LITERATURE REVIEW ON CONSERVATION MEASURES
The population percentage of urban is significantly increasing, and because of that large amount of development is needed in urban areas. In development, a lot of expenses has used that result to cost increases in the construction activities. Countries and cities today need particular techniques and strategies from which they can restore the ecosystem. Green building technology is one of the tools for ecological engineering through which observations and necessary changes can be observed.
The green buildings are made in a way that they can reduce the costs of operation by reducing the energy used. Literature displays that green buildings are more costly than traditional buildings. This study’s findings will benefit further research on the cost analysis of ordinary and green structures (Muller & Junior, 2019). The buildings subscribe to conscientious dealing with natural resources principles, which implies environmental interference caused by the technology is very minimal; the materials used are environmentally friendly. Also, there is the utilization of renewable sources of energy, and there is a following of longevity and high quality as guidelines for construction and are economically viable. The paper presents the physical design and environmental approaches for green building technology in developing countries like China.
Water, energy, and environmental conservation measures are brought on board, and the benefits of green building technology are broadly discussed. The global challenges that are faced when implementing green building technology in Hong Kong are identified and solutions to the challenges identified. The design, applications, costs of materials used for constructing the green building and other supplies, research and information, and the policies developed to control green building obstacles are handled.
2.1 WATER CONSERVATION
Sources of fresh water that can be used in day-to-day activities by human beings are limited. The demand for water usage is increasing in Hong Kong is growing with the rapid increase of the population in the area. Hence, there is a need to conserve water, especially the freshwater, and prevent its pollution. Reducing water usage and protecting its quality is one of the primary objectives of green building. In technology, water, energy, and environmental conservation are prioritized by building equipment design in Hong Kong. Assessment of the water usage by the buildings involves the quantity of water conserved because of water-efficient fittings and the water usage quantity, recycling, and reuse of greywater and rain harvesting. Structures having less than 0.8 water-saving rates are assumed to be under green buildings, and only residential buildings use the actual saving rate (W.R.). Additionally, using rainwater contributes significantly to building under the level of rainfall averagely in the country (Chang & Wanielita, 2015).
Creating dual plumping that will assist in water recycling used in washing vehicles and water closets is efficient for water conservation. They are also using water-efficient in fixtures and fittings such as when flushing toilets and using showerheads in a low flow manner. The water conservation index is also used to evaluate water being used by the building. The index helps determine whether a particular building can be regarded as a green building or the building has to introduce the techniques of using water efficiently and renovate that immediately. Various rating systems for green buildings in terms of water conservation have been developed by multiple countries, including Hong Kong, to rate green buildings following the environmental goals the facilities have achieved.
2.2 ENERGY CONSERVATION
Green buildings are one of the most significant consumers of energy and the largest greenhouse gas producers; thus, energy saving is a crucial activity that has to be done, especially at the designing stage level. In the current society we live in, and if the necessary steps to curb greenhouse gas emissions from buildings are not carried out soon, the gas will be more than double in the decades coming. This is because the consumption of energy is the reason for greenhouse gas emissions from structures like buildings.
Energy efficiency and conservation entail installing different renewable on-site energy production methods to the lower energy consumption of buildings and other ways of using green power like wind and solar overall (Ahn & Wang, 2013). Building orientation optimization, design, shape, and colors of the interior and finishing are conducted in such a manner to maximize the usage of natural lighting during the day. By using the natural lighting, the dependence on artificial lighting energy is reduced. Green buildings also design sashes, window frames, and curtain wall systems to optimize energy performance. The usage of renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and geothermal is used to reduce loads of electricity during peak hours. CFC-free refrigerants in Air Conditioners (A.C.) and refrigerators should also be installed, and the use of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) electrical equipment should be encouraged.
