Do you know? According to the World GBC’s Global Status Report for 2017, buildings and construction together contribute to 36% of global energy usage and 39% of carbon dioxide emissions in the world!
The need for a pollution-free, sustainable planet is here and it is stronger than ever before.
Sustainability has rapidly become the most important consideration in all industries across the world, especially in the construction sector. The tremendous technological advancement and increasing environmental awareness have together contributed to the adoption of sustainable development in all the leading countries of the world.
As environmental concerns in Saudi Arabia come into the picture, the drive towards sustainable buildings takes a new outlook. But what exactly are sustainable buildings? Why are they important? And the million-riyal-question, how can this sustainability be achieved?
Here, we explore these and many other questions concerning sustainable development in Saudi Arabia.
A Short Introduction to Sustainable Buildings
Sustainable buildings, or green buildings, focus on increasing the efficiency of the resources we use to build them, without causing an impact on human health or comfort. The idea is to begin right from the initial design, incorporating environmental considerations at the source, and optimize every usage of space possible to avoid wastage of resources.
The concept of sustainable building development has a three-fold approach:
- Optimization of new and existing buildings in terms of design
- Increasing the energy efficiency of the building
- Using renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, etc.
It’s evident that these ideologies stem from each other and are mutually dependent. Figuring out how renewable energy can be used in a green building has to be a part of the initial design, while the energy efficiency resulting from the use of alternative sources affects the lifecycle performance of the building.
The process of energy utilization and conservation in sustainable buildings involves the use of several active and passive techniques such as building orientation analysis, arrangement of rooms and windows so as to maximize the influx of natural light, installation of cost- and energy-efficient HVAC systems, treatment and reuse of effluents, and use of smart technology for better productivity.
In Saudi Arabia, the growth of sustainable development has been slow, but steady. With the evolution of clean energy sources, the oil-rich nation has taken a greener turn and encouraged sustainable development in all its forms.
The Evolution of Sustainable Development in Saudi Arabia
In a study undertaken by the Energy Information Agency, Saudi Arabia was found to use the largest amount of crude oil for power generation in 2009-2014, resulting in massive per capita CO2 emissions. Simultaneously, net electricity consumption doubled during this period, as did the population, resulting in further demand for electricity.
However, the country decided not to retain its dependency on oil forever and pursue greener and cleaner methods of power generation. Saudi Arabia took the first step towards a sustainable approach when it participated in the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 21, in Paris 2015 and pledged to create a greener future.
Thus it proposed the ambitious Vision 2030, which aims to generate 30% of the total energy required through renewable resources. Mohammed Al-Jadaan, the Finance Minister of Saudi Arabia, said the focus was towards becoming independent of oil and creating a better footprint in the world.
Anticipating the potential challenges that may crop up for the nation in the medium and long term, the key areas of development were identified and sustainability took the front-seat. Naturally, construction is an important aspect of this journey towards sustainable development.
Saudi Arabia accounts for nearly 38% of construction in the GCC, half of which are buildings. This makes sustainable building development of primary importance, as the demand for residential, commercial, and industrial buildings continues to rise.
However, there are substantial social, political, economic, and geographical challenges preventing widespread adoption of sustainable practices in construction.
Challenges in Adoption of Sustainable Development Practices in Saudi Arabia
As mentioned above, there are several factors for the slow adoption of sustainable building development practices in Saudi Arabia. Here we take a look at a few of these.
- Lack of Public Awareness
In modern times, Saudi Arabian architecture has shifted from thick, vernacular walls, low ceilings to thinner walls and glass-paned windows. Although the latter looks more elegant, it also necessitates substantially greater air conditioning, thereby increasing the power consumption manifold.
Dr. Mohammed Al Surf, in his paper on Saudi Arabia’s Sustainable Housing Limitations, explored the reasons for the low rate of adoption in this field and identified the chief reason as a lack of public awareness. From a research survey in which 693 people participated, 52.2% did not know the term ‘sustainable housing’ or resulting issues.
This is just one example of the lack of awareness amongst the common people regarding sustainable development principles. Increasing awareness is the most important step the nation must take to ensure current generations successfully participate in its development.
- Heavy Electricity Subsidies, Longer Period for Return on Investment
Low electricity tariffs and heavy subsidies on power/water usage lead to significant carelessness in how people use power. People are used to luxurious lifestyles and are reluctant to adopt one which might require them to give those up.
Additionally, these subsidies result in much longer payback periods which discourages contractors and investors from investing in sustainable technology. Lack of government regulations leads to low returns on investment, taking a significantly longer time than conventional construction turnaround times.
- High Capital Investment
Another primary reason causing low adoption of sustainable building techniques, as cited in this study, is the high perceived cost of construction. The common view about sustainable buildings is that they cost more than conventional buildings. While initial construction costs are ramped up marginally for sustainable buildings, decision-makers fail to account for their complete lifecycle value. However, reports indicate that by 2020, with the reducing costs of renewable energy solutions and the advent of new technologies in sustainability, this trend will start reversing, and the construction of sustainable buildings will become progressively more affordable.
Furthermore, the lack of awareness about alternative building designs makes investors wary of innovative sustainable architecture.
- Lack of Regulations for Sustainable Development
The greatest barrier to sustainable building development is the lack of clear regulations about the same in Saudi Arabia. Stakeholders find no detailed building codes or guidelines to help them plan an effective process. There are no major incentives or discounts for contractors to encourage them to adopt sustainable measures.
Mr. Sagar Kulkarni, MD of Consistent Engineering Consultants, Dubai, says, “The lack of opportunity to connect preliminary energy on the grid is one of the regulations holding renewable energy adoption back.” However, these legislations are moving towards a positive note and energy officials in Saudi Arabia are expected to draft clear regulations for sustainable construction in the near future.
- Low Response from Stakeholders
The overall ambiguity in sustainable rules and regulations, low public interest, longer return on investment, and high capital cost, all act as factors deterring stakeholders from taking sustainable building development seriously.
In his session at the HVAC-R Expo in Saudi, Mr. Sagar posited it as the need of the hour that all the stakeholders work together to achieve their common goal.
- Geographical Barriers
The geographic location of Saudi Arabia and its climate are, to an extent, responsible for the low rate of adoption. Consider a scenario where people install solar panels in a remote area. The continuously accumulating dust layers and sand reduce the energy efficiency of the panel and require substantial efforts for maintenance. This geographical hindrance acts as a barrier to the use of renewable energy sources.
An option to overcome such problems is with advanced technology like automated self-cleaning robots that clean the surface of solar panels at regular interval to ensure no dust is accumulated.
The Future of Sustainable Building Development in Saudi Arabia
Despite facing these challenges, Saudi Arabia is now well on its way towards a sustainable future. The nation has several existing and new projects that are LEED certified or LEED registered.
KSA has been joining a lot of national and international initiatives, such as the Carbon Dioxide Initiative, the Global Methane Initiative, the Innovation Initiative, etc., that focus towards increasing building sustainability.
It has organized events such as the Sustainable Housing Forum and the Big 5 Conference for awareness about sustainable development. The Sustainability Quality and Evaluation System (2018) sets proper standards for the construction and evaluation of green buildings in KSA.
It wouldn’t be amiss to say that KSA is on the brink of a tectonic shift in sustainable building development. That being said, we at CEC will be coming up with a special video soon, in order to take a closer look at the on-ground developments. Stay tuned to know more!