The World Economic Forum’s Global Council on Emerging Technologies recently released a list of the most promising technology breakthroughs that they believe will enable us to realistically and cost-effectively tackle population growth, resource demands, and other sustainability issues over the next several decades. On the list were a few notable technologies that may very well be disruptive (in a positive, evolutionary way) to the building industry.

Organic Electronics
One of the emerging technologies that promises to be a game-changer for the building industry is organic electronics—components that are produced with carbon-based polymers that are lighter, more flexible, and less expensive than inorganic materials (like copper and silicon). According to the WEF, “in contrast to traditional (silicon-based) semiconductors that are fabricated with expensive photolithographic techniques, organic electronics can be printed using low-cost, scalable processes such as ink jet printing, making them extremely cheap compared with traditional electronics devices, both in terms of the cost per device and the capital equipment required to produce them. While organic electronics are currently unlikely to compete with silicon in terms of speed and density, they have the potential to provide a significant edge in cost and versatility.”

Innovative applications include smart glass (which change light and heat transmission properties when voltage is applied) and electronic paper (a display technology that mimics ordinary ink on paper for a more comfortable reading experience.)

Perhaps the most impactful application in the building industry for organic electronics involves the creation of photovoltaic collectors. The cost benefits of printed, mass-produced solar photovoltaic collectors could open the floodgate for the transition to renewable energy. We’re already witnessing the rapid evolution and growth of solar power as prices decline, efficiency rates increase, and leasing programs enable home and building owners to access systems with no money down. Imagine adoption rates when the costs for purchasing or leasing a solar system is lower than conventional fossil-fuel based solutions!

Three-Dimensional Printing
Another breakthrough technology that will assuredly alter our status quo is three-dimensional printing, in which a solid structure is created from a digital computer file through an additive sequential layering process. WEF describes the process in the following way: “blueprints from computer-aided design are sliced into cross-section for print templates, allowing virtually created objects to be used as models for “hard copies” made from plastics, metal alloys or other materials.”

Three-dimensional printing is now being used for product development—from visualization and prototyping to end-production. Research is under way to create homes and buildings using three-dimensional printing with built-in plumbing and electrical facilities in one continuous build that takes less than 25 hours!

Because of the potential for home and small office applications (Sculpteo unveiled a mobile app at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show that allows a 3D file to be generated directly via smartphone!), three-dimensional printing has the potential to revolutionize the economics of manufacturing.

In a recent New York Times article, journalist Steven Kurutz said that “there is a growing sense that 3-D printers may be the home appliance of the future, much as personal computers were 30 years ago…. futurists and 3-D printing hobbyists are now envisioning a world in which someone has an idea for a work-saving tool — or breaks the hour hand on their kitchen clock or loses the cap to the shampoo bottle — and simply prints the invention or the replacement part.”

With desktop models available from companies like MakerBot for only $2,200, this technology has the potential to drastically transform global economics and trade, as individuals and small companies will be able to manufacture their own products on a local scale rather than purchase products from larger, international corporations.

Self-Healing Materials
Self-healing materials, a favorite of biomimicry proponents, will also have a significant impact on the building industry. The WEF asserts that these materials “have the capacity to heal themselves when cut, torn or cracked. Self-healing materials ,which can repair damage without external human intervention, could give manufactured goods longer lifetimes and reduce the demand for raw materials, as well as improving the inherent safety of materials used in construction.”

Think about the performance and financial implications if building envelope materials could repair themselves after damage caused by weather events, wind or snow loads, water intrusion, expansion or contraction, subsidence, engineering defects, faulty construction, or other natural forces. The promise of self-healing materials gives a whole new meaning to the concept of the ‘house as a system’!

Remote Sensing
Remote Sensing is another impactful emerging technology that will continue to influence the built environment as we know it. According to the WEF, “the increasingly widespread use of sensors that allow often passive responses to external stimulae will continue to change the way we respond to the environment.” In the building sector, we’re already seeing a proliferation of low-power smart products, controls, and sensing devices that harvest energy from ambient movement and can communicate with one another to adjust the climate, lighting, and other systems within a structure. These technologies will enable buildings to become more intelligent, efficient, and affordable.