2.3 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
Green buildings should be built on a site where there are fewer threats to the environment, especially during construction. The buildings should have access to the amenities that are essential and basic like sand and water; thus, pollution is reduced due to transportations. During the early stages of construction, some measures are carried out to preserve soil, especially the topsoil that is useful for absorbing less water through efficient techniques. Environmental conservation entails maximizing the use of on-site stormwater management and provision for groundwater recharge. Buildings ought to be built with low emissions materials to protect the health of occupants in the surroundings. Cleaning agents that are friendly to the environment and Biodegradable are used that do not produce harmful agents and residue. Enhanced ventilation and cross ventilation system should also be introduced (Chau & Chung, 2010).
Countries across the world today have started to implement innovative construction, which comprises environmentally materials and procedures that are sensitive without going against the safety and quality of buildings. Green building not only eliminate negative impacts on the environment by using less energy and water but can also have effects that are positive on the environment by generating their energy.
2.4 BENEFITS OF GREEN BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
Green buildings bring a crucial amount of profitable rewards and benefits than the usual structures. Financial rewards are one of the benefits. The building uses unique construction materials, ensuring using resources like water and energy efficiently. The structure saves around 30% of the reduction of essentialness as compared to the normal buildings. Capital employed in focal points are in lesser surplus and water expenses, energy releases, bring down costs, and encourage extended productivity and prosperity (Liu & Hu, 2014). The green structure saves money from the very first moment of construction. Increased market value is another benefit where commercial and residential buildings have a high amount of resale if the design components used are sustainable. Knowing the maintenance and utility costs of green buildings is lower than the non-green buildings increase the value gained from prospective buyers. The vacancy rates here are lower, and levels of occupancy higher in sustainable structures of the office. Green building technology enables the health of occupants to be achieved. The buildings use healthy ventilation systems and building materials that are not toxic to avoid the complications of sick building syndrome. Out of the 146,400 lung cancer deaths in 1995, 21,100 were due to the radon gas found in most buildings. Indoor pollutants can also cause asthmatic conditions in the non-green buildings. Thus, the health of individuals is achieved since the companies that construct green buildings do not use plastic by-products as the products release toxic materials.
Decreased demands of utility is another benefit of green building technology. Here the reduced electric demand, water, and gas utilities are often overlooked. Green structures can do more with less of the utilities. This leads to lower utility costs of municipal than the long run since utilities do not require expansion. Zero energy homes and net-zero buildings feed electricity back to the utility grid, resulting in no energy costs at the end of the day. Due to the structure, strains on local energy is also reduced. Shared local resources like energy and water increases in pressure as population increases. Using technologies that improve energy and water efficiency, green buildings can reduce the strain on local resources. The green buildings also enable energy efficiency, where the structure designers try to lower the dependency on energy. It improvises solar panels to maximize the energy from the sun and design windows in a manner that allows natural light reducing the use of artificial light. Energy efficiency is essential to the user and the world since energy from non-renewable sources pollutes the environment and is expensive. Also, water efficiency is another benefit that is resulted from the technology of green building. The buildings entail using water resources in a way that saves water and ensures the generations to come benefit and enjoy from the clean water supply. Green building uses water sources such as rainwater, recycling water, and reusing to reduce water wastage (Heerwagen & Wise, 2016).
2.5 GLOBAL CHALLENGES OF GREEN BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
In contrast to the advances in the development and research in green building technology, there are several major challenges encountered. Lack of designs that integrate is the major challenge faced by green building technology. Most of the constructions today relies on several entities working independently of each other until the project overlaps when forced to work together. All entities should be integrated fully to form strategies that synergize to create higher benefits than the sum of the design decisions made by individuals. Big firms operating on large-scale projects are more receptive to integrating ideas into practice than the small developers who tend to be resistant. Green Education, where engineering and architectural education do not emphasize sustainable designs, is another challenge. There is a need to encourage technical skills development like passive solar and daylight design and simulation of energy and development instead of how we design buildings. When the young generation grows up in healthier surroundings and green schools, they develop a sense of mental responsibility, which becomes part of their way of life (Danish & Senjyu, 2020).
