Chapter 4: Analysis
4.3 Indicator Analysis
4.3.4 Green Buildings
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without any national standard or a new standard which could have been set by a new regulation for the eco-city in Tianjin, such problems might still exist.
The treatment and rehabilitation of existing water bodies as well as wastewater and non-conventional water treatment is a task which needs the SSTEC’s full attention. Moreover it would be preferable if the eco-city could raise its water quality standards, especially in order to help to provide and achieve another indicator’s requirement: water from taps meeting drinking water (potable) standards.
One of the crucial factors for the eco-city may be the observation and controlling of the quality standards (not only restricted to water quality and security), but as the eco-city is supposed to be surrounded by a blue and green network it is essential to provide appropriate controlling mechanisms, because once the water quality becomes unattainable it can become a threat towards the green network as well. Furthermore it should be mentioned that the necessity of functioning and regularly performed evaluations and controlling mechanisms are not a restricted and fixed Chinese phenomenon, but are necessary around the globe, so it should be an all-out effort to make sure that the work of governments, agencies and responsible entities is being controlled, at best by independent institutions. If that is not possible, then involved third actors such as international corporations might function as evaluating instances and help to guarantee the compliance with regulations and standards.
4.3.4 Green Buildings
The world’s energy consumption is steadily rising therefore solutions to contain and reduce energy usage in daily life and prevent an increase are essential.
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In 2010 approximately one third of the world’s energy demands are needed for energy services in residential and commercial buildings, at the same time these energy services also account for one third of the worldwide CO2 emissions.
According to analysts this already high energy demand might be doubled and some projections take into account that CO2 emissions are approximately increasing by 50 to 150 percent by mid-century.151 At the same time it may be possible to reduce and get rid of 29 percent of the global baseline buildings CO2 emissions by increasing the energy efficiency in 2020152, while the necessary investments would be paid off through lower energy costs.
Additionally most of this could be realized through the implementation of energy efficient technologies. China’s energy consumption in residential buildings in urban regions has increased three times in the years 1996 to 2008, making the need for a more efficient way of living, heating and heat insulation.153 Especially the heating in residential buildings in China has increased dramatically with an average growth rate of 5.4 percent per year since 2000.154 In 2006 buildings’
energy usage just accounted for 25 percent, but it is expected to rise up to 40 percent of the country’s energy use in 2020.155 In order to help to reduce the energy consumption and introduce more energy-efficient approaches China is
151 Edenhofer, Ottmar et al. “Summary for Policymakers.” In Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change: Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Edited by IPCC, 1–33. Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press, 2014, 25.
http://report.mitigation2014.org/spm/ipcc_wg3_ar5_summary-for-policymakers_approved.pdf (accessed April 15, 2014).
152 Levine, M. et al. “Residential and commercial buildings.” In Residential and commercial buildings. In Climate Change 2007: Mitigation. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Edited by B. Metz et al. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 2007, 389. http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg3/ar4-wg3-chapter6.pdf.
153 Amecke, Hermann et al. “Buildings Energy Efficiency in China, Germany, and the United States.”
Unpublished manuscript, last modified May 5, 2014, 9.
http://climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Buildings-Energy-Efficiency-in-China-Germany-and-the-United-States.pdf.
154 IEA, International Energy Agency. “Tracking Clean Energy Progress 2014.” 2014, 48.
155 Fridley, David, David G. Fridley, Nina Zheng, and Nan Zhou. Estimating Total Energy Consumption and Emissions of China's Commercial and Office Buildings LBNL-248E. Berkeley, California, 2008, 2.
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following different approaches by introducing green building labels and constructions into its market.
According to the KPI system all buildings in the eco-city have to meet the green building standards and thereby be classified as green buildings. China already has a green buildings labeling system called ‘Green Star’ and distinguishes the evaluating process into three different labels, from one star to a three star certificate, categorizing the procedure into measurement units like land-saving, energy-saving, material saving and other categories. The awarding procedure and the highest certificate is overviewed by the MoHURD in general, while the two lower certificates may also be handed over by selected institutions such as the China Academy of Building Research or the Shenzhen Institute of Building Research.156 Singapore also developed its own green labeling mechanism named “Singapore Green Mark”. The newest assessment criteria in order to achieve a certification have been updated and are effective since January 15th 2013. Initiated in 2005 in order to increase the number of eco-friendly buildings by awarding four different levels (Green Mark certified, Gold, GoldPLUS, Platinum). The criteria have been categorized into the five fields of energy efficiency, water efficiency, site/project development and management (also for existing buildings) and good indoor environmental quality and environmental protection, as well as an innovation factor. Both the Chinese and the Singaporean systems have to be renewed every three years. The Singaporean system seems to be slightly more evolved, including so-called ‘beyond buildings’
addition, referring to parks, rapid transit systems, districts and other infrastructure projects. Moreover the certification system is also applicable for
156 Song, Ling宋凌. “„綠色建築評價標識“介紹 Chinese Green Building Label.” 2009.
http://de.slideshare.net/geoff848/mohurd-three-star-system-how-does-it-work?type=presentation.
