This is a guest blog by Chris Jackson
Today, the world is facing environmental problems such as climate change, high energy costs, and pollution-related illnesses. These issues have prompted engineers and architects to develop green solutions. Designed to be more environmentally friendly, new residential and commercial buildings and renovations are now able to reduce emissions, energy consumption, and illnesses. While the use of sustainable practices is currently a hot trend in both renovation and new construction, it was actually developed more than 50 years ago, when only few builders and designers gave this idea little thought.
One of the popular sustainable solutions includes green engineering. To learn more about green engineering, this article by Best Access Doors is something that you should check out.
What Is Green Engineering?
Green engineering simply refers to the design, commercialization, and use of products and processes that can reduce pollution, promote sustainability, and minimize the risk to both the environment and human health while not sacrificing economic viability and efficiency.
This solution embraces the concept that protecting human health and the environment can create the greatest impact and cost-effectiveness during an early application stage, especially in a process or product’s design and development phase.
What Are the Principles of Green Engineering?
Green engineering includes the following processes and products:
- The holistic use of systems analysis and the integration of environmental impact assessment tools.
- The conservation and improvement of natural ecosystems while protecting human health and well-being.
- All engineering activities involved in life-cycle thinking.
- All material and energy inputs and outputs must be ensured to be as inherently safe and benign as possible.
- Minimize the depletion of available natural resources.
- Waste prevention.
Applicable Green Engineering Solutions
- Environmental Monitoring: Since there is an increased focus on the effects of climate change on the environment, there has been a global effort in green engineering to reduce the number of greenhouse gases that cause them. The need to measure and monitor our environment also keeps growing.
- Energy Storage Systems: Energy storage systems (ESSs), together with renewable energy sources, are technologies that are critical in order to create transportation and power generation. ESSs comprise many types, including electrical, chemical, thermal, and mechanical.
- Solar Energy: Life on Earth is sustained by the sun. In fact, humans have been using solar heating to warm houses for centuries now. Plant life also relies on sunlight for photosynthesis. One recent challenge is the efficient conversion of solar energy into solar power or electricity. For solar electricity generation, there are two common technologies: photovoltaic, where the sunlight is converted directly to electricity, and solar thermal, where the sun heats water and creates steam that can be used in powering steam engines.
- LEED Materials and Equipment: Today, most buildings are required to be LEED-certified. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized green building certification system. It aims to provide third-party verification to prove that a building was designed with the use of strategies that are aimed at improving energy savings, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, resources, and reducing CO2 emissions. This can be achieved by using materials and equipment that are LEED-certified, such as LEED access doors and panels.
- Wind Energy: Around the world, wind power has undeniably become an important source of renewable energy. Just in the United States alone, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the wind power capacity increased by 45% in the year 2007.
When you choose to apply green engineering solutions to your building, it is also important to partner with contractors and suppliers who can meet your needs. Ensure that they have the same dedication toward green and sustainability to make any project flow smoothly.
If you’re looking to have your building LEED-certified, the products of Best Access Doors can help! Check out our LEED access doors and panels today at https://www.bestaccessdoors.com/leed-access-panels/.
About Chris Jackson
Chris Jackson is an experienced Business Development Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the construction industry. He is currently employed by Best Access Doors, an access door supplier in the US and Canada, and has been working for the company for more than 12 years now. His area of expertise is on Negotiation, Roofers, Sales, Project Estimation, and Facility Management (FM).
We would love to hear any questions you might have or stories you might share about how you implement green engineering in your designs.
Please leave your comments, feedback or questions in the section below.
To your success,
Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success
