The 10th Annual International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD), where the theme was Sustainable Development, was held in September. TTGBC member and now Board member, Dr Rachael Williams presented a virtual poster with our colleagues from RGM, the company responsible for the construction of Savannah East. We are sharing her presentation today, with the sincere hope that her discussion and others can make a significant difference in how future construction is approached in Trinidad and Tobago and by extension, the rest of the Caribbean. Sustainable building practices will help current and future generations in addressing the challenges and adverse impacts of Climate Change.
Background
This presentation focuses on lessons learnt from the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified project built in Trinidad and Tobago and the English-speaking Caribbean, that will help to significantly direct future sustainable building in the Caribbean.
The goal of LEED is to create better buildings that:
- Reduce contribution to global climate change
- Enhance individual human health
- Protect and restore water resources
- Protect and enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services
- Promote sustainable and regenerative material cycles
- Enhance community quality of life
Of the various project types under LEED, Core and Shell was selected as the focus to build Savannah East, the first ‘green building’ in Trinidad and Tobago and the English-speaking Caribbean. Here, “the developer controls the design and construction of the entire mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection system but not the design and construction of the tenant’s internal office fit-out.”
Methodology
A LEED-minded technician was allocated to the project to give guidance and perform inspections, thereby ensuring LEED guidelines were being adhered to. The lack of local LEED project experience was addressed via training and regular on-site meetings with the construction teams. The LEED Accredited Professional (AP) and the owner representative participated in all the construction meetings.
During construction, waste diversion from the landfill was practiced. Materials such as steel rebar, plastics, glass, cardboard, paper, aluminium cans, fluorescent lamps and wood were diverted from the landfill to recycling agents.
Low flow/flush water fixtures, use of air conditioning condensate for landscape irrigation and use of harvested rainwater for flushing toilets were some methods used to conserve water. Energy efficiency above the level of that in conventional local buildings was achieved via Building Management System (BMS) controls, an energy efficient Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Air conditioning system, insulated building envelope and renewable energy generation (i.e., solar energy via photovoltaic panels).
Maintaining a good Indoor Air Quality required constant supervision. Signage, inspection stickers and random inspections assisted with this.
Results
There were statistically significant differences in Electricity Consumption between Savannah East (LEED certified) and each of the other 3 buildings which are non-LEED certified. Albion Plaza (AP), Newtown Centre (NC), Princess Court (PC).
Lessons Learned
- Never listen to the ‘naysayers’ regarding what is possible. They said Savannah East could not be built in Trinidad!
- The fully integrated use of the BMS system (i.e., ‘digitised data monitoring’) has facilitated quicker response time to maintenance issues and problem solving. For e.g., there have been savings on the costs of materials, maximisation of productivity time and reduction in potential inconvenience to tenants/occupants, who did not need to contend with high frequencies of unanticipated equipment breakdowns that may require them to leave the building while repairs are carried out.
- Some of the standards for LEED certification cannot always be met due to certain limitations in the respective country in which certification is sought. For e.g., in the category “Materials and Resources,” one requirement is that one has to “use building materials or products that have been extracted, harvested, or recovered, as well as manufactured, within 500 miles of the project site for a minimum of 10% or 20%, based on cost, of the total materials value.” For Savannah East, some of the material had to be sourced overseas.
- There is still a huge gap in people’s understanding of the importance of collecting scientifically sound data, why, when, how to collect it and how to analyse the data collected, to answer stated objectives. It was not possible to use the water consumption data due to large errors in the data collected from the Water Resources Agency in Trinidad and Tobago. Reliable and accurate statistical information must be made a sine qua non of national planning and development programmes, locally and regionally. It is only on the basis of such consideration that effective decision-making and policy formulation may be effectuated.
Significance Of The Work
Savannah East is the first truly Green Building in Trinidad and Tobago and the English-speaking Caribbean. It has shown a proven path to transform the way for design, building and operating buildings in Trinidad and Tobago and the English-speaking Caribbean where one can promote “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
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References
- https://www.usgbc.org/leed/rating-systems/new-buildings
Acknowledgements
- Gerard D’Arcy – CEO RGM Limited
- Devanand Ragbir – Project LEED AP Consultant
- Exeqtech Limited – Main Contractor
- WSP Caribbean – Architects