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facilities’ interior areas and constructions, including offices, restaurants, super markets etc. Singapore’s master plan aims to a goal of 80 percent Green Mark certified buildings in the year 2030. According to an amendment concerning new constructions, since 2008 all buildings with a gross floor area of at least 2000m2 must obtain a Green Mark Gold rating. The rating system is divided into the above-mentioned criteria categories and subcategories, in order to achieve a Green Mark certification 50 points from a total of 140 have to be achieved. It is important to mention that the minimum points have to be obtained through energy-related and other green features categories.157
“The percent of green buildings in new construction was practically zero in Tianjin in 2008.”158
The Tianjin Eco-city has drafted and applied its own evaluation standard for green buildings, the “Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Green Building Evaluation Standard” (GBES) which will be adapted to residential and non-residential buildings in the eco-city. Designers, contractors and planning consultants and by evaluating the green buildings shall adjust and construct in accordance with:
local conditions, with holistic balanced considerations on energy-saving, land-saving, water-saving, material-saving, environment protection, and functional uses throughout the whole life cycle of the building.159
157 Addae-Dapaah, Kwame, and Su J. Chieh. “Green Mark Certification: Does the Market Understand?”
Journal of Sustainable Real Estate Vol. 3, Issue 1 (2011): 162–191, 165-67.
For further information: Building and Construction Authority. “Green Mark Assessment Criteria.” Accessed May 1, 2014. http://www.bca.gov.sg/greenmark/green_mark_criteria.html.
158 Baeumler, Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, 28.
159 Yang, Wen, and Wu Deng. ““Building related KPIs in Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City”” APCBEE Procedia 5 (2013): 112–115, 113.
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Since the initiating of the GBES the eco-city possesses between two and three million square meters of green building certified areas. The plan determines a growth rate of certified buildings by two million square meters per year.160
It is supposed that this standard is a combination of the best features of both rating systems, up to now only recognized by and inside the eco-city itself. The system is supposed to be divided into three rating levels similar to Singapore’s system with Silver, Gold and Platinum statuses. This new standard is divided into two evaluation systems, on the one side the minimum requirements (compulsory items) which have to be met by all buildings in order to be defined as green buildings and on the other side the superior items. By reaching the latter it is possible to be awarded with one of the statuses according to a scope system (Silver 60 ≤ score < 75; Gold 75 ≤ score < 90; Platinum ≥ 90).161
Some of the standards which have been reached are an average energy use for heating buildings in residential areas of 65 percent less than buildings constructed in the 1980s (50 percent heating energy-saving for public buildings).
Highly efficient energy-saving technologies have to be used to for cooling, heating and lighting systems and mechanisms. Other essential requirements are the use of renewable energy: at least 10 percent of residential buildings’
energy consumption should be covered by renewable energy, whereas public buildings’ consumption should be covered by 15 percent.162
160 Yang and Deng, Building related KPIs, 115.
161 “Zhong xin tianjin shengtai cheng lüse jianzhu pingjia biaozhun 中新天津生態城綠色建築評價標準 [Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Green Buildings Evaluation Standards].” Accessed May 1, 2014, 8.
162 Baeumler, Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, 28.
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Table 4Comparison of SSTEC GBES and National GBES (Residential Buildings)
Source: Baeumler et al. Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City. Worldbank. 2009, 33.
*NSR: No specific requirement
Even though the eco-city has established its own green building standards, the certification through the national green building standards of both countries is still implemented and acknowledged. A Low Carbon Living Lab located in the Eco-Business Park in the Tianjin Eco-city has been awarded both China’s three star award and Singapore’s Green Mark Platinum award, classified as the greenest building in China with the contribution of Singapore.163 But other information by official TECID website is only referring to a three star award for the whole Eco-Business Park.164 The future functions and specialization of the Eco-Business Park is rather imprecisely and regard the complex the center for R&D, “training, testing, innovation and commercialization of clean technology in China”. Headquarters for multinational corporations, data storage and software development are other branches which will be located in the facilities of the
163 Keppel Corp. Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City (last access: 21.05.2014)
164 Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co. Ltd. “Milestones 2014.” Accessed June 30, 2016. http://www.tianjineco-city.com/en/iRightPic.aspx?column_id=10306.
