Six Essential Sustainable Elements to look out for in a property
For years, there has been a lot of emphasis to go green for the environment and reduce waste – from using reusable bags when we buy groceries, opting for more environmentally-friendly disposables to switching our lifestyle to a more sustainable one. While we can actively do small things to play our parts in conserving the environment, more customers are looking towards homes that embed sustainable elements into properties as essential. These features allow residents to help minimise their carbon emissions as well as lower their water and electricity usage and bills. So, here are six essential sustainable elements to look out for when purchasing a property.
Using low-carbon and eco-friendly materials
There are a few ways to utilise materials that are low carbon in nature in one’s home design. Low carbon building materials mean that they do not require a lot of energy to produce and transport, especially when they are sourced locally. In other words, they are either produced through a process with minimal carbon emissions or are recycled and repurposed for other uses, reducing the need to buy new ones.
An example of low-carbon building material is salvaged wood that has been discarded, usually after the construction of a home. These can be reused as furniture, flooring, and more, giving your home an antique vibe. Reusing them will help lessen the impact on the environment compared to harvesting new ones since it has already gone through the whole process of producing wood. “Carbon-intensive” materials such as plastics and aluminium are unavoidable when building homes, so we should reuse and recycle them wherever possible.
Another popular choice is using the eco-friendly low volatile organic compounds (VOC) paint. Most of them are water-based and contain natural ingredients such as natural latex, milk, and chalk. On the other hand, oil-based paints usually contain high levels of VOC, so their production could potentially emit more carbon compared to water-based paints. Since VOCs also contain elements of paint thinners, petroleum fuels, and dry-cleaning agents to name a few, a high amount of these could also impact air quality and is hazardous to our health. When they become airborne, they react with other elements and create ozone, contributing to air pollution. It is important to know if your paints contain low VOC and natural ingredients for the betterment of your health and the environment.
Aspira Gardens - Gerbang Nusajaya,
Iskandar Puteri
Harness renewable energy such as solar panels
Properties fitted with solar panels allow us to harness clean, renewable energy from the sun and be an alternative option to energise our household. This will lessen our dependence on non-renewable sources such as fossil fuels from our energy grids. With Malaysia’s weather being either sunny or rainy all year round, it is to no one’s surprise that solar panel-ready properties are a popular option to look out for, especially in landed ones.
Some developments now illuminate their neighbourhoods with solar-powered street lighting, further reducing the reliance on non-renewable electricity sources. These streetlights have built-in lithium with passive infrared sensors and are usually equipped with day and night sensors to further save on electricity. As a country with an abundance of sunlight throughout the year, solar panel streetlights are one of the most eco-friendly options to light up neighbourhoods and public spaces including our streets and parks.
Opting for LED lighting
Light Emitting Diodes or “LED” is an eco-friendly alternative to conventional fluorescent or incandescent bulbs. It is more energy-efficient, thus reducing CO2 emissions. Not only that, but LED lighting is also becoming much more affordable nowadays, almost costing the same as a conventional lighting bulb; a good LED lightbulb just needs to be replaced once every 10 years.
Equipped with water savings fittings
Apart from the endless summer, Malaysia’s heavy downpours during certain parts of the year are by the oceans. To fully utilise Malaysia’s tropical season, many properties are now equipped with water-efficient fittings such as rainwater harvesting systems. The rainwater collected can be used to water gardens, flush toilets, and more. This further helps reduce unnecessary water usage.
Maximising daylight and natural ventilation
Property developers now ensure that a building is designed to be energy efficient even during the planning stage to orientate a building to the north-south direction, meaning that they are designed to maximise the amount of natural daylight to brighten your homes without having the heat of direct sunlight penetrating. Having sizable or sufficient windows will also help with the airflow and ventilation of the rooms, regulating the temperature within, which will help cut down electricity usage.
Appropriate waste/recycling management facilities
Having an effective and convenient recycling centre to appropriate and recycle waste is also key to becoming a more environmentally friendly neighbourhood. Centres like these can be a learning ground for residents to find out more and practice recycling habits through community-driven sustainability programs and activities and as a result, be more conscious about the environment.
We at UEM Sunrise are at the forefront of embedding sustainable features in our developments. By also entrenching our sustainability philosophy within our organisation, we aspire to build towards a low carbon future by 2030 and subsequently achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 through our first sustainability blueprint which is set to launch very soon, so stay tuned. The blueprint will also align with the Malaysian Government’s aspiration of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.