At first glance, the Beitou Branch of Taipei Public Library seems to have little in common with a McDonald's restaurant in Savannah in the U.S. state of Georgia, the National Assembly of Wales building in Cardiff or five public swimming pools in Lisbon, Portugal. In fact, all of these buildings were designed to be energy-efficient. Also, most of these projects used construction methods that are better for the environment than conventional techniques.
The Beitou library, which formally opened November 17, 2006, is Taiwan's first "green" library. The two-story 1,990-square-meter structure is largely timber. In contrast, most buildings in Taiwan are made of concrete. It takes a great deal of energy to heat, mix and refine cement. The extraction of gravel for use as a concrete aggregate has damaged many of the country's rivers and hillsides.
The library's large French windows help cut electricity usage in two ways. An abundance of natural light for the interior means less lighting is required. The windows can be opened to provide ventilation, reducing the need for fans and air-conditioning.
One part of the roof is covered by photovoltaic cells that are expected to convert sunlight into at least US$1,000 worth of electricity per year. Another part is covered by plants and shrubs to provide thermal insulation. During Taipei's chilly winters, the garden cuts heat loss through the ceiling and thereby makes the interior cozier. In the summertime, the foliage blocks some of the heat of the sun.
Sustainable building technology is about more than lowering carbon-dioxide emissions by saving energy. Many green buildings, including the Beitou library, also aim to conserve water. The library has a rainwater-capture system, where the water is used to flush the toilets.
Despite plentiful rain, Taiwan has suffered from water shortages in recent years. Plans to build large new reservoirs in Kaohsiung and Yunlin counties have run into opposition. Rainwater capture--also known as rainwater harvesting--is a far less controversial way to solve the country's water problems. It is one of the "Water Conservation 36 Top Tips" listed on the Water Resources Agency Web site.
Builders have taken this advice to heart. A system that can store 300 metric tons of rainwater is an important feature of one of Taiwan's best-known green buildings, the Delta Electronics Inc. complex in the Southern Taiwan Science Park. According to data from the WRA, which promotes both urban and agricultural rainwater utilization, between 1996 and 2005 rainwater-capture systems with a total capacity of 20,500 metric tons were installed in schools, factories and office buildings around Taiwan. The tanks are emptied an average of 35 times a year.
Buildings in Taiwan now harvest up to 700,000 metric tons of rainwater each year, therefore, of which 84 percent is used for flushing toilets. Most of the remainder is used to water plants. Water use in the country is still rising, however, now averaging 89 metric tons per person per year, according to statistics from the state-run Taiwan Water Corp. Rainwater harvesting will have to be done on a much greater scale if it is to lessen Taiwan's water woes, but already it is making a difference in the water situation on the country's outlying islands, such as Penghu County, which receives far less rain than Taiwan proper.
The WRA is not the only central government body encouraging sustainable building technology. The most important is the Architecture and Building Research Institute, a unit of the Ministry of the Interior. In addition to its fire-safety, disaster-prevention and cultural-preservation roles, ABRI aims to promote green buildings, which "provide a comfortable and healthy indoor environment" and help to "achieve waste reduction and resources efficiency," according to its Web site.
ABRI is devoting US$54.5 million to its Green Building Promotion Program, which was launched in March 2001 and will run until December 2007.
The program included mandatory green building design for new governmental buildings and green remodeling for existing ones, said Chiu Chiung-yu, a research fellow at ABRI. She added that the agency would also conduct research and development on recycling building materials, promote usage of green construction products and handle training for architects.
ABRI's green-building evaluation and labeling efforts predate the GBPP. The first ABRI assessment system, created in 1999, comprised seven indicators, including energy savings and CO2 emissions reduction.
In 2000, the Environmental Protection Administration's Environmental Analysis Laboratory in Jhongli City was given a "seven star" green-building rating by ABRI after passing all seven indicators. The building, which cost US$37.3 million, has a number of interesting features, including a double-decked roof to reduce solar heat gain and overhangs to increase shade. The structure is largely made out of steel, rather than reinforced concrete. Wetlands moderate the locale's microclimate and nurture various frog, insect and plant species.
Two more indicators were added to the assessment process in 2003: biodiversity and indoor environmental quality. These nine indicators form the current framework, and because they fall into four categories--ecology, energy saving, waste reduction and health--the certification system is known as EEWH. It is roughly equivalent to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System in the United States and the Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency in Japan.
EEWH is also being promoted by private-sector entities, the most prominent of which is the nonprofit Taiwan Green Building Council. The TGBC, established in January 2005, includes building contractors, government bodies and academic institutions. It represents Taiwan on the World Green Building Council, an international union whose stated goal on its Web site is "the transformation of the global property industry toward sustainability."
By the end of April 2007, the total number of completed and EEWH certified green buildings in Taiwan was 170, according to Chiu. Another 1,170 projects are candidates awaiting certification.
This number seems very small, given the amount of construction in Taiwan. According to the Council for Economic Planning and Development's Urban and Housing Development Department, 2005 saw the completion of new buildings with a total floor area of 30.92 million square meters.
Despite this comparison, Taiwan is making much better progress than some of the other countries represented on the WGBC. Only 25 projects in Australia have been certified under that country's Green Star evaluation system. In Japan, there were just 16 buildings that had satisfied all the CASBEE requirements by the end of 2006.
This is not to say that EEWH standards are easy to meet, however. In 2005, ABRI conducted a comparative study between LEED and EEWH. "The results showed several major differences," said Chiu. "Because of different climatic conditions and local environmental issues, the two systems possess different evaluation items and weighting factors. For example, for LEED water efficiency accounts for only five points and all points are optional. However, for EEWH and our labeling requirements, water conservation is given a greater weighting."
"EEWH is a building environmental assessment system for subtropical and tropical regions," Chiu explained. The energy-saving regulations that form part of Taiwan's national building code are much stricter in certain respects than those LEED followed, she added.
"Compared with EEWH, LEED puts a lot more emphasis on green materials and indoor environment. Besides, LEED encourages innovative design," Chiu said. "I am not going to assert that one system is easier than the other."
Unlike the U.K. Code for Sustainable Homes, which was published at the end of 2006, the EEWH system does not currently include any transportation-related indicators, such as bicycle storage sheds, access to public transportation or facilities that support alternative-fuel vehicles. The feasibility of adding such indicators is something Chiu and other experts are looking into.
Buildings that pass LEED standards are divided into four categories: certified, silver, gold and platinum. EEWH has five levels--certified, bronze, silver, gold and diamond.
As of March 2007, 18 new constructions and several renovations in the United States had received platinum certifications. To date, no finished buildings in Taiwan have received a diamond rating and none are in development. Only one project has achieved gold, the Delta Electronics Inc. complex.
Taiwan's government was quick to adopt a set of sustainable building standards. The country has a growing cohort of architects, academics and government officials who are promoting everything from the utilization of solar energy to the use of construction materials produced from recycled matter in a bid to harmonize development with environmental concerns. If successful, their efforts will provide a green future for the next generation.
Copyright 2007 by Steven Crook
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