Resistance to change is another global challenge facing green building technology. Making individuals embrace and open up to change has often been a challenge, especially in situations where capital is involved. People’s mindsets and culture play a significant part in green practices implementing where people work in a specific manner, use similar techniques, build in a particular way, and use products and materials they are familiar with. Greening existing buildings is also another challenge where any construction made newly is going to be more taxing to the environment than renovating the existing structures. By renovating existing buildings, the owners save a higher percentage of energy and different costs. The availability of limited information that shows how buildings are built with sustainability in mind performance leads to a limited post-occupancy evaluation. Having sufficient information and sharing with others assists in sustainable designs and helps one come up with strategies that work best in actual practice, the designs that need to be refined, and the ones that should be replaced in future projects.
Another challenge is the lack of transit-oriented development. Despite the booming of the green building infrastructures needed to achieve, efficiency in a more significant manner has been stagnant for some time. It is like, the green buildings are built in isolation with no structures of the community to make our efforts worth. Where there are better public transportation systems, and the development of pedestrian-oriented, the viability of a green building is increased. Building green structures are also more expensive compared to the standard buildings, making it a global challenge. It has also made funding for such projects from financial institutions to be more complex as the methods and the technology are still new in the market. Finding people who have specialized in green design purely is also challenging as compared to traditional suppliers. Construction materials are not readily available as that of the standard materials for constructing traditional buildings.
2.6 CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING GREEN BUILDING TECHNOLOGY IN HONG KONG
The potential challenges that occur during the implementation of green building technology, more so to the project managers who implement them, are higher costs used in construction and green materials. The expenses used in the construction of green buildings are higher than the costs used in normal structures. The buildings need complex design, which makes the costs to be high, and the cost of modeling is also required to integrate the practices of green structures into projects. The technologies and the materials used in green building implementation also increases as the cost. Unfamiliarity with green technologies is another challenge during execution. There are specific barriers for clients, contractors, and developers when it comes to green technologies. Projects are built and delivered within the client’s specified performance, and the outcome of the performance usually is determined by unfamiliarity with green technologies performance.
There is difficulty during the process of construction techniques. For green buildings and technologies, procedures and processes of construction that are complex are often needed. Many technical difficulties are experienced in the construction process, making it the main barrier in the green construction. Materials and alternative systems were analyzed to make the design more complicated as compared to a normal building. A lot of time is also needed in implementing the construction practices on the site (Mesthrige & Kwong, 2018). For example, random visits have to be made by the project managers on the site to ensure practices are sustainable. This enables workers to finish practices on time, which consumes a lot of time and must be completed on time. Another challenge is the need for greater interest and communication is among the project team members. Green projects need regular communication to gain the expected sustainable practice of the team members. This is because their interest is of great significance.
Risks because of different contract forms of delivery is another global challenge in implementing green building technology in Hong Kong. Green design details must be fully integrated to incorporate into the type of green project contract. The approval process for new green technologies and materials recycled takes a long time to be approved. Project managers have to follow the set schedules and make approval that is progressive for payments to suppliers and vendors.
2.7 ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS BROUGHT ABOUT BY GREEN BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
Protection of the environment is the first solution as a result of green building technology since priority is given to recyclable materials, renewable energies like solar and wood, and preservation of resources. Green building technology helps reduce emissions, conserve water, and use less energy than conventional technology. The movement of living green encourages individuals to stay in an environment in a friendly manner. Due to green building technology, pollution has been reduced. The amount of pollution that goes to the air, water, and soil is reduced. Avoiding burning fossil fuels, reducing waste, recycling, and driving in an efficient manner results in releasing just fewer pollutants to the environment. Preservation of wildlife is another environmental solution brought about by green building technology. Homes where certain species of animals live, especially the wild animals, are preserved when people go green. The rate of extinction for species is reduced when one reduces using paper produced and recycles materials instead. On the other hand, marine animals are conserved when we avoid polluting water supply sources (Hussin & Memon, 2013).
Another solution is the existence of less waste when green building technology is introduced. This happens when material ending up in landfills is reduced because here they can biodegrade, releasing carbon dioxide, which leads to the gas effect of the greenhouse. Environmental agency protection has urged occupants to recycle waste as to maintain fewer emissions of greenhouse gas.
