Certification - les initiatives internationales

La certification des bâtiments "verts" est un outil de reconnaissance de leur performance environnementale. Obtenir un tel certificat prouve non seulement aux potentiels acheteurs/tenanciers qu'un bâtiment est de très haute qualité environnementale et a été conçue avec une vision de développement durable, mais cela donne aussi la possibilité de comparer le bâtiment a d'autres bâtiments similaires a travers le monde. Tout comme la qualité et le confort d'un hôtel sont indiques par des étoiles, la qualité d'un bâtiment vert est indique par une échelle similaire. Les initiatives internationales sont nombreuses, comme l'explique l'article suivant. Plusieurs pays ont adopte leur propre "green label", prenant en compte les principaux éléments locaux comme la culture, la gestion d'énergie et d'eau, etc. En attendant que l'ile Maurice ait son propre outil de certification, il y a plusieurs options pour ceux voulant obtenir un certificat de performance environnementale. L'article suivant parle des différents outils internationaux et de leurs avantages et inconvénients.

Read interview of Emma Kauppaymuthoo-Ozsen on l'Express newspaper (17/12/09)

"La construction durable et la création de bâtiments à haute qualité environnementale ont une meilleure rentabilité, estime Emma Ozsen. Elle nous explique les avantages de construire vert."

Read more on l'Express property blog below:
http://lexpressproperty.blogspot.com/2009/12/questions-emma-ozsen-consultante-en.html#more

Save energy by controlling the climate at your desk

Thanks to its subtropical climate, the weather in Mauritius is warm all year round, attracting tourists from around the world as a fantastic holiday destination throughout the year. This means however that the amount of energy used for air-conditioning each year is enormous. Offices are another example of very high energy-consuming buildings. The amount of lighting used in typical office buildings, as well as the heat generated from internal electrical appliances and people within the building means that air-conditioning used in a typical office building is very high and so are the operational costs of the building. The New Scientist Magazine issue 2737 talks about the savings possible by using individual air-conditioning vents at desks rather than entire rooms. The research clearly showed that in countries where air-conditioning is required all year round, these systems would pay for themselves in energy savings. Results showed the building energy use was cut by 50 per cent.

"We're used to taking command of our personal climate in planes and cars by using simple controls. Why not in buildings too?

How much does building green really cost?

"Green building skeptics sometimes argue that it's difficult or even impossible to build green without paying a big cost premium. But real-world examples show that you can complete a LEED-certified green building project for an average of 2 percent more in upfront costs, and sometimes even below standard market construction costs. Plus, any extra first costs you pay can be recovered through faster lease-up rates, rental premiums and increased market valuation. And by making experienced green building professionals a part of your team and learning to control costs, you can escape paying any green premium at all as early as your second green building project. A 2004 study by Davis Langdon Adamson, a construction cost-planning and management company, found that the first costs of constructing a sustainable building tend to match or only slightly exceed those of comparable non-green buildings. The study, Costing Green: A Comprehensive Cost Database and Budgeting Methodology, measured the square-foot construction costs of 61 buildings seeking certification under the LEED green building rating system against those of buildings of similar type that did not aim for sustainability. Taking into account a range of construction factors including climate, location, market conditions and local standards, the study found that for many of the green projects, pursuing LEED certification had little or no budgetary impact.

The study's findings also underline that incorporating and integrating green features into a project early is critical to the success of any green building project. "It is the choices made during design which will ultimately determine whether a building can be sustainable, not the budget set," the report concluded."

Source: Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) Fact Sheet

World Green Building Council Reaches Out to BREEAM

"BREEAM leaders said the invitation extended by the WGBC recognizes the UK-based organization's accomplishments and its influence in pressing for more environmentally efficient buildings around the world."

Read more below:

http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news/2009/11/19/world-green-building-council-reaches-out-breeam

Don't miss the Ecobuilding conference on the 18-19 March 2010!

At the Mauritius Eco Building Conference and Exhibition 2010, some of the world’s best green building projects will be presented and reviewed and leading materials, products, expertise and technology suppliers will exhibit their solutions. Read more at the following address:

http://www.ecobuilding.com/

Interview by Week-End newspaper on 29/11/2009

The interview article of Emma Ozsen which appeared on the Week-End newspaper (29/11/2009) can also be viewed on l’Express Property blog below:

http://lexpressproperty.blogspot.com/2009/11/construire-vert-par-emma-ozsen.html