The building industry is currently responsible for almost 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with residential homes consuming 27.5% of the world's electricity.

However, a focus on space heating and cooling, hot water systems, appliances, indoor lighting, and refrigeration can deliver 60 – 80% reductions in energy demand in residential homes.

That's according to Factor Five, a book on transforming the global economy through 80% improvements in resource productivity, by Ernst Von Weizsäcker, Karlson Hargroves, Michael H. Smith, Cheryl Desha and Peter Stasinopoulos.

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Using detailed sector studies that cover the major resource intensive sectors, including building, cement & steel industries, transport and agriculture, this book demonstrates just how, by using innovative design, technology and policy and by taking a whole system approach, the targets can be achieved.

It relates that, the German Passive House Institute has shown that ultra-efficient buildings can be designed that require less than one tenth of the energy demanded for space heating than average traditional buildings.

It said that commercial building consume 23.6% of the world's electricity, and a focus on heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC), indoor lighting, and office equipment can deliver 60 – 80% reductions in energy demand in commercial buildings.

THings can be done, as the Pearl River Tower in China, the world's first 'zero-energy' skyscraper, will use nearly 60% less energy than a traditional building of similar size.

(BMcC/GK)