ABSTRACT
The design and utility of a modern building is identified with its very high energy demand and its need for large quantities of natural and manmade resources during its construction. This results in a high demand on economic resources and serious environmental problems. A balance must be struck between the qualitative requirements of a building and the environment impact of resources used to construct it, resulting in the need for an energy-efficient building (EEB). Such a need has immediate implications on regulations, economics of the building, the energy demand and the health of the environment. Conceptually an EEB must consume less energy for the same duration performing the similar tasks a normal building. As such, the energy estimation/audit has become a high priority for the designer and the policy planner while considering the economics of a building. Therefore, there is a need to appraise the specifications of a building, such as the usage of building materials that lend themselves for energy optimization, and installation of equipment that gives the best results for energy savings. A mechanism needs to be created to compare building energy performance or to assess its absolute energy efficiency.
Numerous strategies can be deployed to increase energy efficiency. Some of these are discussed in this chapter. Areas which come to immediate attention are building design, building orientation, building insulation, waste water management, modern illumination devises, exploitation of energy resources available Ab-initio, and incorporation of IOT-based systems for energy saving without compromising on the comfort.
A large part of energy management depends upon the use of automated controlled sensors, which are centrally connected. These controllers automatically control the heating, cooling, lightning, ventilation, and effective sewage disposal. An automated technique where the sensor automatically switches between on and off positions, depending on the occupancy of the building, saving a large portion of energy.
Along with reducing infrastructure expenses this also proves to be an efficient and affordable way to control climate change. The amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere can also be reduced when reducing the energy usage by a building. By eliminating waste in a controlled manner, these systems help buildings use resources more efficiently and reduce their impact on the environment.
