Welcome to the Low-Carbon Building Skills Resource, aimed at providing education, inspiration, and guidance for engineers and architects learning about sustainable low-carbon building practices.
WHY low-carbon?
Carbon emissions through human activity are the primary source of greenhouse gas, collecting in the atmosphere and leading to global climate change. "Low-carbon" should really read "low-greenhouse gas", but since carbon is the most common gas, others are converted into carbon equivalent using their global warming potential.
Global climate change as a result of carbon emissions is a growing threat to human society, but rapid societal responses can significantly lessen the negative outcomes.
HOW can we make a difference?
The construction, operation, and demolition of buildings is responsible for roughly one third of all greenhouse gas emissions. Two essential skills for building engineers and architects that have the potential to drastically reduce carbon emissions include Energy Modelling, which deals with the ongoing operation of buildings, and Life Cycle Analysis, which takes into account the full life of buildings, from construction to demolition (or re-purposing!). These two skills are the focus of this resource.