11.4.8. Building new buildings to sustainable standards
The Lebanese University built the Rafic Hariri Campus - Hadath based on sustainable standards, including Energy efficiency & Energy management, Economizer cycle, Water saving and Double glazing.Â
Some of the key elements of sustainable considerations within the Campus:Â
Energy efficiency & Energy management: In order to reduce the energy consumption for HVAC, a district cooling system is used. It takes into consideration the diversity of cooling demand between buildings, and within each building, which contributes in energy management and efficiency. The installed chillers within the thermal plant are of the Energy efficient type using high COP and low consumption in electrical consumption. Additionally, at the Air side within the buildings, a Variable Air Volume (VAV) system was adopted in order to control the needs of the air-conditioning within the areas, thus optimization on the needed cooling energy. All systems are controlled via a Building Management System allowing automation of all technical systems for an appropriate Energy management. A district Heating system is used as well, having the same characteristics of the District cooling as mentioned above. This system provides also the heating water for the domestic hot water production .Â
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Economizer cycle: Economizer cycle that uses cool outdoor air (at tempered mid-season) to cool the building (or warm outdoor air to warm up the building) instead of operating the air conditioning system within the building is implemented in lecture halls (amphitheatres) as ventilation system. Economizer cycle aims at saving the energy for cooling/heating productions.
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Water saving: Water saving sanitary fixtures are used (example: temporized faucets, low water demand flush valves…).
Double glazing: In order to reduce energy consumption for HVAC, double glazing is used, which minimizes the heat transmission and provides good soundproofing.
The Lebanese University is currently building a campus in Tripoli in which three faculties are under operation. This campus fulfills the sustainable standards and green building, such as recycling, solar power, water consumption, PV pannels and green spaces .
Energy efficiency & Energy management: In order to reduce the energy consumption for HVAC, Low Energy consumptions chillers with high COP’s are adopted for the cooling system for each building, that takes into consideration the diversity of cooling demand within the building; this will contribute in energy management and efficiency. All systems are controlled via a Building Management System allowing automation of all technical systems for an appropriate Energy management. A Central Heating system within each building is used as well, having the same characteristics of the cooling as mentioned above. This system provides also the heating water for the domestic hot water production.
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Economizer cycle: Economizer cycle that uses cool outdoor air (at tempered mid-season) to cool the building (or warm outdoor air to warm up the building) instead of operating the air conditioning system within the building is implemented in lecture halls (amphitheatres) as ventilation system. Economizer cycle aims at saving the energy for cooling/heating productions.
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Water saving: Water saving sanitary fixtures are used (example: temporized faucets, low water demand flush valves…).Â
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Double glazing and buildings envelop: In order to reduce energy consumption for HVAC, double glazing is used, which minimizes the heat transmission and provides good soundproofing. On other hand, the buildings envelop and related materials are designed and selected to minimize heat transfer onto the buildings and to provide more shading, thus ensuring optimization on the cooling system.
The Lebanese University is planning to construct a new campus in Zahle campus, which is still in the Programmation phase. It includes five faculties, Faculty of Letters & Human Sciences, Faculty of Law, Political and Administrative Sciences, Institute of Social Sciences, Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Public Health. It will be financed by the AFD and the Lebanese University requested that the building be based on sustainable standards, which was conforming to the AFD terms. The building will consider rainwater harvesting, for watering and reuse in the ground, recycling, solar power, water consumption, PV panels and green spaces.
