SELECTIVE CASE STUDIES OF NET-ZERO CARBON BUILDING

Abstract

Steered by its international commitment from the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21), there have been increasing efforts to plan and achieve reductions in operational carbon emissions fromnew and existing buildings in Singapore to fulfil its obligations towards the Paris Agreement. As reflected by the rising number of Green Mark (GM) Certified Super Low Energy (SLE) and NetZero Energy (NZE) buildings in Singapore, there is evident progress towards meeting the goals set in the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and the Singapore Green Building Masterplan. In comparison, only a few existing Net-Zero Carbon Buildings (NZCBs) within the country exist. While reducing carbon emissions from the buildings’ operational stage is essential, the embodied carbon from the buildings’ pre-construction and construction stages also significantly contribute to global carbon emissions. As such, this dissertation will seek to analyse and compare existing NZCBs and Low-Carbon Buildings (LCBs) case studies in Singapore to comprehensively review the approaches to achieving Net-Zero Whole Life Carbon (WLC) in a tropical climate like Singapore. Two case studies from Singapore, Gaia and School of Design & Environment (SDE) 1, and one from Hong Kong, Zero Carbon Building (ZCB), were analysed. Using Mass Engineered Timber (MET) as the primary material of a building makes an ideal carbon sink, but carbon emissions from procurement should be mitigated. Adaptive reuse projects offer great potential to conserve embodied carbon and avoid embodied energy from demolition and construction processes. Avoiding associated carbon emissions from production, transportation, and construction can significantly reduce embodied carbon.