There are a number of definitions of ‘Nearly Zero Carbon’. Ultimately, however, successful examples should be low impact on the environment, should negate the use of unnecessary energy through passive design strategies and insulation, and keep us in thermal comfort all year round whatever the weather, or climate. Dry and warm in winter and cool enough in summer, providing fresh air, brightness and a comfortable space to live. Ideally, a nearly zero carbon building should create no local pollution and attain zero carbon or near zero energy usage by utilising renewable energies such as solar, and conserve and utilise water aspects through recycling of grey-water and conservation and other established techniques.

Space heating or air conditioning depending on the climate, is normally the biggest consumer of energy in buildings. In Malta, with limited hydrocarbon sources, is more energy insecure than some. Energy efficient buildings can play an important role in the nation’s overall reduction energy consumption and by relation, carbon emissions. The majority of building stock in Malta are built to inferior building standards, often overheating in summer and cold in the cooler winter months. Building more efficiently, utilising adequate insulation and passive cooling aspects would lead to less air conditioning bills in summer, less overall energy consumption on the islands, and provide a more comfortable living space throughout the year.

In Malta the obvious source to utilize includes solar radiation. Utilising the sun’s energy to heat and light the building as much as possible in the winter months, preventing heat from escaping by installing enough insulation and preventing draughts. It includes creating a healthy atmosphere where there is enough fresh air and no pollutants in the atmosphere. Incorporating traditional passive building techniques such as loggias and courtyards, building envelopes effective in the hot summer months and the cooler winters, whilst solar panels and photovoltaic panels can be used to reduce heating bills and overall energy consumption.

It is important that the materials used in the construction of proposed buildings that they use as little embodied energy as possible –ie materials whose life cycle does not involve energy intensive processes (such as standard concrete or cement) and is not transported or imported from far away places. Ideally, materials used will actually store carbon and release over the long term (ie timber, earth, hemp and straw and hay-bale) whilst overall creating a space that exudes good breathability, and overall creates an atmosphere of thermal comfort and healthy breathability that benefit the health of the occupants all year round. 

Timber is a classic example of a low carbon and even carbon storing material for building

The obvious solution in Malta as part of a renewable energy strategy is, palpably, solar radiation. However unlike its neighbouring Southern European neighbours Spain and Italy, the national uncoordinated efforts to encourage solar energy take up through either solar water heating or photovoltaics appears ineffective. This has been due to lack of funding or incentives for the consumer, a lack of skills education regarding the industry and a general ignorance of the overall benefits that solar energy might contribute towards nearly zero carbon buildings.

Despite the appearance in recent years throughout Malta in recent years of solar panels, the majority utilised for hot water heating, existing government initiatives do little to encourage this trend with costs still unrealistically high when the rest of Europe sees falling prices, with payback periods of twenty to thirty years. Who then will be encouraged to utilise solar energy?

More coordinated Government efforts should be being implemented, with grants, Feed-In-Tarriffs (where the owner may actually be paid for creating excess energy toward national grid usage) and other incentives to ensure take up of this extensive and sustainable natural resource. should be being implemented on a national scale.

With regional climate change indicating rising temperatures and extended, warmer and cooler winters in Southern Europe (IPCC 2014), it is surely the time now more than later to invest in solar strategies. with such a small landmass, Malta could prove a valuable example to it’s southern European neighbours and effectively reduce its energy bill in a relatively short period of time. For more information and academic papers on this subject see here.