2.8 GREEN BUILDING TECHNOLOGY AND WATER CONSERVATION
Using water in a decreased manner and reducing its wastage conserves both portable and non-portable water and saves the already fresh water sources. Efficient technologies used in the green building like fixtures and fittings, harvesting of rainwater, and recycling conserves water. Water fittings and fixtures can be used in saving water instead of using luxurious methods and wasting a huge amount of water. Rather than allowing water from the rain to go down to the ground, it should be collected and distributed in our daily lives. The water can then be used for domestic uses, cultivation, and gardening. The rainwater can also be used as groundwater recharge. Rainwater can be treated after collection, as it is a simple and cheap technology that leads to saving a lot of water. The rain that recharges the ground becomes available in pods, lakes, and rivers.
In conserving water, domestic wastewater should be drained, recycled, and reused. Recycling greywater is advantageous as it contains a low concentration of organic matter. The greywater can be from bathtubs, showers, washbasins, car-washing, and even from cloth washing. Bypassing the water through sand filters or using electro-coagulation techniques to treat it, conservation is achieved. Green buildings also use evaporative systems of cooling to save energy. Water is used by the cooling system while following the concept and need for water conservation; the water used in cooling systems is not portable. Thus, the water is not drained; rather, it is recycled and used in the cooling towers again. Cooling towers that recycle up to 95% of the water used are recommended highly (Chau & Chung, 2010).
In Hong Kong, the municipal water agencies have developed policy instruments in the management of water resources. They are incentive tools, capacity tools, and authority tools. In authority tools, a directive is put which restricts the quantity of water usage and adoption of water-efficient technologies used by people. In incentive tools, the consumers are given a choice to save more water or install appliances for saving water on their consumption bills. Finally, in capacity building, occupants are assumed not to possess knowledge and technology that is adequate in making the needed changes. Still, given the choices, they will choose the right ones on their own free will. If given sufficient information and technologies, consumers are willing to adjust their methods of using water. The remaining freshwater should hence be protected since it is a matter of global importance, and measures are carried out to preserve the sources to avoid water scarcity in the future.
2.9 GREEN BUILDING TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY CONSERVATION
Green building has a crucial effect on the use of energy in terms of building systems and infrastructure as well as envelope building. Thus, the working group of Green Building Technology has taken the initiative to come up with ways that encourage conservation of energy, identify potential funding opportunities, and implement green construction practices. Also offer guidance for businesses and the community as a whole on suitable and green design opportunity (Li & Zhao, 2014).
Green building technology aims to educate groups in the practices and principles of energy-efficient design, and suitable programs of education help residents are aware of alternative energy practices. Future green programs and projects spur where interest and knowledge are increased. A community that is educated can progress beyond an unsustainable community. In implementing sustainable development, education is essential. The community members ought to be taught on conservation of energy, and municipal staff educated on ways of reducing energy consumption, lowering the costs of the utility.
Green building technology also seeks to develop sustainable building policies that promote energy efficiency for construction that are new and retrofitting existing building structures. The buildings should also promote programs of financial incentive that pertains to all the aspects of energy efficiency. Energy-saving results in saving money in the long-run; providing affordable financing reduces property owners’ challenges to make improvements in energy efficiency. Without rebates, financing alone cannot stand for the cost of some energy-efficient materials, which are of the high cost. In new buildings or those that need to be renovated, the key to energy efficiency has to be integrated comprehensively during the design stage so as to lower cooling, heating, and lighting loads by considering the climate and the site of the building. Research and energy sources are renewable, like solar thermal, geothermal cooling, and heating and daylighting.
2.10 GREEN BUILDING TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
Building accounts for more than 40% of the energy used and is capable of contributing to environmental conservation. Green building technology is a way of the future since more than half of the world’s population lives in urban centers currently. Without compromising the safety and quality of buildings, countries have begun to implement innovative construction to involve environmentally sensitive materials and procedures. Green buildings have less carbon footprint. Introducing sustainable construction techniques helps reduce the final costs, while several environmental-friendly alternative methods of building are cheaper than the methods of conventional today (Xie & Gou, 2017).
