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 25