---
title: "Energy conscious design considerations"
subject: "Building Technology"
chapter: 1
key: "semester_6/building_technology:energy-conscious-design"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/building_technology/energy-conscious-design
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Energy conscious design considerations

Building Technology · Chapter 1: Functional Requirements of Buildings

- Asked in: 2065 Shrawan (old course), 16 marks; 2062 Baisakh (old course), 4 marks (asked 2 times)
- Video: [How Do Architects ACTUALLY Design Sustainably?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20XC1YjJsg8) — Michael De Luca
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/building_technology/energy-conscious-design
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_6/building_technology/chapter-1

## Question

What do you understand by Energy Conscious Design? Describe briefly the design considerations of Energy Conscious Design. Also describe the renewable and non-renewable energy, their sources and their respective examples.

## Short answer

Energy Conscious Design reduces energy use through site, orientation, envelope, passive systems, efficient equipment, and renewables like solar, hydropower. Non-renewable sources include coal, petroleum, natural gas.

## Answer

**Energy Conscious Design (ECD)** is the design of buildings that reduces the use of energy for heating, cooling, lighting and ventilation, while keeping comfort, by making good use of the site, climate, form, materials and efficient systems.

#### Design considerations
1. **Site and climate analysis**: sun path, wind, temperature, rainfall, microclimate.
2. **Orientation and layout**: Long axis east-west, main openings facing south; compact form; living areas on the sunny side and service areas on the cold side.
3. **Building envelope**: insulated walls and roofs, double glazing, light roof colour in hot zones, thermal mass in places with a large day-night temperature swing.
4. **Passive solar heating**: south windows, Trombe wall, sunspace, greenhouse.
5. **Passive cooling**: shading, ventilation, courtyard, evaporative cooling, earth cooling.
6. **Daylighting**: skylights and light shelves to reduce artificial lighting.
7. **Natural ventilation** to avoid the need for fans and AC.
8. **Efficient equipment**: LED lights, efficient appliances, solar water heaters, controls and sensors.
9. **Renewable energy**: solar PV, solar thermal, biogas.
10. **Landscaping**: trees for shade and wind control.
11. **Materials**: local materials with low embodied energy (stone, mud, bamboo, stabilised earth blocks).

#### Renewable and non-renewable energy
| Type | Meaning | Sources / examples |
|---|---|---|
| Renewable | Replaced naturally in a short time | Solar (PV, solar heater), hydropower (Nepal's main source), wind, biomass and biogas, geothermal, tidal |
| Non-renewable | Finite stock, used up faster than it forms | Coal, petroleum (diesel, petrol, LPG, kerosene), natural gas, nuclear fuel (uranium) |

Nepal has a large hydropower potential (about 83,000 MW, of which about 42,000 MW is economically feasible), but it imports all its petroleum products and most of its coal. An energy-conscious building therefore reduces national imports as well as the owner's bills.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. Energy Conscious Design aims to
   A. Remove all windows
   B. Reduce energy for heating, cooling, lighting while keeping comfort
   C. Use only non-renewable energy
   D. Maximise AC use
   Answer: B. ECD cuts energy use by site, climate, form, materials and efficient systems. (Key point: ECD aim)

2. For ECD the layout should have
   A. Long axis east-west with main openings facing south
   B. Long axis north-south with west openings
   C. Spread form with large west glass
   D. No fixed rule
   Answer: A. This gives winter sun and limits low-angle east-west sun. (Key point: Orientation)

3. Which is a passive solar heating device?
   A. Solar PV panel
   B. Diesel generator
   C. Trombe wall
   D. Exhaust fan
   Answer: C. Trombe wall, south windows, sunspace and greenhouse are passive heating. (Key point: Passive heating)

4. Which set is all renewable?
   A. Coal, diesel, solar
   B. Uranium, hydropower, wind
   C. LPG, biomass, tidal
   D. Solar, hydropower, wind, biogas
   Answer: D. Coal, petroleum, gas and uranium are non-renewable. (Key point: Renewable energy)

## Related in Building Technology

- [Renewable energy and trapping solar energy](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fbuilding_technology%3Aenergy-renewable-solar-066j) — Building Technology, chapter 1

## Related in other subjects

- [Types of renewable energy sources](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_4%2Fpower_system_analysis_i%3Arenewable-energy-types) — Power System Analysis I, chapter 1
- [Renewable sources and least suitable for Nepal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_4%2Fpower_system_analysis_i%3Arenewable-sources-least-suitable-nepal) — Power System Analysis I, chapter 1
- [Conventional, non-conventional sources and biomass](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fpower_plant_design%3Aenergy-sources-biomass) — Power Plant Design, chapter 1
- [Short note: Renewable and non-renewable resources](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Arenewable-nonrenewable-resources) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 4