LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION & BEST PRACTICES
IMPLEMENTATION OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Malaysia faces challenges on managing waste. More waste is predicted to be generated in few years time due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Circular economy (CE) is a sustainable development strategy that is being proposed to tackle urgent problems of environmental degradation and resource scarcity. CE's 3R principles are to reduce, reuse and recycle materials. As a closed loop system where goods and materials retain their maximum value, a circular economy aims to restore the environment by reducing consumption of finite resources which drastically lessens production of waste. Through actions such as reducing waste, reusing goods, and recycling materials, citizens and businesses alike can successfully implement a circular economy within society.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
Reuse of Local Excavated Earth to Make Eco-Friendly Building Material
The construction industry is the most carbon and resource intensive. This is also one of the most polluting industries on the planet. Excavation sites, for example, are a common source of pollution and resource waste. Excavated earth and mining waste are frequently transported and dumped in remote locations such as mines, quarries, and artificial mountains.
Digging, transporting, and depositing this garbage inefficiently contributes to unnecessary transportation, air pollution, and carbon emissions. Several companies, on the other hand, are repurposing locally dug earth as construction materials. The transportation of materials accounts for a large portion of a construction company's carbon footprint. The building sector can become carbon-neutral and reduce the use of natural resources by reusing locally mined materials.
Construction Equipment Reusability
Climate change and resource constraint are causing problems in the construction industry. As a result, a number of game-changers are developing novel ways to repurpose or reuse materials and technology. Special marketplaces are emerging, for example, to encourage the reuse and circularity of construction debris. Cycle Up and Recycling Marketplace, for example, provide platforms for connecting construction waste supply and demand.
Plastic Upcycling
Recycled plastics are being increasingly applied in the construction domain to save energy and landfill space and protect the oceans. It is estimated that 11 million metric tons of plastic waste end up in the oceans each year.
The circular economy envisions a closed-loop for plastics like beverage containers, consumer packaging, and jars. Existing recycling companies in Malaysia such as ALH Group of Company, Thanam Industry Sdn Bhd, Nikkhsin Agro (Me) Sdn Bhd recently convened sustainability leaders, policymakers, and innovators to take specific actions for reducing waste plastic. Collectively, they are promoting the idea of designing products to reduce the amount of material being used and make their packaging fully recyclable.
The heterogeneity of plastic waste is making it challenging for the construction domain to recycle and reuse it. However, construction startups are working on plastic upcycling solutions for converting waste into construction materials. For instance, Top Glove Malaysia based plastic upcycling firm recycles plastic packaging waste into a industrial glove that suitable for construction and industry.
Customizable Modular Units
By 2050, cities are predicted to house roughly two-thirds of the worldwide population. As cities grow in population, they must find new methods to live a sustainable lifestyle.
Smart modular design techniques are one of the options that are gaining acceptance in the construction industry. These adaptable modules are a more environmentally friendly option than traditional building. Customers and contractors can put together prefabricated parts using modular construction, decreasing waste and carbon impact.
A circular economy is centered around three basic principles, Design out waste and pollution, keep product and material in use, Regenerate natural systems. The model is actually based on the idea that there is no such thing as waste. Product are designed to last, produced using high-quality, recyclable materials and optimized for disassembly and reuse, faciliting the process of renewal at the end of their life cycle. As example, Malaysia is blessed with abundant sunlight all year around and the Malaysian Government has adopted policies to encourage the development of the solar industry specifically to to drive awarness of the benefits of solar photovoltaic ('Solar PV") in order to improving energy security and energy efficiency. One of the building in Malaysia that adopted this policies is Pusat Tenaga Malaysia (PTM) Green Energy Office (GEO) Building
The Objective of Renewable Electrical Energy Plant (REEP)
This technology and implementation aims to futher enhance and complement waste management system with the following objectives:
BEST PRACTICES
Pusat Tenaga Malaysia (PTM) Green Energy Office (GEO) Building
The GEO building is a pilot project, a demonstrator building which marked another milestone towards greater promotion and adoption of sustainable building concept in the Malaysian building sector. It is the only such building in Malaysia that integrates the Energy Efficiency, EE and Renewable Energy, RE in one working demonstrator building. The GEO building sited on a 5-acre site in Seksyen 9, Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
It was built on a concept which focused on the green technology innovation to minimize energy demand load, efficient use of fossil fuel via taking into account the environmental concern, the usage of renewable energy but without compromising user comfort and safety. Some of the amount of energy used by the building is counter balanced by the amount of energy generated by its own renewable energy power generation system.
The building has a long range of energy efficiency features integrated in the architectural as well as the M&E design. Double-glazed windows filter heat from the sun while providing abundant natural light. The daylight design of the building is very successful, as the electric lighting needs only to be on 5% of the time during working hours 8.00 – 17.00. The building has a building integrated cooling system with cooling coils embedded in the concrete floor slabs. This allows the chiller to run during nighttime.
GEO generates its own energy with a renewable energy power generation system. Solar panels provide almost 50% of the building's electricity. The building uses rain water for its air conditioning, outdoor watering, and cleaning.
Why PTM GEO Building?
Pusat Tenaga Malaysia (PTM) using 50% of electricity provided from solar panel which this action will save the consumption of electricity from Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) but utilize natural and renewable energy sources from solar energy. This implementation will support the Government`s target and initiative to reduce the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) to 40% of GDP in 2020 plus increase the percentage from 2% to 20% of renewable energy for electricity generation by 2030.
The amount of energy saved by this building is truly extraordinary. When looked into detail of how a green building actually works, there is actually a lot of thought and design put to it. According to Poul Erick Kristenen, Managing Director of IEN Consultants Sdn. Bhd. Malaysia. He said “with hot and humid air leaking into the building, additional energy is needed to dehumidify buildings. While Malaysia neither is nor used to building air tight building, what seems to be lacking is the awareness of a better usage of materials in different conditions. To achieve such green buildings, owners or users, Architects, Civil Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Landscape Architect, Quantity Surveyor, Contractor, Vendors Sub-cons, Energy Consultant. They must all work together to achieve the goal and contribute to the circular economy.