Indonesia is facing various problems after this pandemic period ends. The economic problem of recession, the business sector that is experiencing a decline, the problem of unemployment, health problems to overcome the pandemic and the problems that previously existed, namely global warming and depletion of energy reserves from fossil fuels. A comprehensive and synergized solution needs to be implemented immediately to face the “new normal” Indonesia.

One of the most relevant and integrated solutions with the above conditions is the net zero healthy building solution. A net zero energy building is a building that consumes very low energy and produces renewable energy that is at least equal to or greater than the energy consumption used in the building and the building is healthy and comfortable for its occupants.

The net zero healthy building solution can be a solution to tackling environmental, energy and health problems. Because net zero energy building uses renewable energy, it will also activate the business world, such as the provision of renewable energy, for example solar panels, mini hydro power, wind, biomass etc.

Health

During the Covid-19 Pandemic, it has increased our awareness of the importance of health in the room of a building and is also based on the reality that 90% of our time is indoors both at home and at work.

Changes in lifestyle such as always washing hands with soap or hand sanitizer, wearing masks, maintaining health and body resistance need to be carried out according to the Health Protocol recommendations from both the Government and WHO. However, there is still something to pay attention to, namely regarding indoor health, because according to the WHO and CDC reports, the Covid-19 virus is not only transmitted through large particles such as droplets (5 – 10 microns), but also through fine particles through the air ( less than 5 microns in the form of aerosols) which can stay in the air for up to 3 hours (airborne transmission).

Indoor health is very important, because in a closed room where there is no natural ventilation, it causes the saturated air content in the form of small particles including viruses and makes it easier for people to catch the disease through viruses that enter the body through the respiratory tract.

Economy

To rise from the economic recession after the Covid-19 Pandemic, the business sector has tightened a lot, both in terms of labor, operational costs and others, with the aim of being able to recover from conditions of economic difficulties. One of the solutions we propose is to make the building very energy efficient, water efficient so that it can reduce the building’s operational costs every month.

From the energy consumption table (Pic 11), the biggest uses are room cooling and lighting. So if we want to make buildings that are very energy efficient, we must focus primarily on these two biggest energy consumption.

One example of a PU Office Building has succeeded in making enormous energy savings, namely (Energy Consumption Intensity / IKE) = 124 kWh / m² / yr, which can be compared to other PU buildings in the same location using 225 kWh / m² / yr of electrical energy ( nearly half) (Pic 12). Public Works Building Electrical Energy Saving can reach Rp. 230 million / month. Energy savings are mostly obtained from processing the building mass so that it can avoid and reject solar radiation which becomes a source of heat in the building so that the energy load increases due to the increased use of air conditioning.

The shape of the building, which was massive with east and west orientations, was split into 2 building masses and the orientation of the glass windows, which was east and west, was changed to north and south orientations.

Secondly, the use of Light shelf on windows allows diffuse (fluorescent) air to enter the room and increase the lighting in the room during the morning and during the day, thereby reducing energy use for lighting.

From the example above we can learn that by focusing on things that have a significant impact on energy consumption, we can create energy-efficient, even very energy-efficient, building designs.

Saving water also needs to be done because the availability of clean water, especially in urban areas, is increasingly limited. In the city of Jakarta, for example, the supply of clean water from PDAM cannot meet all the needs of clean water in buildings, so it is necessary to make an effort from ground water (deep well) or from Recycling water. The abundant rainwater in Indonesia can also reduce the use of PDAM water.

If the source of pure water is from PDAM, then with the recycling water system it will save 4.29 billion / year. Meanwhile, if you use deep ground water, the savings are even greater because the cost of water is higher, so you can get savings of 12.95 billion / year.

The third example is in the Working Room Data Center, Telkom Sigma which saves water up to 77.52% with the Black Water Recycling System.

So from the three examples above, it can be concluded that if we can design an energy-efficient and water-efficient building, it will reduce the operational costs of the building significantly.

Environment

One of the biggest environmental problems of this century, however, is global warming which has gotten worse in recent years. Global warming is the phenomenon of increasing the earth’s surface air temperature due to CO2 emissions that accumulate in the atmosphere resulting from the burning of fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas). This global warming causes environmental damage and natural disasters that endanger life on earth. One of the solutions to prevent the worsening impact of global warming is by using renewable energy which has also become a UN resolution, namely the Paris Agreement (COP21) (United Nations, 2015). Indonesia also has a target of using renewable energy in 2025 by 23% and by 2050 by 31%.

In fact, Indonesia has abundant renewable energy, namely sunlight that shines throughout the year. Renewable energy suitable for Indonesia’s climate is solar panels. By using solar panels, in addition to reducing the impact of global warming, we can significantly reduce the cost of using electrical energy, thereby reducing operational costs. For residential houses it can save 20 – 60% and for industrial buildings up to 20% – 40%.
Second, government regulations have now encouraged the use of solar panels through PERMEN No. 49/2018, since January 1, 2019, PLN consumers using the PLN On-Grid network, do not need to use batteries to store electrical energy from solar panels and can sell surplus solar panel production to PLN through PLN’s kWh Export Import.

The application of solar panels to various types of buildings ranging from housing, offices, factories and others. An example of the installation (Pic 19) at PT Kalbe, almost all the roofs have been installed with solar panels to the roof of the car park and motorcycle parking lot. Solar panels that have double functions are also installed to cover the parking lot and produce electricity. In the Summarecon Gading Serpong Cluster Vivaldi housing, all houses for sale are equipped with 4 solar panels. In the UGM LLC Building (Pic 20), Solar Panel is installed on the roof, the concrete extends along the length of the building.