Market place innovation is an ideology of sustainable construction in which energy and environmental products that are sensitive are filling the construction markets daily. Modern smart cities are being developed and budgeted for with a mind of environmental conservation. The way to environmentally sensitive green building is also through the use of natural materials that are logically available, durable materials, and recycled materials. Sustainable materials that are environmentally friendly like reclaimed lumber, recycled plastic, and natural products and composite materials are used. The materials replace the use of materials that are harmful to the environment like chemicals that are large during construction, and that lead to several gaseous pollutants.
In the world today, where the world is looking forward to supporting environmental causes, no better way of doing that other than designing our own homes in an environmentally friendly manner. Thus for green building technology to conserve the environment, it should use ethical, sustainable, and non-toxic, use better indoor environmental quality of air, and consider the environment in terms of construction, design, operation, and the design developed should ensure adoption to the always-changing environment.
2.11 GREEN BUILDING TECHNOLOGY AND ITS ECONOMIC IMPACTS IN HONG KONG
Many people think that going green entails a lot of financial burdens. However, there are measurable and clear economic benefits of green buildings for both households and developers. Lower costs of utility bills are one of the main financial benefits of green buildings as reducing energy implies reducing the costs of energy too. By using rainwater harvesting and renewable sources of energy, one gets to spend low costs. LEED-certified green buildings use methods of energy saving to ensure structures are efficient.
Another economic impact is that less energy is used. The buildings use different methods of energy consumption reduction. As much as renewable resources like wind power and solar are alternatives, they are not the best alternatives for lowering energy usage in most cases. There are several ways of reducing energy used by buildings without incurring costs, and they include turning off any equipment or lights you do not need. One can also reduce energy usage by changing the office’s temperature, depending on weather conditions during off-hours and keeping the equipment clean (Lu & Li, 2017).
The creation of jobs is another impact. Green building needs skilled workers just like all other occupations. The construction needs workers who possess knowledge and skills. A recent report done in the U.S. shows the council of green buildings has employed 2.3 million people, and the number is expected to grow in the near future. Hong Kong is not exceptional as many people are being employed both in the construction sites and in the industries where raw materials are manufactured and processed. As businesses, institutions, and individuals prioritize approaches that are sustainable to the construction, design, and operation of the built environment, the demand for going green will continue to grow also. A stronger economy is also created by the green building technology where millions of jobs have been created, and Hong Kong is contributing billions of dollars to the country’s economy. Through technology, benefits from improvements in safety and health are increased. The productivity of occupants is improved, profits and asset value achieved, and the life cycle of economic performance optimized through green building technology.
2.12 CHALLENGES IN APPLICATION OF GREEN BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
There are several advantages and disadvantages of green building techniques, but it is essential to comprehend all the aspects and green building elements. Green building tends to have more expenses than the traditional buildings because they do not slide the costly, and extra support is needed to handle the increased task. Despite the initial set back, which is considerable, green building can make up for the outlay and techniques of cost-effective use in several periods. A serious debate is going on on the maintenance that is needed for green buildings because some assurance is required that the buildings will remain a thriving source to the environment. One of the primary problems is green building is expensive as compared to the ordinary-buildings, and most drainage industries do not grasp the concept associated with the system of draining in green building.
Lack of experience in changing materials commonly used for the ones with reduced energy, mistakes may happen in decisions and result in high probabilities of risks. When construction professionals are not aware of the risks that can happen, sustainable construction appears to be more expensive and, as a result, high assignment of contingencies. The unavailability of green building material is another challenge in application. Here specific equipment is not available, poor quality of the materials used, and the uncertainty whether the available materials will perform effectively. Finding a company that deals with construction, which has advanced knowledge of green building materials, is difficult. Most of the materials today are being developed in haste; hence they are not appropriately tested in the field. The act can result in legal complications on who is to blame if the products fail to perform as expected (Darko & Ameyaw, 2017).
