ZEMCH 2015 - International Conference Proceedings ZEMCH 2015 PROCEEDING PREVIEW | Seite 27

2.4. Energy efficiency and waste reductions
Sustainability and energy efficiency in buildings are relatively recent issues in Iran; however, they
are becoming increasingly important. One of the main barriers toward applying energy efficiency
plans are the very low prices of energy. Energy efficiency regulations became mandatory for all
buildings in urban areas in 2010 (IFCO 2015). The government has also reduced the majority of
fuel subsidies, which has considerably increased the prices revealing the importance of energy
efficiency to the society. Yet, compared to the UK, energy costs are much lower in Iran. According
to the Iranian Fuel Conservation Company (IFCO), building costs in Iran increase by less than 5%
if energy efficiency requirements are applied correctly. Such extra immediate costs are returned
in about three years (IFCO 2009). UK building regulations have much higher energy efficiency
standards than the Iranian ones, which could make UK MMC products comparably expensive if
transferred to Iran. Therefore, transferred MMC should be modified and adapted to comply with
the Iranian standards and requirements to reduce the costs.
Table 2: Waste reduction potential of offsite methods of construction (Hartley and Blagden 2007)
Offsite Method/Products

Waste Reduction (Est.)

Concrete Panel Systems

20-30%

Timber Frame System

20-40%

Precast Floor Systems

30-40%

Pods (Kitchen, Bath)

40-50%

Precast Cladding

40-50%

Structural Insulated Panels

50-60%

Volumetric Systems

70-90%

Furthermore, MMC can mitigate the environmental impacts of the Iranian construction industry
by reducing the energy and material wastes during construction on site. Up to 70% of consumed
energy in gas and electricity, and water is wasted during the construction processes (Gharazi 2004)
and around 20% of building materials are wasted on site (Figure 4: Construction material storage
and waste in Iran (left) and the UK (right).) (Shakeri 2004). The wastes can be reduced by up to 90%
in the factory (Table 2: Waste reduction potential of offsite methods of construction (Hartley and
Blagden 2007)). Therefore, introducing some MMC, which benefit from a controlled factory environment, will considerably decrease environmental impacts of the Iranian construction industry.
Moreover, as described above, increased building lifespan thanks to the higher quality, not only
helps to reduce the overall costs but also reduces the CO2 emissions and embodied energy of
buildings during their lifecycles.

Figure 4: Construction material storage and waste in Iran (left) and the UK (right).

Feasibility of Application of Modern Methods of Construction in Iran

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