Tighter Rules Drive Taiwan's Green Building Materials Industry

A maker of variable frequency inverter offers guaranteed refund

Casual observers in the ritzier parts of Taipei, capital city of Taiwan, may be impressed by the number of 5-star hotels, designer boutiques and even high-rise deluxe condos, but would not know that Taiwan imports 98% of fossil fuels and lack most conventional building materials, including ingredients to make concrete and steel, save marble that exists around Hualien around mid-eastern Taiwan. With very dense distribution of population in the low-lying, safely habitable urban centers, Taiwan, despite being a small island, has one of the highest per-capita usage of cement globally, indicative of the high energy usage, hence carbon emissions. But some encouraging news is afoot. Further tightening of green-building regulations and recently raised electricity rates provide incentive to Taiwan's eco-building materials industry.

In March 2012, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) decided to raise content of eco materials to 45% from the existing 30% indoor and 10% from zero outdoor for new constructions and put them into effect by the end of this year. Such eco-building materials must be recyclable, ecological, non-hazardous and high performance to meet the ministry's “green” standards.

Chairman T.C. Chen of the Taiwan Green Building Materials Council estimates the new regulations to create potential business opportunities of NT$100 billion (US$3.3 billion) yearly on the island, saying that all 626 building-material manufacturers in Taiwan welcome such revisions.

Apparently idealistic, Chen says the TGBM aims to convince the government to lift the eco-material content to 100% in five years, which is a miraculous leap from the humble 5% set in 2009.

Builders found in violation of the content regulations will be denied move-in permit, also possibly fined NT$50,000-250,000 (US$1,666-8,333) if constructions are found to contain carbon monoxide, volatile organic chemicals, formaldehyde, fungus, carbon dioxide, germs and ozone particles.

Chen's noble intentions aside, one wonders how many of the above-mentioned suppliers even have knowledge of eco-materials, their hazardous effects and, more importantly, resources, technologies and will to revamp production to meet the tighter rules, which, after all, saddle bottom-lines, whose health may be compromised further due to the higher electricity rates—on average up 20% overall in Taiwan.

Diligent Technology
One firm in Taiwan is holding its own to profit despite the tighter eco-material rules. Energy-conservation solution provider Diligent Technology Corp. is promoting a proprietary variable frequency inverter module for air conditioners, air heaters and ice water makers. Citing test results from the government-backed Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), the company says the inverter saves 30-60% of electricity relative to conventional types.

Justifying marketability of the inverter, C.S. Chu, the CEO, says that businesses are heavy users of air conditioners in summer, so the higher electricity rates will only motivate them to save. And to make the product literally irresistible, the company will offer the inverter for NT$39,999 (US$1,379) with interest-free installment until the end of this July, and the piece-de-resistance: guaranteed refund if users don't save at least 30% of electricity in the two-week trial.

Many in Taiwan are converts, including the Catholic Fuan Hospital, National Taiwan University Atmospheric Science Department, and Toyota Motor's service depot in Nankan, Taoyuan, as well as various hotels, factories, enterprises, schools, and supermarkets.

Chu also claims that the company's outstanding capacity in variable frequency inverter technology has attracted the Harbin City Government in China to negotiate cooperation.

Portrayed as the “No.1 brand in Taiwan's energy industry” by the International Trade Association of Taiwan, a non-profit organization of several industrial associations on the island, Diligent Technology, Chu says, recognized early that its energy-saving technologies would become a world trend, so has focused on such unique technologies and worked with several international energy organizations.

Lien Cheng
Lien Cheng Environment Technology Inc., a subsidiary of plastic-processing machine maker Hao Yu Precision Machinery Industry Co., Ltd., is promoting indoor plant walls and non-toxic wood-plastic composites as eco-friendly building materials.

The green walls capture carbon dioxide and VOCs as well as restrain micro- organisms; while the composites are 100% formaldehyde-free, nonflammable, resistant to humidity and insects, as well as certified as first-grade nonflammable building material according to Taiwan's industry standards.

Lien Cheng's executive director, J.H. Ji, says that building materials, furniture, ornaments, deodorants and detergents are the major sources of VOCs in offices and homes, indirectly promoting the air-cleaning merits of the maker's plant walls and composites.

Win Aluminum
A specialist in aluminum window and door frames, Win Aluminum Co., Ltd. is knowledgeable about adopting advanced technologies to help homeowners reduce energy consumption by retaining heat inside in winter and cutting thermal-conduction to minimize heat exchange to achieve better energy efficiency.

W.H. Chen, the chairman, says 71% of outdoor heat seeps indoor through doors and windows. The company uses a unique electroplating process developed by Japanese on its windows and door frames to slow thermal conductivity, also installing double-glazing to slow heat transmission with the static air gap, with such technology also retaining indoor heat in winter. Such windows lock out heat in summer and retain warmth in winter to minimize energy use of air conditioners and heaters.

Stanley Glass
Stanley Glass Co., Ltd.'s “Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV)” glass has more green functions. In addition to low-emissivity (low-E) glass, which performs as Win Aluminum's, the glass is integrated with solar panels to generate electricity, and is used in single family homes and offices.

Double Mint International Co., Ltd., a winner of Taiwan government-certified “Green Building Material” label for high-performance, is another promoter of low-E glass as green building materials in Taiwan. The company is also a dealer of the patented Heat Mirror insulating glass from Southwall Technologies of the United States, which develops the reflective film on the glass, a product inspired by the insulating coating technology used on space shuttles and stealth bombers.

According to Double Mint, Heat Mirror glass stops all ultraviolet ray, allowing transmission of 62% of visible light but only 4% of infrared and achieving only 250 W/m2 in heat gain, and therefore is ideal for high and low latitudes.

Heat Mirror's data show its glass is superior to many other types of low-E glass. Double-film soft low-E glass stops 78% of UV, allows transmission of 65% of visible light, 17% of infrared to achieve relative heat gain of 350 W/m2, while Single-film soft low-E's stats are 58%, 75%, 34%, and 550W/m2 respectively, hence suitable for only low-latitudes.

Hard low-E glass blocks half of UV, allows transmission of 60% of visible light, 31% of infrared, and registers relative heat gain of 600 W/m2, hence being suitable for high-latitudes.

Traditional multi-coated glass blocks 30% of UV, allows in 78% of visible light and 48% of infrared, registering relative heat gain of 700W/m2, hence being suitable for all latitudes.

“Double Mint promotes Heat Mirror glass rather than low-E glass for consumers have the right to choose the optimal energy-saving solution,” says D.M. Liang, the general manager.