Inconsistent performance and expectations is another challenge where the owners of the property fail to get all they paid for in the present and the future in green building since the process of construction is always evolving. Mold and moisture in green building can happen as a result of water intrusion in bulk due to building envelope or humidity rise due to building envelope or humidity rise due to ventilating air conditioning and heating system. The moisture issues cause havoc on a building resulting from declining of structure gradually. If the mold grows to be part of the building, health issues might become a problem also. High costs of replacement is another problem where most of the necessary materials for the green building have a huge price tag. For instance, if a LEED-certified building faces damages due to storms, owners of the property will pay more to maintain its energy-efficient status of the LEED compared to the costs needed to replace the building with no LEED specifications.
Also, there is a limited understanding of options by design professionals. There is no enough knowledge to deliver specifications, no materials that can perform highly; there are a lot of challenges in obtaining approval of new technologies for the codes of building, labor issues because of the potential measures of labor-saving and approvals uncertainty providing more challenges to green building design. Financial pressure and time have a genitive effect on the effectiveness of management’s environmental systems on the sites for building. Limited infrastructure to make and handle recycled materials from deconstruction, making costs high, is also another issue. As compared to employees and time required, deconstruction is more costly than mechanical demolition.
2.13 DESIGN AND APPLICATION OF GREEN BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
Human beings always have needed a building for them to carry out their day-to-day activities since the buildings protect them from the harsh effects of nature. Sometimes the advantage of the buildings is not appreciated while less focus is taken on their negative impacts. The green building aims long service life, low maintenance and costs of operation, and high energy efficiency. The green building designs take into account the effects of building on their surroundings from a diversified dimension like economy, society, and ecology. For a building to be referred to green, its design must meet the following features. It should be able to use renewable energy like solar energy, use energy efficiently, water and other sources, have an excellent environmental air quality the indoor and be able to reduce waste and pollution measure set, and be able to recycle and reuse materials. The green building should be designed in a way that can make good use of ethical, non-toxic, and sustainable. The occupants’ quality of life in operation, construction, and design should also be considered, and a design, which ensures the building, can adapt to the changing conditions of the environment (Zhang & Shen, 2011).
Daylight lighting is an application of green building technology that lowers the consumption of energy. Illumination of daylight is allowing sunlight in the building interiors, and this is designed in a way that offers better and quality lighting than the light made by man. The light from the sun reduces environmental pollution as well. Another application is the introduction of a reclaimed water system to achieve rational exploitation and avoid wastage. Making good use of solar energy and clean water is another application for green building technology and creating exterior wall insulation that can lower the building’s energy consumption when used.
2.14 RESEARCH AND INFORMATION
Regarding information for implementation of green buildings, people lack sufficient information; hence they end up constructing buildings using wrong procedures. Scientific research is missing; hence constructors are not getting enough information about the techniques and tools that are used for the implementation of green building technology, and expensive procedures are chosen for the process (Ghaffarian & Hoseini, 2013). For people to get full information about green building, the researchers have to finish the information that is missing about the green building and alternatives issued for the procedures used in green building.
2.15 COSTS OF MATERIAL AND OTHER SUPPLIES
Materials and tools needed for green building technology are of high costs, and the charges of building the structures are perceived as a major obstacle for adopting green building in Hong Kong. People delay in implementing green building technology since the raw materials and resources used are highly expensive. Green building installation cost is high compared to any other country and city; the lack of economic scale problem has been seen, and serious obstacles have been observed. In terms of suppliers, one or two suppliers are available who deal with the green building implementation making consumers lack bargaining power. Consumers have to agree to the set prices because of the limited number of suppliers of green building technology (Chen &Lu, 2015).
Costs of materials needed to build green buildings are higher than the costs for traditionally designed buildings. As the green technologies are slowly being adopted in the market place, today’s innovations costs will reduce just like yesterday’s lead architect on the green building and costliest innovations. Additionally, the cost of retrofitting green upgrades into a building that are sometimes existing can look high because more materials that are sustainable and new were not designed originally into the building. The idea affects the type of work and the choice of products. A lot of costs are incurred here since one is going back and retrofitting buildings. Where only minor changes are needed, then the cost of green materials involved tends to be lower. Generally, it is crucial to understand that costs vary from one project to another, depending on a variety of factors. Hence, developers who want the green building and do not want to spend more costs than in traditional buildings should develop a schedule, cost, and be aware of the environmental conditions.
2.16 SOLUTIONS TO CHALLENGES FACING GREEN BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
Several obstacles have been seen during the implementation of green building technology and in urban places. The architects and local government should play a significant role in the development of green building technology so that the technique can be adopted and promoted in large areas leading to more benefit delivery to the environment and the society. Involving private sectors is needed for arrangements of hybrid governance to enhance more contributions gain, leading to the expansion of the green technology across the country. It is also crucial to focus on achieving a great comprehension of the barriers associated with green building technology so that green building techniques can be easily adopted. The relevance of evaluated battles has been calculated in accordance with the solutions identified.
Awareness should be developed concerning the risks and consequences that are unintended. The responsibility to address the public’s threats should be made clear, and welfare and safety should be regarded as a crucial part of the building regulatory process’s responsibility. The details of green design should also be integrated to avoid risks of different contract forms of delivery. When approving the contract form, many measures should be observed, and the necessary procedures must be followed to minimize any form of risks associated with green building technology.
Capacity for change is another solution to green building technology challenges, where it should be increased. Education should be offered to the concerned parties, both owners, developers, and constructors. Training sessions should be organized, including seminars and workshops where people learn the techniques and information related to green building technology. Both clients, developers, and contractors should aim at obtaining sufficient information related to green building technology as it will assist in making favorable decisions (Gou & Prasad, 2013).
Thorough research on the availability of materials should be made and schedules, costs, and the environment assessed. This will enable the comparisons of the cost of the material, which will lead to one settling on the materials that are lower and affordable. The comparisons encourage one to use fewer costs in building green structures. In lowering costs, the designs to be implemented should be made in a more straightforward manner and minimize the modeling costs. Reusing and recycling materials when adopting green building technology will also lower the costs incurred.
The primary responsibility of green building work should also be transferred to organizations that have a natural responsibility and logic in addressing sustainability as something important in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the occupants. Time spent in implementing green building technology should be minimized. It is possible to do thorough research on the sites where the building will be set and make prior arrangements of all the material and material needed so that the project managers will not have to make several visits to the site. Supervisors should also be taught and permitted to supervise the workers on the sites to enable workers to finish practices that will need a lot of time in time.
Polices for climate adoptions should also be introduced to enhancing a sustainable environment to be generated the measure adapted implemented during the early stages of green building technology. Policies by the municipal like avoiding the usage of harmful gases that pollute the environment should be designed, and the occupants forced to follow failing to follow the guidelines serious penalties should be introduced (Ahn &Wang, 2013).
2.16 POLICIES FOR CONTROLLING GREEN BUILDING TECHNOLOGY OBSTACLES
Regulatory and legislative policies have been developed to improve the green building technology, and regulations that are perceived to be unnecessary and interfere with the technology’s adoption are removed. Fiscal and economic policies are also developed where capital used for information related to green building technology can be given to the owner who wants to go green. The government should also develop a tax differentiation system where people who have already adopted the green building technology are given a reduction in the government taxes as they are contributing to a better environment for the country (Olubunmi & Skitmore, 2016). The public communication campaigns have also been developed to have enough knowledge of environmental conservation and changes and the benefits that come with green building technology. Many problems have been encountered in the implementation of the technology, but with sufficient knowledge, solutions can be easily sought to solve the challenges.
All the risk factors that might occur in the future should be identified and handled during the initial stages of green building technology. People working in the construction factories should be able to share their experiences and skills so that beneficial strategies are developed and policies designed to handle any problem that may arise (Hwang & Tan, 2015).
Grants and loans should also be given to developers to lower the initial costs needed for green buildings. The developers and owners should be given incentives to encourage them to invest in green building technology. The developers can then enjoy a reduction in costs since they have a permit process to made buildings greener. The incentives given to the developers should not be split. Desk pieces of advice and audit for green buildings should be offered, and this policy will enable the building owners to have adequate information about green technologies that are needed for environmental improvements.