete that captures CO2 further contributes to carbon sequestration.