Solar panels can be installed on roofs as part of a sustainable architectural design.
Sustainable architectural design uses types of design techniques to achieve greater sustainability in the use of energy, land, and water, as well as building materials. Sustainable energy design takes into account climate and natural geographic features in an effort to use these attributes to reduce impact on the environment. Energy conservation can be achieved to a greater extent in new construction, as the options are many in the pre-construction phase.
For example, when planning to build a house on a lot, sustainable architectural design would take into account geographic features, such as the orientation of the lot in relation to the angle of sunlight during the day and the seasons. This sunlight factor can be thought of as a positive and negative potential in the overall energy use of the structure. If there is plenty of sunlight in one direction, solar panels can be installed on the roof. At the same time, window coverings can be designed to respond to more or less light manually or automatically, with the goal of reducing the amount of heating or cooling that is required.
Another type of green architecture deals with the energy required to maintain a certain level of comfort. There are many possibilities available to reduce energy consumption and they include technology that regulates energy production, stores energy, produces energy, and conserves energy by active or passive means. For example, for a house located in a very windy location, a small wind turbine could provide the owner with cheap renewable energy generation.
The choice of building materials is another type of sustainable architecture project. The choice of traditional building materials has emerged in various cultures over time, with people often using locally abundant materials to construct buildings. This included plants, stones and rocks, wood and animal hair, hides or skins.
In modern societies, building codes have been developed based on load specifications, zoning, and other methods used to make buildings safer and limit development in certain areas. The challenge in sustainable architectural design is that these materials are not necessarily the most scientific option, but because they are traditional and have been included in building codes, they are easier to use. Alternative building materials can incorporate natural fibers and materials, as well as blends of fibers and resins called composites.
An example of this type of architectural project would be straw bale construction. Straw bales are stacked and placed in the spaces between the outer and inner walls. Since agricultural practices around the world produce straw in abundance, the material is readily available and inexpensive, offering significant savings in energy costs for heating and cooling. Composites are lightweight but very strong and can replace other manufactured materials that require more energy to produce and ship.
Landscaping in sustainable architecture design is another type of design technique. Choosing plants that are best suited to the local environment can reduce water use while preserving topsoil. Replacing traditional lawns with sustainable plantings of native grasses and plants can also eliminate mowing.