It’s an exciting moment in time. As technologies get smarter, greener, and more adaptable, they pave the path that will lead us to a truly sustainable future.

What other groundbreaking technologies are you following? Write to me at sara@greenbuildermag.com or follow me on Twitter @SaraGBM.

For more information about green building and sustainable living, visit www.greenbuildermag.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter at @greenbuildermag and @VISIONHouseGBM for regular updates and breaking news.

Regardless of your politics, it’s hard to deny that our country is profoundly deficient when it comes to appropriate regulation for our changing energy, climate, and environmental protection needs.

From a clean energy and environmental policy standpoint, Obama’s first term was initially filled with hope but turned out to be rife with disappointment. However, if his fervor about developing solutions for our changing climate in this week’s State of the Union can be used as a true barometer, Obama’s second term has real potential to rescue our economy, environment, and energy security.

Obama asserts that he is committed to address environmental issues regardless of involvement from Congress. Which begs the question—what can he actually do without Congress’ support?

According to a recent report by the World Resources Institute (WRI), Obama could reduce our nation’s emissions by 17% below 2005 levels by 2020 (a commitment the Obama Administration made in 2009) through the following executive actions:

1) Increasing carbon standards for existing power plants (which account for 33% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions) and natural gas systems (which account for 4% of U.S. emissions) through the EPA using the Clean Air Act. According to the WRI, “these two sectors represent two of the top opportunities for substantial GHG reductions between now and 2035.” WRI asserts that technologies for reducing methane emissions from natural gas systems will pay for themselves within 3 years.

2) Reducing the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that harm the ozone layer and contribute to climate change through the EPA using the Clean Air Act and an amended Montreal Protocol. WRI says that “eliminating HFCs represents the biggest opportunity for GHG emissions reductions behind power plants.”

3) Implementing new appliance and equipment efficiency standards through the Department of Energy, which, according to the WRI, “can reduce electricity demand by 11% by 2035.”

4) Encouraging investment and innovation in clean energy solutions. Renewable energy technologies like solar and wind are not only becoming cost effective, but they are also more scalable than traditional forms of generation (gigawatts of solar and wind can be installed in months, whereas traditional power plants take years to construct). Fortunately, we don’t need major technology breakthroughs to grow the clean energy sector—we have cost competitive technologies available today. In states like Arizona, renewables are beginning to compete without subsidies. Solar is skyrocketing, in part due to innovative leasing programs that provide home and business owners access to solar systems with no upfront costs. Wind power is experiencing similarly explosive growth—for example, wind comprises over 20% of total power production in Iowa, with a goal of 100% by 2030. And for those states that still need incentives, the DOE and the Treasury recently announced the availability of $150 million in tax credits for clean energy and energy efficiency manufacturing projects across the country, targeting technologies including solar, wind, geothermal, fuel cells, microturbines, energy storage systems, equipment for energy conservation and smart grid technologies. Furthermore, we have a roadmap for scaling renewable energy production—the National Renewable Energy Laboratory released a report last June on how we can produce 80-90% of America’s electricity from “proven, reliable, and increasingly competitive renewable sources like sun and wind.”

5) Working with the states to bolster renewables, increase energy efficiency, and reduce emissions from transportation. Obama can use the leadership exhibited by the States as a roadmap: 29 states now have renewable standards; 20 states have energy efficiency standards; 10 states have cap and trade systems; and many others are implementing policies to address transportation issues and end-use efficiency.

WRI does acknowledge that, in the end, new legislation will be needed to achieve our long-term targets and “fend off the most deleterious impacts of climate change.”

In the meantime, it will be interesting to see how aggressively Obama wields his executive power in the areas where he has the most influence, which will be a telltale sign of how committed he really is to making environmental protection part of his lasting legacy.

The rest of the world is not waiting for the U.S. to make decisions. Germany is leading the world in installed solar. China and India are racing to dominate the renewables manufacturing sector. The countries that move the fastest in the clean energy and intelligent technology sectors will undoubtedly control global supply and pricing, and will, presumably, have the most stable economies. Who will own the future?

What else do you think this Administration can do to protect the environment and appropriately address our changing climate? Write to me at sara@greenbuildermag.com or follow me on Twitter @SaraGBM.

For more information about green building and sustainable living, visit www.greenbuildermag.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter at @greenbuildermag and @VISIONHouseGBM for regular updates and breaking news.

If I were a betting woman, I’d put my money on zero—it seems to be quite a winning number these days. Zero has plenty of negative associations (zero balance in the bank account) and several positive ones (zero hassle, zero upfront fees, and we all know that the cookie crumbs have zero calories). Now, it seems that zero has become the darling of the green building sector.

Net zero energy buildings—or buildings that produce as much energy as they use through the incorporation of efficiency, renewables, and occupant behavior—are all the rage.

A building’s energy performance can be measured with tools similar to a miles-per-gallon sticker for cars, such as the HERS Index Score issued by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). With a HERS rating, a low score is indicative of higher energy efficiency and performance.

According to RESNET, a typical American new home that is built to code is rated at 100 on the HERS index, and a typical American resale home is rated at 130 (so, homes that are resold are generally 30% less efficient than today’s code compliant new homes). The Department of Energy asserts that a home can be considered to be net-zero energy if it has a HERS rating of 30 or below.

Net-zero energy is an excellent goal and certainly a huge step forward for the construction industry. With that said, I would be remiss if I didn’t add the caveat that if we’re only measuring energy, we’re not assessing the full sustainability of a structure.

Green building initiatives across the country are attempting to incorporate the concept of net zero energy with other sustainability considerations to achieve comfortable, healthy, and affordable buildings. For example, BASF’s BEYOND program offers a building-science based approach for creating homes with an interesting rule of thumb that net zero energy can be achieved 50% though building performance and efficiency, 30% through the incorporation of renewable energy, and 20% through sustainable occupant behavior.

The drive to zero is not about energy performance alone. The concept has penetrated other important areas like water and waste as well. One example of a successful net zero waste initiative in our industry is the ambitious program implemented by DuPont’s Building Innovations group.

In a recent interview, DuPont’s Building Innovations President, Tim McCann, told me that, “DuPont’s construction division wanted to figure out how to deal with waste. We set a goal to be landfill-free in a 3 year period, dealing with everything in our waste stream. We had people from production, maintenance, engineering, and operations looking at each waste stream, and we reengineered our products to eliminate waste. Now, we reuse, recycle, or use all of the waste for BTU value (only 2% is burned for BTU value). We sent 81 million pounds of waste to the landfill in 2008, and now we send zero waste to landfills.”

When I asked him why DuPont focused on zero waste as opposed to other sustainability initiatives, Tim responded that “waste minimization is a good sustainability goal. It’s easy to understand and measure. People, including our leadership, employees, and customers, can understand it and apply it to their daily lives.”

Indeed, zero is a winner. It’s an achievable goal and clearly the next stage in our journey to a sustainable future.

With that said, I’m interested in what lurks beyond the zero horizon. I’m excited to partake in the shift from zero to regenerative, where we’re not just breaking even, we’re actually producing clean energy, water, and air, and having a positive effect on habitats, natural systems, and living beings.

Green Builder Media’s newest demonstration project, the VISION House Tucson, is an attempt to go beyond net zero. Not only is it designed to use half the water of a typical American home, minimize waste, maximize resource efficiency, and enhance occupant comfort and livability, it is modeled to have a HERS rating of negative 17, meaning that it’s expected to produce more energy than it uses and sell power back to the utility.

We hope that the VISION House Tucson will serve as an example for the next generation of housing in our country. In the coming months, we look forward to sharing with you the challenges that we encounter and successes that we enjoy during the process. Follow our progress at www.greenbuildermag.com and give us your feedback.

What innovative, regenerative ideas are you using in your projects? Write to me at sara@greenbuildermag.com or follow me on Twitter @SaraGBM.

For more information about green building and sustainable living, visit www.greenbuildermag.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter at @greenbuildermag and @VISIONHouseGBM for regular updates and breaking news.