Coca - Cola factory in Thu Duc, HCMC is one among first companies in Viet Nam developing green building by using Clean COLORBOND®. — VNS Photo

With the advantages it offers like cost savings and being environment friendly, "green building" has become a popular concept globally and in Viet Nam.

The "green building" solution has become an imperative since the greenhouse effect global warming have been exacerbated by urbanisation and industrialisation as factories and buildings mushroom.

Green buildings are environmentally responsible, resource-efficient throughout their life-cycle and are designed, constructed and operated to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the environment. A green building can bring down energy use by 24-50 per cent, cut down CO2 emissions by 33-39 per cent and reduce water use by 40 per cent and generation of solid waste by 70 per cent.

Green value for construction

Architects said construction of a green building, in addition to the design, needs modern technologies and advanced building materials, including steel. Therefore, while people insist that modern technology is harming our lives, it is what helps us mitigate the greenhouse effect global warming problem particularly.

With the goal of bringing green value to construction in Viet Nam, steel maker NS BlueScope has brought to the market its exclusive Clean COLORBOND® steel with Thermatech® solar reflectance technology which is able to reflect the solar heat.

Developed from Clean COLORBOND® steel, which has been in use for more than 50 years in Asia, the Clean COLORBOND® steel with Thermatech® is leading innovations again, thus fulfilling the requirements of the construction industry.

Thermatech® solar reflectance technology is incorporated into Clean COLORBOND® steel to lower surface temperature by absorbing less heat from the sun. This advanced technology optimises the thermal performance of every colour in the standard Clean COLORBOND® steel without changing their appearance, and therefore consumes less energy for air-conditioning and helps mitigate the urban heat island (UHI) effect.

Thermatech® solar reflectance technology acts as added value in hot water, making it easier for air-conditioning to keep the building cool. Thermal comfort is maintained by the dirt resistance proper in Clean COLORBOND® steel. The solar reflectance of roofing sheets will be influenced by the amount of dirt staining. Therefore retaining a clean appearance is very important for maximizing the cooling effect of roofing sheets.

In moderate to hot climates, compared to steel roofing materials of similar colour with lower solar reflectance, Clean COLORBOND® steel can reduce annual cooling energy consumption by up to 15 per cent and reduces peak roof temperature by up to 6 degree celsius, depending on the colour.

The development of this new technology reflects the company's enduring qualities – innovative, superior, cutting-edge and leading. With Thermatech® solar reflectance technology, NS BlueScope is helping create a future that is comfortable not just for people but for the environment too.

Unavoidable trend

In May over 1,000 workers in a plant in the northern province of Thanh Hoa passed out due to asphyxiation. It was attributed to an unsafe working environment since the plant was not big enough and the ventilation system not efficient. Workers had to work in high ambient temperatures for a long time. It was a wake-up call for investors when deciding to build plants and manufacturers.

Developing a green building is unavoidable. It not only brings workers a good working environment but also helps investors reap economic benefits like saving on operational costs and developing brand. In the country there are three rating systems used for green buildings. They are the US Green Building Council's LEED, Singapore's GreenMark and the Viet Nam Green Building Council's Lotus. So far 50 buildings have received and have applied for these certificates. Around 30 of them have gone for LEED and 10 each for GreenMark and Lotus.

According the World Green Building Council, material is one among seven important criteria of a green building. Furthermore, roofing is a key consideration when designing a building to be thermally efficient and is essential in mitigating the UHI effect.

As of this reason, right after being introduced to the market, Clean COLORBOND® steel with Thermatech® has received positive feedback from the market. With the inclusion of Thermatech® solar reflectance technology, Clean COLORBOND® steel gives the building industry even more of what it wants.

Architects, developers, builders, and designers like its elegant colours, design versatility, lightweight strength, ease of cleaning and durability. Now they have a wider choice of thermally efficient colours and even greater durability because of reduced heat stress on the entire steel roofing system.Furthermore,Clean COLORBOND® steel roofing system with Thermatech® meets the requirements of the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED)'s green building rating tools, which require materials with high solar reflectance index (SRI) values for mitigating the UHI effect. It is even able to provide higher SRI values, thus complying with the green building requirements.

The company's guarantee policy also makes the product more attractive. The Clean COLORBOND® steel is backed by NS BlueScope's material warranty against corrosion perforation for up to 30 years, warranty against flaking and peeling for up to 10 years, warranty against colour fading for up to 10 years and warranty against dirt staining for up to 5 years.

In Viet Nam, therefore, Clean COLORBOND® steel with Thermatech® has become the choice of many Green Building projects including Esquel Hoa Binh, Laurelton, Hanesbrands Phu Bai 2 and Coca Cola Plant in Thu Duc District of HCM city.