Kenyan Architects are presented with the challenge of making sustainable architecture that is relevant to the times we live in. One of the essential spheres within which architecture needs to be sustainable is the factor of energy efficiency in buildings. Constructions are huge guzzlers of energy in many ways and the construction industry has led to having a high level of energy intake. This necessitates therefore for buildings to contain essentials for sustainability in order for them to favorably chip in to the green agenda.

Kenyan Architects Creating Green Architecture through Energy Effective Buildings – Use of Green Fittings

Green design calls for buildings to lessen their energy needs, i.e. that they maintain less power requirements on the environment, and do not cause unfavorable environmental outcomes in the process of acquiring this power. This is linked to the requisite for clean green energy that does not harm the environment. Indeed energy sources that have less carbon dioxide emissions and have low volatile organic compounds within, are preferable for the green agenda to be pronounced.

Energy is consumed within buildings through the huge number of appliances and gadgets that we use in our business offices, institutions, houses, industries and shop premises. These gadgets are requisite for the proper functioning of these facilities. We cannot function in today’s working surroundings without using these machines. With this in mind, we recreate, are productive and buy and sell using appliances and equipment that invariably use energy in one way or another.

Regarding that these gadgets that use up energy are applied in the context of our built surroundings, it is critical that adequate provisions be made in the fabric of our buildings to reduce power use. Likewise it is essential that we consider the function of appliances that make a deliberate effort to function adequately while using less energy.

Energy Efficient Devices that should be incorporated by Kenyan Architects while Building

We implement a number of activities within our domiciles and offices. Each of these activities has a basic demand for light. In deep office spaces, one may find insufficient level of natural illumination at some workstations deep within some offices, and these have to be served with artificial lighting.

While it may appear to have small power consumption per individual or workstation, the cost of lighting can be enormous when it is calculated for every workstation in a building. Offices require lighting to be allowed for in various levels, including use of task lighting, exterior lighting and even decorative lighting. These have cost implications to them. These factors all add up to create a substantial energy demand placed by the factor of light.

The utilization of energy saving lamps is a large advancement as regards energy conservation. It is impressive how one type of light fitting can produce the same amount of lighting as another which uses much more energy. This is one of the advances in lighting technology that users can tap into. For example, traditional light bulbs used glowing tungsten filament that burned to provide light and heat energy. More curent is used up by these lamps as they produce light energy and heat, hence they have consume more energy. Today however, energy efficient lights such as LED lights and flourescent light that exhaust less energy and give out more light are very familiar. As such, should you need to provide artificial lighting to enhance your office interiors light levels, you will spend far less on energy expenditure by using these kinds of light fittings.

Having light fittings that can be moderated is a big way with which one can boost the green agenda..This can be achieved by ensuring that one can operate the use of light fittings in spaces which are not used continually. For example, spaces such as toilets and stores can have their light automatically controlled such that they switch off when no one is within these spaces. At night, the use of office lights when people are not in the building can be automatically regulated. Security lights dealing with outdoor spaces can also be a source of high spending.

The best solutions in this regard is to have fittings that are self determining and are able to be triggered according to user demand at a time. The use of fittings having electronic sensors and light sensors allow electric fittings like lights and fans to be turned on automatically as they sense the presence of a user in the space. In addition, should the room be cleaned out, the light fixtures are able to switch themselves off, resulting in less wastage. Light fixtures having photocell sensors are also able to detect the amount of surrounding lighting in a space and are able to dim or lighten up accordingly, to ensure optimum lighting levels. This has a huge impact in producing savings from energy consumption through smart lighting.

Another huge source of energy consumption in the world today is the computer. Our world today is computerized, and most activities in the workplace and the home happen in the context of electronic media. Computers may come in several elements that each use up electrical energy, i.e. a CPU unit, a monitor, printers and other peripheral devices, as well as an uninterrupted power supply (UPS).

Information Technology managers should encourage the use of portable computers within the office from day to day, as these come as single units that consume less power. Laptops and netbooks have raised steadily in their capability to manage tasks in the office, with many having great specs. Their portability offers great vantages in allowing people to work in different locations without a problem.

A major merit is the fact that their electrical energy usage is much leaner than duplicate desktop computer systems that require several elements to be powered at a time. Use of such computer systems will ensure much lower power intake within the office. In addition, being battery powered gives an additional choice for energy provision, ensuring that less electric power is drawn from the national grid all the time.

Kenyan Architects To Actively Engage Energy Efficient Methods to Guarantee Sustainable Building

Dealing with these two elements alone in a workplace can have sizeable significance on the energy demands of a building. Thinking green as regards the energy usage in our buildings from day to day will assist in increasing the sustainability of buildings designed by Kenyan architects.