GrAB, or Green Arctic Building, project partners will soon start working together on behalf of environmental innovation in the field of green building adapted for the Arctic region.
"Establishing and understanding the green techniques in relation to main aspects of design and construction are highly needed, mostly due to increasing environmental concerns, a desire to develop healthier structures and increasing regulation from permitting authorities", says Doctor Bjørn R Sørensen from UIT The Arctic University of Norway. In that way, GrAB will establish two similar and fully equal pilot objects in Murmansk and Petrozavodsk (Russia) which will include measures for demonstrations and applications, renewable energy sources installation and maintenance, classroom facilities to demonstrate energy savings and building envelope efficiencies.
GrAB partners will also conduct a Life Cycle Analysis of the pilot houses prior to construction to enable the project team to select the best available materials that comply with green technologies, as well as choosing the appropriate energy sources and systems for the houses. The goal is that the pilot houses will be categorized as Zero Emission Buildings.
The pilot objects in Murmansk and Petrozavodsk will be made with the same design and made of the same material, which would allow to see and to assess how the same construction materials and solutions (foundations, frames, exterior finishes, plumbing, appliances, insulation, ventilation, windows, finishes, and flooring) are functioning in various climate conditions. The pilot projects will also be working as a laboratory for innovations and developments in green building technology, testing new technologies and measuring performance in the territories of High North (Murmansk) and adjoining territories (Petrozavodsk, in Republic of Karelia).
Equipped with the sensors (meters and temperature-sensitive elements), those pilot objects will provide comparative scientific data on the on the energy (saving) performance of the construction and insulation materials, technical solutions utilized. The comparison will enable the project partners to accurately evaluate energy efficiency performance before and after energy saving campaigns and retrofit interventions. Also, the performance of various insulation materials will be measured and compared in various weather conditions.
The pilot houses will also serve as demonstration objects for visiting Nordic stakeholders and all scientific results will be shared with researchers, engineers, designers and implementers interested in the area of environmental buildings. The information will be disseminated through workshops, field visits, and other communication media and courses too.
Photo by Pixabay, CC0 Creative Commons.