SOURCE:

Faculty: Environmental Sciences
Department: Environmental Management

CONTRIBUTORS:

Obiegbu, M.E
Nnodu, V.C

ABSTRACT:

Current building construction technique accounts for significant adverse environmental impacts, due to their high electrical energy and resource consumption. For instance, of the total electric energy generated globally, buildings consume 40%, emits 38% of greenhouse gas (GHG), and generates 40% of solid waste. To this effect, this study developed energy efficiency approaches for sustainable built environment in FCT, Abuja. The objectives of the study were to: (i) identify the basic principles in achieving energy efficiency for sustainable buildings in FCT; (ii) identify sustainable practices and energy efficiency strategies in building; (iii) determine the major barriers militating against development of energy efficiency and sustainable buildings in FCT; and (iv) identify the major environmental implications of energy ineffective buildings. This study adopted survey methods. Questionnaire and interviews were developed and used to collect the opinions of the respondents. The following hypotheses were tested using statistical tools such as factor and principal component analysis, correlation and students’ t-test: 1. There are no significant relationship between the suitable practices in achieving energy efficiency and sustainable built environment in FCT. 2. Sustainable practices and energy efficiency strategies in buildings are not statistically significant. 3. There no significant major barriers militating against the development of energy efficiency in buildings for sustainable built environment. 4. There no major environmental impact of energy inefficient buildings for a sustainable built environment. 5. The opinions of respondents and officials on the environmental implications of energy inefficient buildings in FCT are statistically significant. The research revealed that there was no significant sustainable energy efficiency strategy for buildings in FCT Abuja. It also showed that there were no basic principles that have been adopted in achieving energy efficiency in building in the study area. Inadequate knowledge, lack of awareness, absence of energy efficiency standards and policies were the factors militating against energy efficiency in the built environment, resulting in poor thermal comfort, poor indoor air, local air pollution and CO2 emission into the environment within the area. Based on the above findings the study concludes that the sustainable energy efficiency principles and strategies are very important for sustainable built environment. It therefore recommends that building ‘energy efficiency code’ be developed and included in the existing National Building Code to foster planning, construction of energy efficient and sustainable buildings in the country. In addition, energy efficiency retrofitting for existing building stock, utilization of energy efficient technologies/appliances and adaptation of renewable energy sources should be used to minimize the environmental impacts of buildings in the environment, which will result in enormous reduction of GHG emissions and other environmental impacts.