What triggers a project? A need or requirement for something that’s never been done before, at least not in the same way. As a project manager, we also are triggered to change the project plan based on particular requirements.
Some governments are mandating that buildings are “net-zero energy”. This means that – without any carbon offsets – just through ‘physics’, all of the energy that the building consumes must be produced on-site via renewable means. Learn more about net-zero here: http://www.worldgbc.org/advancing-net-zero/what-net-zero, and/or have a look at the graphic at the end of this post.
And where is the trigger for this blog post? An article in a political magazine? A science magazine? Greenpeace? No. In fact, the trigger for this post is from PM Network Magazine – in fact, the cover story from August, 2018.
In it, there is a striking statistic: the number of projects seeking net-zero status (in the US and Canada) increased nearly 50% between 2016 and 2017. That’s a vector that points towards a possible standard practice for construction. Also, a graphic in the article shows that by 2020 all new residential building construction projects in the US state of California must be net-zero.
It’ll affect the way the building project is directed. Literally. For example, it may change which way the building faces, or the size, shape, and makeup of the windows.
Besides the technical aspects, what special needs does a project like this have?
I suggest that you read the entire article but here is my summary of what you should be doing as projects like this become more common:
Intense collaboration
No “over-the-wall” handoffs between design and construction teams
Early buy-in to the net-zero mission and its rationale (often the government mandate, but also other drivers such as commitments the enterprise has made to environmental goals)
Inclusion of certain key metrics (called a “target value”) in the constant view of the project team
More lean/integrated design practices
Focus on the ongoing “performance” of the building (usually not on the radar of a project team)
Stay focused on new technology and opportunities
Let me end on a very upbeat note.Some construction project managers are aiming for a net-positive (surplus) of energy.The example given is Arctic Adventures’ Svart Hotel.
Watch this video and get inspired:
Here's that graphic referred to earlier in the post:
Every few hundred million years or so we get a mass extinction caused by untold numbers of volcanoes spewing out carbon dioxide (among other poisonous gases) into the air that would dwarf all the CO emissions that "net-zero energy" claims to be able to save. Although it's a noble cause to save a blip (in earth's history) in the emissions levels, I wish as much time, effort, money and hysteria was going into deflecting the next big asteroid.
Alok PriyadarshiProject Manager| Tata Consulting Engineers LimitedJamshedpur, Jharkhand, India
Interesting one. Thanks a lot for sharing
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
Andrew, lol. I just love throwing curve balls every now and then to get people thinking. The earth is as stable (and unstable) as it always was since it's creation, and mankind is never going to be able to make it extinct, only themselves potentially :-)
RAJESH K LProject Manager, PMP| Bharat Electronics, Bengaluru, IndiaBengaluru, Karnataka, India
Thanks for sharing
Pench BattaEnterprise Lean Agile DevOps Coach /SAFe Program Consultant (SPC6)| Capgemini, Inc.Bentonville, Ar, United States
Interesting and informative article on reducing carbon footprint and increasing sustainability.
Jason MuckleySenior Project Manager| Teledyne Monitor LabsLittleton, Co, United States
Thanks for sharing! This will help myself in industries not directly affected by the "net-zero" mandates keep an eye out for similar requirements that might come down the pipe toward us in other industries.
