The Cape Coast Technical University has hinted of plans to spearhead a project aimed at shifting from the traditional building designs to what they term “Green building” technology in Ghana.
Green Building technology pays attention to the use of renewable energy such as solar, re-use and recycling products such as plastics among other environmentally friendly materials needed for building and architecture.
The move has become imperative due to climate change and its negative impact on society.
Speaking to the media shortly after the opening of a Green Building Research Conference at the Cape Coast Technical University, the Head of the Department of Building Technology, Dr. Emmanuel Bamfo-Agyei, disclosed that the project aims to educate Ghanaians on the need to use energy-efficient materials in their buildings.
He explained that buildings are designed such that “we rely heavily on artificial materials which are not good for the total well-being of individuals”.
“When we start implementing energy-efficient buildings, we will reduce the cost of our energy consumption by fifty percent. When it comes to water, we need to have a rainwater harvesting technology so that we can use it in diverse ways”.
Dr. Bamfo Agyei stated that, the Department of Building Technology at the CCTU, is the only university in Ghana that has developed a specialised programme in Green Building Technology called B-TECH in Green Building Technology to enhance students knowledge on the project.
The president of the Ghana Green Building Council, Foster Osae-Akonnor, revealed that plastics can be used for building construction in a bid to reduce its negative impact on the environment.
“Building walls, for instance, the basic thing is to reduce embodied energy which can be found in cement, if we are able to reduce the amount of concrete in a building, we will be able to reduce embodied energy. So by using plastic bottles for building construction, we’ll be reducing embodied energy and its negative effect on the environment”.
The Vice Chancellor of CCTU, Rt. Rev. Prof. Joshua Danso Owusu-Sekyere applauded the initiative by the Department of Building Technology and recommended that green building which is associated with renewable energy generation is the best way forward.
