M - Sustainability

Question 1

What is Sustainability?

Answer 1

• The principle of sustainability seeks to balance economic, environmental and social objectives
• The process of meeting the needs of today without compromising future generations to meet their needs

Question 2

Explain some key sustainability issues

Answer 2

1) Climate change
2) Resource depletion
3) Travel and transport
4) Water conservation and usage
5) Waste Mangement
6) Flooding

Question 3

What is sustainable design?

Answer 3

1) Optimise site potential
2) Minimise non-renewable materials
3) Environmentally preferable product
4) Enhance indoor environment quality
5) Flexible design concepts
6) Future proofing design
7) Protect and conserve water
8) Optimise operational and maintenance practices

Question 4

What are sustainable construction methods?

Answer 4

1) Prefabricated materials - controlled environment
2) Selecting sustainable building materials e.g. renewable materials
3) Construction waste management plan
4) Lean manufacturing
5) Consider site logistics i.e. use of local suppliers to save on fuel costs
6) Project energy plan
7) Water plan
8) Implement sustainability requirements in PQQ’s / ER’s

Question 5

What is the waste hierfarchy?

Answer 5

1) Reduce
2) Reuse
3) Recycle
4) Recovery
5) Disposal

Question 6

What is Greenstar?

Answer 6

Greenstar is a voluntary rating system that assesses the sustainability of design, construction and operation of buildings

• Launched in 2003
• 1 to 6 stars

1 Star - Minimum Practice
6 Stars - Best Practice

Question 7

What is NABERS?

Answer 7

National Australian Built Environment Rating System

• Measurement / rating toold for offices, hotels and shopping centres
• Uses a 6 star scale

Question 8

What is NatHERS?

Answer 8

Nationwide Housing Energy Rating System

• Measures thermal energy use in residential homes
• 10 Star rating system
• Minimum 6 stars required for a new house

Question 9

What is the Kyoto Protocol?

Answer 9

International treaty committing States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Australia signed up in 2007 - Aim to reduce carbon output

Question 10

Which Australian Laws regulate a projects effect on the environment?

Answer 10

Regulated by planning and environmental laws.

Environmental laws are regulated at three levels; Federal, State and Local

FEDERAL LAWS

1) The Australian Constitution - enables the federal government the power to make laws with respect to national environmental significance
2) Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) - requires projects to be assessed if there is a possibility that it may significantly impact on a matter of national environmental significance

STATE AND LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS
- Govern whether a project must have its environmental impacts assessed and the level of assessment required. They may impose obligations and/or penalties for unlawful environmental impacts of the project

WA environmental laws:

1) Environmental Protection Act 1986
2) Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914

Question 11

What determines whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is necessary?

Answer 11

Depends on Federal, State and Local legislation applicable to the project and the nature of the impact of the project.

Minor projects and projects with limited impact on the environment will not always need to go through the EIA process.

Question 12

What is the output of an EIA?

Answer 12

Focus on the biophysical, social and economic impacts of the project.

If environmental planning approval is granted, the decision maker can impose conditions on the development including:

1) A financial security
2) Insurance
3) An independent environmental audit
4) Plans for managing impacts of the action
5) Environmental monitoring or testing
6) Compliance with non-statutory instruments and codes of practice, such as Australian Standards, NCC etc

Question 13

What Environmental & Sustainability policies does your comapny have?

Answer 13

We operate an Environmental Management System (EMS) certified to ISO 14001.

It is implemented as part of the Business Management System (BMS)

Initiatives have been implemented over the past decade to:

• Reduce energy consumption
• Minimise and avoid waste
• Recycling
• Use of plumbed, filtered water chillers rather than bottled water
• Movement sensitive lighting
• Ensuring electrical appliances are switched off when not in use
• Fair trade coffee, tea and sugar

Question 14

Are you aware of the RICS Guidance Note on Sustainability?

Answer 14

Sustainability and the RICS Property Lifecycle - Aug 2009

Describes key sustainability issues and surveyors roles and responsibilities at each stage.

Question 15

Name some innovative sustainable technologies

Answer 15

• Photovoltaic Panels (PV) - Solar panels
• Wind turbines
• LED lights
• Heat pumps - ground source / air
• Water harvesting
• Green roofs
• Green walls

Question 16

What design considerations would you expect an architect to make when designing a sustainable building?

Answer 16

1) Maximising daylight
2) Use of ventilation (e.g. louvres) to cool the building naturally, without using energy
3) Design for simplicity of operation and long life (reduce Lifecycle Costs / Whole Life Costs
4) Reuse materials

Question 17

What is a Waste Management Plan?

Answer 17

• Defines how materials will be managed efficiently and disposed of legally
• Defines how the re-use and recycling materials will be maximised

Question 18

List some recyclable materials

Answer 18

1) Glass
2) Wood
3) Plasterboard and other gypsum products can be recycled for cement / plaster of paris

Question 19

List some reusable materials

Answer 19

1) Bricks
2) Demolition waste for aggregate
3) Building foundations can sometimes be reused, instead of being dug out and reformed

Question 20

What is the definition of a sustainable material?

Answer 20

A sustainable material does not deplete non-renewable (natural) resources. They have no adverse impacts on the environment when used.

Question 21

How might you design a building to reduce water consumption?

Answer 21

1) Smaller sinks
2) Reduce toilet cistern sizes
3) Vacuum toilets
4) Rainwater harvesting, grey water for toilets

Question 22

How might a building generate sustainable energy?

Answer 22

1) Solar panels

2) Wind turbines

Question 23

How might a building conserve energy?

Answer 23

1) Maximise sunlight and ventilation through window design and building position
2) Thick walls
3) Insulation
4) Double / Triple glazing

Question 24

Are you able to provide an example of a sustainable project?

Answer 24

Snowy Hydro - NSW
Providing renewable energy to more than one million homes and businesses

Snowy 2.0
A major pumped-hydro expansion of the Snowy Scheme, significantly increasing their energy generation and storage capabilities.
At full capacity Snowy 2.0 will increase energy generation capacity by 2,000MW and provide large-scale storage of 175 hours, enough to power 3 million homes for a week.

The project links two existing scheme dams, Tantangara and Talbingo through tunnels and an underground power station with pumping capabilities.
Hydro-power is generated by falling water spinning Snowy 2.0’s giant reversible turbines which also pump water in the opposite direction.

The pumping capabilities work in a ‘closed’ system - water is recycled between the upper and lower dam so the same water can be used to generate power more than once.

Question 25

What is the Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phase-down?

Answer 25

Commenced in Australia in January 2018.

Targets synthetic greenhouse gasses which are mainly used in refrigeration and air conditioning equipment.

The phase-down restricts the amount of HFC’s being imported into Australia in an attempt to restrict its use.

This in turn will increase the supply price for HFC’s meaning that alternative gas solutions must be sought for refrigeration and air conditioning systems.

This is having a big impact on my Client in a time when they are looking to reduce capital expenditure as it can result in stores requiring a full replacement of refrigeration units and plant.