The rise of green technology in infrastructure and construction

In a recently released budget announcement for October 2022-2023, the Australian Government solidified their commitment to net zero by 2050 through a record funding of?almost A$25 billion to clean energy spending .

Clean energy technology - or green technology - is expanding rapidly due to the world's supply of non-renewable resources slowly growing rarer and more expensive. So it comes as no surprise that Australia is investing in green practices to significantly reduce our carbon footprint.

But what is green technology - and what are its potential for the infrastructure and construction sectors?

In this article, we explore the rising popularity of green energy infrastructure and its ability to maintain remarkable resilience.

What is green technology?

With society’s increasing concern for the environment, green technology provides a lot more than just an environmentally friendly option. It has become a necessary step towards everyday living.

Green technology can be defined as an economic model which reduces the impact of production and consumption on the environment.

In the construction world, it enables buildings to be more energy efficient and sustainable. Using green building technology means organisations can now develop infrastructure with minimal impact on the environment throughout the lifecycle stages including:

• design
• construction
• operation
• maintenance
• renovation, and
• demolition.

From residential structures to corporate facilities,?architects are now discovering new sustainable design processes in order to preserve our ecosystem , while reducing our carbon footprint.

Using green technology to build a better future

Builder engineers and architecture firms are increasingly adopting green practices when designing and building. This helps deliver efficient buildings and construction, while saving on operation costs.

Some key areas the technology is making an impact include:

Solar power:

For sustainable construction, green technology is utilised in two ways:

• Passive solar power uses the sun’s rays to heat homes via strategic placement of windows. The windows enable solar energy to penetrate and absorb heat, consequently keeping the houses warm during the winter months.
• Active solar power systems are more expensive to install, however are cheaper to run in the long term. Functional solar panels are utilised to absorb the sun’s radiation and use the heat to warm the air or water.

Net zero buildings:?

These types of buildings are designed to operate independently of the standard electric grid. Simply put, they generate their own power through renewable energy such as wind or solar power. Because of this, they consume zero net energy per year and don't produce any carbon emissions.

Electrochromic glass:

Otherwise known as smart glass, this product is suitable for commercial buildings. It uses a?tiny gust of electricity to charge ions on a window layer and alters the amount of light it reflects . This system allows designers to choose how much light to block, particularly during the summer months. This can be useful for buildings such as skyscrapers - enabling windows to tint automatically during peak hours and become transparent at night.

Benefits of using green technology

Aside from the obvious environmental benefits of green technology, such as reducing an organisation’s carbon footprint, waste, and energy - implementing environmentally-friendly solutions can also offer business efficiency.

As these types of technologies are designed to utlise resources more efficiently, in the long term this leads to reduced expenditures for businesses. Furthermore, with the?rise in the value of green building and customer demand , leveraging green construction enables you to outshine competitors through increased livability, innovation, and sustainability.

There’s also good news for building occupants too.?Improved lighting sources, ergonomic features, and upgraded air quality ?boost quality of life - decreasing stress levels and producing marked improvements in people’s health.

Harnessing green building materials also means infrastructure is now built to last. Sustainable green materials, such as recycled decking and roofing, improve overall durability while requiring less maintenance.

In summary

Thanks to the rise of green technology, eco-friendly construction is witnessing more resource-efficient and environmentally responsible materials throughout the lifecycle.

Building with green solutions is rapidly becoming the cornerstone of business efficiency and establishing new standards for livability, innovation, and sustainability.

The green construction future will involve thoughtful designs and construction features that will be built to last, while making a minimal impact to the environment. This positively reduces the carbon footprint and enhances the lives of all.

This article was also published on our?CGC Recruitment Newsletter Blog .