Ecological Design Consultants

Materials

We provide advice on selecting products and materials for
- low embodied energy,
- good indoor air quality, and
- low biodiversity impacts.

Embodied Energy

Producing goods consumes a large amount of energy. The energy consumed during resource extraction, processing, transport and storage is called the embodied energy. Embodied energy has a resource cost and also a greenhouse gas emission cost. Calculating embodied energy is notoriously difficult, because the result depends on where you define the boundary of the energy inputs to that product. For example, do you include the fuel used by workers travelling to work in the factory? However, the task has been completed for many products, and valid comparisons can be made.

Indoor Air Quality

Many finished building materials emit gasses into the air around them which are harmful to human health. Exposure to these gases, normally referred to as volatile organic compounds (VOCs),can lead to adverse health impacts ranging from mild irritation to the development of cancers. Other materials and particularly paints may contain substances which are toxic in their own right such as heavy metals. It is possible to select materials and finishes which are certified to have very low levels of toxic gas emissions and are free from heavy metals. One of the best places to check for products is the online directory, ecospecifier. Another reputable certifying body is Good Environmental Choice Australia or Geca for short.

Biodiversity

A piece of framing timber might come from a sustainably managed plantation forest or from an illegal clear-felling operation in forest containing rare endangered habitat. Your so-called sustainable house or renovation is only as sustainable as the raw material source from which it is supplied. You can check if timber is certified by checking the green building guide of the Forest Stewardship council (FSC)