Making construction less energy intensive

The built environment has a key role to play in reaching our climate targets, and Irish engineering firms are leading the way in the development of a construction sector that is greener and more circular and meets the increasingly exacting environmental standards set by FDI clients both at home and overseas.

As building and construction are responsible for 39 per cent of all carbon emissions in the world, a paradigm shift is required for the sector when it comes to meeting our climate change targets.

There has been a “raft of innovation” in the engineering sector that will make construction more sustainable, says Pauline O’Flanagan, director of Engineering Industries Ireland. The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which is being transposed into Irish law, will have a “huge impact” on how construction is approached, she adds.

While regulation is focusing the mind when it comes to building with an ESG (economic, social, governance) blueprint, innovation is happening parallel to this as the construction sector naturally evolves in terms of trends and new developments. “Many of the solutions will come from the engineering sectors – the use of electric fleets to transport materials, reduce energy, more sustainable building materials, and smart buildings and cities, to name but a few,” says O’Flanagan.

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Construction is particularly energy-intensive, with a lot of waste, therefore a focus on energy-efficiency in the built environment is key, O’Flanagan says. For example, modular builds have come a long way in recent years and are now believed to offer at least a partial solution to Ireland’s housing problems. They are also increasingly used in industry, such as in modular manufacturing facilities for biopharmaceutical companies. As they are rapidly built, they are more efficient and leave less of an environmental footprint, reducing onsite waste and energy requirements.

“Engineering is at the heart of these developments and we are offering the sustainable solutions,” says O’Flanagan. Engineers are also busy sourcing and developing new construction materials that are environmentally friendly, as well as incorporating renewables into the build, she adds.

Smart building technology is also transforming the construction sector. “Building is now using IOT [internet of things] technology, to make buildings fully integrated with sensors,” explains O’Flanagan. “Engineers will be the enablers of this digitalisation, embracing AI in order to bring smart homes and sustainable construction to the next level.”

The construction sector is on a journey towards sustainability, enabled by innovative engineering solutions, according to Tom Byrne, head of communications with Sisk.

Our transition to hydrotreated vegetable oil is a major strategic step change and it will positively impact our carbon performance immediately

—  Tom Byrne, Sisk

“There is no doubt that some sectors and clients are at different stages in the journey, but we believe we can help and support them by delivering all our projects more sustainably,” he says. “We continue to monitor new technologies and innovation to ensure we are at the forefront of clean and efficient sustainable solutions.”

Among the key initiatives Sisk has delivered in recent years is an agreement with Certa to supply Sisk with hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) for use in plant and machinery on all its Irish construction sites. HVO is a fossil-free biofuel typically made by reacting waste vegetable oils and animal fats with hydrogen to create fuel suitable for use in diesel engines.

“Sisk was the first construction business in Ireland to mandate the switch to HVO across all sites,” notes Byrne. “Our transition to HVO is a major strategic step change and it will positively impact our carbon performance immediately. We estimate a 60 per cent reduction of our Scope 1 emissions when the entire company is using this fuel.”

Meanwhile, Sisk is the first construction and engineering firm in Ireland to invest in an electric telehandler. The JCB 525-60E electric telehandler is 100 per cent electric, making it a “zero emissions” piece of plant machinery. It has two electric motors – one for driveline, the other for lifting operations – powered by a 96-volt lithium-ion battery. This is a perfect example of engineering ingenuity: the hydraulic system powering the telehandler is completely new and also features “smart regeneration”, with power recovered during boom lowering and retraction fed back into the battery.

“With no diesel engine, this electric JCB telehandler offers near-silent operations on site combined with the health benefits of zero emissions and significantly reducing energy costs,” Byrne explains.