Overall, the construction accounts for approx. 39 per cent of energy-related CO2 emissions. Approx. 11 per cent is due to material extraction and construction of projects, and the remaining approx. 28 per cent is due to the human need for heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting in buildings.
New professor in construction and building design
Steffen Petersen, who is a new professor at the Department of Construction and Building Design at Aarhus University, was co-author of a scientific article from 2017 on construction’s CO2 emissions. In a press release from Aarhus University, he makes no secret of the fact that it requires a reformation of the construction industry – and society – to achieve the CO2 reductions:
The limit has been exceeded
– The political strategy for the environmental impact of buildings is, roughly speaking, to set the bar so low that everyone can participate and then make it clear that the bar is raised by 25 per cent. every 5 years. This strategy has historically brought down new buildings’ energy consumption per square meter. But the strategy has proven not to be good for the Earth’s ecosystems. The limit for climate change has been exceeded, and we live today with a significant risk of catastrophic climate change due to, among other things, a failed construction policy, he says in the press release.
Operation is also an environmental burden
– We must change our culture from being experience-based ‘learning on the projects’ to becoming an industry that develops and draws on knowledge rooted in the common social institution that universities are. Right now, there is a big focus on the environmental impact from ‘up-front carbon’ – i.e. the here-and-now CO2 emissions when we build new buildings. It is very important to reduce that load, but we must not forget the environmental load in the subsequent years of operation.
Must correct errors and deficiencies
If we spent as much effort on optimizing the operation of the existing construction as we are currently doing on the materials for new construction, then we would be able to reduce our environmental impact from buildings significantly and very quickly. New construction – no matter how much we reduce the environmental impact of the materials – will always increase the environmental impact. I suggest that we as an industry come together and start focusing on continuous improvement of errors and shortcomings in the existing construction – this provides real CO2 reductions, says the professor.
Buildings as batteries
– We are in the process of a green conversion of our energy system – especially wind-based electricity must be integrated. As a construction industry, we must consider whether we cannot help the transition by using buildings as a form of ‘thermal batteries’. Our research indicates that it is a new business opportunity for the industry in the green transition. We are ready to collaborate on realizing this potential, says Steffen Petersen.
Construction and rock music
Professor Steffen Petersen was born in Gentofte but grew up in Sønderborg on the Als side. The idea of becoming an engineer came in the teenage years, prompted by the family:
– I have some uncles who went to DTU. They play rock music and are generally just too cool. That’s how I wanted to be too. So I was completely clear at the end of primary school that I would study electronics engineering. But a lottery – a choice of fate – the first day at HTX in 1995 sent me to the building line instead of electronics. Since then, I have been involved in construction. And rock music, he says.
