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| Top global companies to make self-sufficient buildings a reality The World Business Council for Sustainable Development is forming an alliance of leading global companies to determine how buildings can be designed and constructed so that they use no energy from external power grids, are carbon neutral, and can be built and operated at fair market values. The industry effort is led by United Technologies Corp., the world's largest supplier of capital goods including elevators, cooling/heating and on-site power systems to the commercial building industry, and Lafarge Group, the world leader in building materials including cement, concrete, aggregates, gypsum and roofing. The WBCSD and the two lead companies are in discussions with many other leading global companies that are expected to join the project and will be announced shortly. Buildings today account for 40 percent of energy consumption in developed countries according to the OECD. The effort announced today for transforming the way buildings are conceived, constructed, operated and dismantled has ambitious targets: By 2050 new buildings will consume zero net energy from external power supplies and produce zero net carbon dioxide emissions while being economically viable to construct and operate. Constructing buildings that use no net energy from power grids will require a combination of onsite power generation and ultra-efficient building materials and equipment. The project will comprise three phases, each producing reports that together will form a roadmap to transform the building industry. The first report will document existing green building successes and setbacks, the second will identify the full range of present and future opportunities, and the third will present a unified industry strategy for realizing those opportunities by 2050, specifically in China, India, Brazil, the U.S. and the E.U. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Construction News :: home page |