The damage to homes and ways of life caused by natural disasters is intensifying — but we have tools to begin fighting back. From hurricane-proof solar-powered homes to fire-resistant communities and heat-busting urban designs, resilience is increasingly non-negotiable.
This week’s guest – energy and sustainability leader Mike Dieterich — helps us understand how folks are rebuilding smarter and stronger.
There was nowhere to go until the flood drained to the sea. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, dropping an unprecedented four feet of rain in 48 hours; the single wettest recorded storm in the United States. I was there as the waters rushed in that weekend. A month later, Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused significant damage and loss again, this time in the Caribbean.
In March 2018, I saw the aftermath firsthand in the Caribbean when I visited Both the US and British Virgins to speak at TEDx Talk in Road Town on resilience. The landscape was transformed: trees were stripped down to their trunks, solar panels fields were shattered, and roofs were missing from buildings.
However, amid this destruction, there were valuable insights for how to build better (for) resilience and why it can prevent future loss of property and life.
Solar power and ferrocement
When buildings are built from concrete or cinder blocks with metal roofs, a common construction material and technique in the Caribbean, the foundations and walls of homes were more likely to remain. Most of the homes that had solar panels didn’t lose their metal roofs and only lost about 15-25% of their panels during the category 5 storm with winds of 178.00 mph/286.46 km/h .
The combination of solar panels with ferrocement building materials, a reinforced cement technology using metal mesh and cement with chemical additives. Ferrocement offers higher tensile and flexural strength, better crack resistance, and allows for thinner and lighter structures compared to conventional concrete, reducing costs and increasing strength. These combined benefits make ferrocement a versatile and robust material, especially suitable for demanding environments, surpassing the International building and green codes.
Ferrocement roof retrofits provide a robust, affordable solution that securely anchors into an existing concrete structure, which weather storms. Solar panels then mounted to the new roof can also withstand severe storms and winds. A slight angle to the roof also allows for stormwater collection which can be purified for drinking or watering plants.
Paired with a Powerwall or battery bank, these homes can maintain 24 hours a day and be energy independent while also having power during and after storms.
By networking or micro gridding these houses, businesses, and communities together, we can form resilient microgrids that enhance structural stability and provide 24 hours of energy without emissions and the need for generators, solving both energy and weather-related impacts in weather prone environments.
Resilience beyond the house
Resilience encompasses more than just keeping your lights and roofs on. In the Caribbean context, transportation around the islands is key. Transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) and scooters reduces fuel costs and minimizes air and noise pollution. This also reduces the transportation of gasoline to the islands, decreasing global emissions in the process, and reliance on supply chains. In addition to the broader transition to electric vehicles, the British Virgin Islands has implemented a notable program to further enhance sustainable transportation through the commissioning of an electric shuttle service. This initiative, spearheaded by the Minister of Transportation, Works, and Utilities Kye Rymer, aims to provide a clean and efficient mode of public transportation within the territory for all to access.
Adopting technologies like thermal gasification of municipal solid waste(trash) and organic material to produce renewable fuels can minimize the need to ship waste off island and produce a renewable gas supply to be used as needed.
Promoting local agriculture, such as growing mangoes, papayas, avocados, leafy greens, and more enhances food security and reduces dependence on external supplies. This concept is common in various tropical and subtropical island communities where local agriculture plays a crucial role in food security. This approach is actively promoted is Hawaii, across the Caribbean and other Pacific Islands. Working with the community to enhance a food swap or farmers style market allows for the exchange of locally produced food and sets the stage to grow food on the island to support the island's needs.
These strategies contribute to a modernized infrastructure capable of withstanding severe weather events, reducing loss of life and property, and minimizing the need for constant rebuilding. Integrating these systems results in building resilience from the ground up and fortifying the islands to operate independently and be an example to emulate.
Resilience principles apply to more than just hurricane-prone areas, too. Communities affected by fires and tornadoes benefit from the same building technologies.
Fire-resistant materials, such as concrete and metal, can replace traditional wood construction in high-risk areas. Creating defensible spaces, using fire-resistant landscaping, and implementing community-wide firebreaks can mitigate the spread of wildfires.
For tornado-prone regions, modern engineering techniques, such as aerodynamic designs, enhanced anchoring systems, and ferrocement can make structures more resistant to high winds. These building materials don’t cost more than current construction techniques.
For example, a net zero ferrocement house costs the same as conventional construction and when incorporating improved insulation, windows, and HVAC systems sized effectively with renewable energy systems. We can develop infrastructure that is resilient to storms, net zero energy, and potentially zero carbon at the same price point as a conventionally built house.
Sustainable solutions to combat urban heat
Seattle just experienced a record-breaking 17 consecutive days of temperatures above 80°F, ending Saturday, July 20th. While Portland saw six straight days of 100°F+ temperatures. As urban heatwaves become more frequent and intense, it’s crucial to adopt sustainable solutions to mitigate their impact on urban environments.
Key sustainable solutions to combat urban heat include increasing tree canopies, which expands green spaces and provides natural shade and cooling, thereby reducing urban heat island effects and improving air quality. Studies have shown that urban areas with extensive tree cover can be up to 10°F (5.6°C) cooler than areas with little or no tree cover. Additionally, installing shade walls on buildings significantly lowers indoor temperatures by blocking direct sunlight, which reduces the need for excess air conditioning and thermal load. Optimizing building envelope design by increasing the percentage of wall area over glass minimizes thermal load, enhancing energy efficiency and comfort inside buildings. Generally, an east-west building orientation and passive design strategies, above, and insulation produce up to 15% energy savings by controlling natural light and hot/cold temperatures.
A balance of 50/50 to 60/40 between walls and windows allows light in while improving thermal comfort, a concept that led NYC to ban all clear-story high-rises due to the excess load demand on the city electric grid. These measures not only help keep urban environments cool but also reduce the strain on the grid by lowering energy demand, integrating sustainable practices to create more efficient, resilient, and livable cities.
Houston: Demonstrating resilience planning policy and planning
Houston's susceptibility to flooding makes it a prime example of the importance of resilience in larger infrastructure. