Buildings account for nearly 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, meaning that in order to meet the targets mandated by the Paris Agreement we need to come up with urgent sustainable development designs and high-performance buildings.
Bearing that in mind, Singapore has recently opened the doors to an inventive new building designed to consume only as much energy as it produces. The building is home to the National University’s School of Design and Environment, and features an overhanging roof to create extra shade and help keep rooms cool. Covering the roof are more than 1,200 solar panels that should generate about 500 megawatts of energy a year, slightly more than the faculty and its students are expected to use.
In our global quest to decarbonize our planet, it’s essential that we ensure the buildings and constructions sector plays its part in delivering on the ambition of the Pars Agreement.
