Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
4 Development of Green Buildings
To the end of ''create a green environmental-friendly subtropical Taiwan,'' the
Architecture and Building Research Institute (ABRI), Ministry of Interior col-
laborated with Ministry of Economic Affairs in the promotion of green buildings
since 1999. Through the establishment of the Taiwan Architecture and Building
Center (TABC) in the same year, a green building evaluation system was intro-
duced to the public. The original evaluation system covers seven indicators in
1999 and two other were added in 2002, the building which successfully passed the
evaluation would receive a ''green building badge,'' meaning that the building is
sound in ''ecology, energy saving, waste reduction and health'' (EEWH) respects.
According to ABRI, this is the fourth green building evaluation system under
operation in the world, after United Kingdom, United States and Canada, and the
only such system applied to tropical and sub-tropical environment. The Executive
Yuan announced the ''Green Building Promotion Program'' in March 2001 marks
the beginning of official action. The action started mainly from public buildings,
and all the major new government building projects are required to be evaluated.
Private building projects which applied green building badge have been primarily
the luxurious commercial, office or residential projects; industrial buildings have
been very ''quiet'' in this arena.
However, industrial property comprised a significant proportion in Taiwan's
built-up landscape, if the industrial buildings are still not involved in the move-
ment, the purpose of promoting green building would be greatly handicapped. The
major types of industrial property include: science park, industrial park, and
industrial estate. While the subject of this article—science park—is under the
administration of National Science Council, industrial parks have been promoted
vigorously and directly by the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), MOEA since
1960, and individual industrial estates are basically owned and managed by the
private investors. From this respect, the public owned or managed science parks
and industrial parks have the potential to contribute in ''green development.''
Kung et al. (
2002
) proposed that industrial parks should try to find opportunities
for using existing industrial clusters as foundation for the construction of eco-
logical industrial park in Taiwan, and within this, green building badge should be
also promoted to the industrial buildings within the industrial parks managed by
the IDB. Yet, this suggestion did not get immediate response from the government
sector. This has to wait for the initiation from private investors.
On 4 October 2006, Delta Electronics held a ceremony not only for the opening
of its new office/factory building at the TSP, but also for the building successfully
being awarded the green building badge (STSPA
2006
). Delta Electronics founded
in 1971 and now a world-class supplier of power management system, started its
new investment at the TSP in 2004. Owing to the social responsibilities concept
and the goal of enhancing its place in energy saving industries, the company
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