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Eco-Business Park.165 It wasn’t possible to obtain further information about the concrete working environment in the Eco-Business Park, also the research, specialization and information about the clean technologies which the facilities and employees are focusing on hasn’t been released.
An earlier study commissioned by the World Bank focused on the evaluation of the city’s tasks, goals and the possible use of GEF mechanisms. The report mainly favors an enhanced aim for standards and regulations, which recently are mainly referring to the national standards of both countries, instead of establishing newer and higher standards and thereby shifting the requirements and goals to a pioneer status. Moreover the “energy performance requirements”
for important energy fields in buildings as air conditioning, water heating or lighting haven’t been set yet. Furthermore the above-mentioned report was voice criticism of a missing accreditation program, with an appropriate program launched in 2010 this missing factor has been fixed. Therefore Singapore’s experts in green building development started a training program for government officials and other professionals in order to undertake tasks of environmental control on construction sites, planning, building control systems and other relevant skills and knowledge.166
Comparing it to the U.S. standards for green buildings and its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, it is clear that both systems have their advantages and disadvantages. Both systems follow different approaches, China’s Three Star rating system is superior to the LEED system because it has to be operating for one year after possible application
165 Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co. Ltd. “Introduction: Eco-Business Park.” Accessed June 30, 2014. http://stc.dashilan.cn/en/SinglePage.aspx?column_id=10334.
166 BCA Academy of the Built Environment. “BCAA Green Building EDP.” Accessed May 21, 2014.
http://www.bcaa.edu.sg/BCAA%20Green%20Building%20EDP.aspx.
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and certification whereas the system from the U.S. can be giving out certifications immediately after the completion of the building, no need for a certain duration of occupancy. Post-occupancy monitoring systems are the main point of critique quoted by studies167, showing that the formulated aims e.g.
energy efficiency and consumption, can’t be matched in practice. Under these circumstances the Chinese approach might be much more appropriate; despite all that a monitoring evaluation and controlling apparatus is not implemented in either one of the rating and certification systems. The accreditation program should help to main an appropriate controlling procedure, but regularly monthly controls would on the one side help to maintain a fully-functional and most efficient usage of the system and its effects and on the other side help to make possible adjustments.
At an early stage of the project the vice-chairman of the SSTEC Administration Committee Lin Xuefeng presented a paper at the Macau International Environmental Cooperation Forum in March 2012, stating a more self-critical point of view towards the achievements at that time. An assessment test controlling the GBES used in the Tianjin Eco-city was conducted, assessing the then-status of the trajectories via water and energy consumption and green building standards. The report mentions that 700.000 square meters at the SSTEC had been classified in accordance with the green standards and most of the buildings rated 3 stars (probably China’s three star rating system). Because the report is evaluating the buildings individually, it was possible to identify the fact that water and energy efficiency weren’t meeting the standards attributed to
167 Accame, Fernando, Joel Cesare, Ying Chen, Edward Walsh, and Qiong Wu. “Green Buildings in the US and China: Bridging the Energy Performance Gap.” Unpublished manuscript, last modified May 28, 2014, 9. http://www.bren.ucsb.edu/research/2012Group_Projects/documents/nanjing_report.pdf. Bren School Sino-American Working Group.
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the eco-city. In 2010, only 11 out of 129 buildings were meeting the appointed consumption for energy and water. One year later, out of 280 buildings 18 buildings were conforming to the target goals.168 Meanwhile this assessment report hasn’t been commented on by the SSTEC Investment and Development Ltd CEO Ho Tong Yen.
Even though at that time the first citizens had been moving into their residences and the project was still at its early stages, it’s clear that the determined targets haven’t been met on the scale which they were supposed to. An assessment report at that time was a perfect tool in order to figure out obstacles and problems which probably should have been solved since. Clearer goals and regular checks and evaluation would be helpful in order to maintain high goals, especially in order to regulate the water and energy consumption which is easily influenced by personal use. Again appropriate education as well as use of the newest and adjusted technologies may make it possible to achieve those aims.