What is resource positive buildings ?

Resource Positive Buildings are structures designed to generate more resources than they consume, creating a net-positive impact on the environment. These buildings go beyond traditional sustainable or green building practices by actively contributing to the regeneration of natural resources such as energy, water, and biodiversity, rather than merely reducing their consumption.

Key Characteristics of Resource Positive Buildings:

1. Energy Positive:

   • The building generates more energy than it consumes, often through on-site renewable energy systems like solar panels, wind turbines, or geothermal energy.
   • Excess energy can be stored in batteries or supplied back to the grid, turning the building into a net contributor to the local energy infrastructure.

2. Water Positive:

   • These buildings manage water efficiently by harvesting rainwater, recycling greywater, and reducing consumption through efficient plumbing systems.
   • In some cases, they can contribute more clean water to the environment than they use, either by treating and purifying wastewater on-site or replenishing groundwater.

3. Waste Positive (Zero Waste):

   • Resource positive buildings aim to achieve zero waste by adopting circular economy principles, reducing, reusing, and recycling materials during construction and operation.
   • Biodegradable waste can be composted, and recyclable materials are processed to eliminate landfill contribution.

4. Carbon Positive:

   • By sequestering more carbon than they emit, these buildings help reduce overall greenhouse gas concentrations. This can be achieved through the use of carbon-negative materials (e.g., sustainably sourced timber, bio-based materials) and offsetting techniques like reforestation.
   • High energy efficiency, combined with renewable energy, helps to minimize operational carbon emissions.

5. Positive Impact on Biodiversity:

   • Resource positive buildings integrate green spaces such as rooftop gardens, green walls, and urban forests, providing habitats for local wildlife, increasing biodiversity, and improving air quality.
   • These structures can contribute to ecosystem services, such as pollination and carbon sequestration, enhancing the surrounding environment.

Key Features and Technologies:

1. On-site Renewable Energy Generation:
   • Solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal systems enable the building to generate its own clean energy, often producing a surplus that can be shared with the grid or stored for future use.
2. Water Management Systems:
   • Rainwater harvesting systems, greywater recycling, and advanced water purification technologies are used to minimize fresh water usage and potentially contribute to local water resources.
3. Advanced Energy Efficiency:
   • Highly efficient insulation, passive solar design, smart energy management systems, and high-performance HVAC systems help reduce the energy demand of the building.
4. Sustainable Materials:
   • The use of environmentally friendly, low-impact materials, such as recycled, reclaimed, or renewable resources, helps minimize the building’s carbon footprint during construction.
5. Waste-to-Energy Systems:
   • Organic waste can be converted into energy through anaerobic digestion or biomass systems, contributing to the building’s energy supply.

Benefits of Resource-Positive Buildings:

1. Environmental Impact:

   • These buildings reduce or eliminate their negative environmental impacts, such as energy and water consumption, and instead have a positive regenerative effect on ecosystems.

2. Long-term Cost Savings:

   • While the upfront costs for designing and constructing a resource-positive building may be higher, long-term operational costs (energy, water, waste) are often significantly lower, providing economic benefits.

3. Increased Resilience:

   • Resource positive buildings are more self-sufficient, making them resilient in the face of resource shortages or environmental disruptions, such as droughts, energy shortages, or climate-related disasters.

4. Positive Contribution to Communities:

   • These buildings can become hubs for clean energy production, water recycling, and sustainable practices, setting an example for the community and contributing to broader environmental goals.

Examples:

1. The Bullitt Center (Seattle, USA): Known as one of the greenest office buildings in the world, the Bullitt Center is designed to generate more energy than it uses through solar panels, and manages water through rainwater harvesting and treatment.

2. Powerhouse Kjørbo (Norway): A retrofit office building that produces more energy than it consumes over its lifetime, including the energy used for construction. It employs energy-efficient design, renewable energy systems, and smart energy management.

Challenges:

1. Upfront Costs: Resource positive buildings often require a higher initial investment due to advanced technologies and sustainable materials.

2. Technical Complexity: Achieving resource positivity requires the integration of multiple systems (energy, water, waste) that need to function cohesively, which can be complex to design and implement.

3. Location-Specific Solutions: The ability to generate surplus resources depends on the building’s location (e.g., access to sunlight for solar power, rainfall for water harvesting), so solutions must be tailored to the local environment.

Resource positive buildings represent a shift from sustainability as a mitigation strategy to one of regeneration, aiming to not just reduce harm but actively improve the environment and communities they are part of.