It should come as no surprise that Skanska has seen an increasing demand for more energy-efficient offices, more LEED-certified buildings and more sustainable residences in Massachusetts and throughout the U.S.
Over recent years, from businesses to communities, people understand the need to lower America’s environmental impact. As a result, today’s savvy owners have made it a priority to build high-performing green buildings or retrofit low-performing ones, using cutting-edge green technologies to drastically reduce energy consumption.
As one of the world’s largest green builders and developers, Skanska constantly looks for ways to lower our own energy use on our job sites and in our offices. For example, during the redevelopment of Delta Airlines Terminal A at Logan Airport, Skanska implemented a green construction program that involved the use of recycled materials and natural lighting. This project was the first airport terminal in the world to receive LEED Certification. Skanska has six LEED certified offices across the United States.
As part of Skanska’s Green Initiative, we implement green methods such as recycling and composting, as well as the use of on-site generated solar power. Nevertheless, no matter how we generate our energy, we need to use less of it to support the long-term economic growth and environmental health of the United States.
Our population is growing and much of our infrastructure is showing its age. Buildings are the largest users of energy in the U.S. by a significant margin – they produce 39 percent of carbon dioxide emissions and 40 percent of all energy used in the country every day. Imagine the impact on future energy bills as more and more people want electricity at peak times.
Rather than demolish old, inefficient buildings to construct new ones, I propose retrofits as the solution whenever possible.
Reusing Older Buildings
A groundbreaking study completed in January 2012, conducted by the Preservation Green Lab of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, concluded that it can take up to 80 years for a new, energy-efficient building to overcome, through more-efficient operations, the negative climate-change impacts created by its construction. In other words, reusing buildings is better for the environment than demolishing them and building new ones.
We have begun to see this growing retrofit trend among urban apartments here in Boston. Residential buildings and apartment complexes want to become more energy efficient, and many are undergoing renovations to do so. For example, at Skanska, we worked with the Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) to make the Lyndon B. Johnson Apartments public housing complex one of the greenest buildings in Cambridge.
Using sophisticated energy modeling and estimating techniques, the design team, construction manager and client came together to evaluate their options for renovation. Many sustainable approaches were considered. Some, including geothermal, solar-hydronic and wind turbines, could not be used due to the structural systems used in the existing building.
We were, however, able to use renewable systems that met feasibility and financial considerations, including photovoltaics, co-generation, heat recovery, and thermal sidewall. These methods were complemented by a new high-performance exterior envelope, high-efficiency gas boilers, a modular chiller, as well as additional water and electricity saving features.
This residential high-rise concrete structure was renovated to achieve a reduction of more than 50 percent in energy consumption, while simultaneously introducing air conditioning, not to mention the fact that the products used throughout the redevelopment met very strict “Made in the USA” standards.
Right now, we have a unique opportunity as stewards of our communities. We need to think of the initial cost of greening old apartment buildings as a wise investment over the life of the building – an investment that will significantly offset the certain rise of energy costs in the future.
If we can “get smart” about making energy-efficient decisions forexisting buildings, it is possible we could lower our energy needs by double-digit percentages within just a few years.
According to the Preservation Green Lab of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s study, “The Greenest Building: Quantifying the Value of Building Reuse,” historic rehabilitation has a 32-year track record of creating 2 million jobs and generating $90 billion in private investment. Studies also show that residential rehabilitation creates 50 percent more jobs than new construction.
Bottom line – the reuse of existing apartment buildings like those deeply enriched in our local history here in Massachusetts will not only help us maintain our cultural and historical identity, but will also benefit our economy, community and environment.
