For any new building, it is important to study the terrain, its orientation, the micro-climate around it. Natural elements such as sun or wind have a great impact on its energy efficiency. In the same way it is important to take into account the future use of the building, as well as its layout, for better energy performance. » Adrian Joyce, secretary general of EuroACE, the European Alliance of Companies for Energy Efficiency in Buildings, and director of the Renovate Europe campaign. « 48 From the northern to the southern hemisphere, this step should be adapted to suit geographical factors and climate change. Wherever you are in the world, the priority is to control the indoor temperature and the level of sun coming through, to limit the use of heating in winter in northern countries, and air conditioning in warm countries. This battle is fought on two fronts: glazing and insulation. On the glazing side, the layered construction of solar control glass lets sunlight in and either radiates or reflects heat away, as necessary. The range of solutions is nowwide enough to cater to different climates and needs. Dynamic glazing such as SageGlass® by Saint-Gobain has a chameleon quality, automatically adapting its tint to the level of sunlight. This solution is also perfect in more temperate areas, for buildings whose facades are entirely made of glass and must offset the effects of the sun. Take the case of the Murphy Center, an iconic building at Middle Tennessee State University. Countless basketball games and concerts take place within the 3000 m² glass structure. And thanks to the total renovation of its facades with smart glazing, there is no longer any need for curtains or blinds since the shade of the glass adapts in real time to the amount of light. In addition to being advanced in terms of user comfort, the solution helps the university achieve its environmental goals by significantly reducing its need for air conditioning. A challenge in the northernmost countries is maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures in winter while limiting the use of heating. In Norway and Sweden, triple glazing has been part of the energy landscape for a long time. Building facades make maximum use of layering – a wall, an insulation layer, an air gap and reinforced cladding – with airtight materials and thick insulation. The energy mix at all levels Due to the importance of operational carbon (see page 27) – the energy necessary for buildings to run – it is key to address the decarbonization of the energy mix at a continental, national and even local level. Parallel to national debates on using fossil and nuclear energy, renewable energy is at the heart of the European Union's discussions. The European REPowerEU plan aims to increase the renewable energy target from 40% to 45% by 2030. There is a wide range of renewable energy options, including geothermal, solar, and biogas. These can help diversify the energy mix and produce electricity, heat, cold air, or gas at a reasonable cost. Combined with highly efficient equipment, such as solar water heaters, heat pumps and low-consumption boilers, renewable energy contributes to the decarbonization of buildings. Provided, of course, that the buildings are sufficiently airtight and thermally insulated. This approach must also be taken at city, neighborhood and even building level. Some buildings already incorporate cladding equipped with photovoltaic panels, producing their own electricity. Developed by the Saint-Gobain Group in the Netherlands, facades that incorporate building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) illustrate this concept of low energy consumption housing. The electricity produced is directly used by the occupants and covers 40% of the building's needs. SAINT-GOBAIN
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