The limited supply of energy and the challenges of climate change push many stakeholders to seek sustainable practices. One solution adopted today is the use of energy-efficient building design that promotes environmental stewardship and addresses the global energy crisis.

Energy-efficient buildings are built to optimize energy usage for operations like heating, cooling, and lighting. They integrate different design features, technologies, and materials that maximize the use of natural energy sources and reduce waste.

Adopting this environmentally friendly initiative in New Jersey buildings can help promote sustainability and social responsibility. Minimizing energy consumption and decreasing reliance on fossil fuels can mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and combat the impact of climate change.

There are two main approaches to implementing energy efficiency in a building: passive and active building designs. Passive design uses natural resources and climate-responsive design to minimize reliance on artificial heating, cooling, and lighting systems. It depends on natural elements like orientation, sunlight, airflow, and thermal mass to retain comfortable indoor conditions.

On the other hand, active building design uses mechanical or electrical systems to enhance building performance. It uses advanced technologies and systems to regulate and control different aspects of building operations. Active design strategies work together with passive approaches to lessen the overall energy consumption from daily building operations.

An engineer’s expertise, innovation, and sustainability principles contribute to planning energy-efficient structures. Their proficiency enables them to analyze the building site’s condition and weather patterns to develop passive solutions. They also have sufficient knowledge in mechanical, electrical, and environmental engineering to implement active systems that optimize energy usage in structures.

A structural engineer New Jersey can contribute to different aspects of building energy-efficient designs. They can help with materials selection, implement renewable energy use, and oversee the installation, commissioning, and operation of systems.

The best time to highlight energy efficiency is during the design and construction phase. Integration of passive and active design strategies are more simple at this stage than in a completed structure. However, owners of existing properties can also hire a commercial building engineer to conduct a property condition assessment NJ and determine where they can integrate energy-efficient methods in their buildings.

For more details about energy-efficient building design, check this infographic by Lockatong Engineering.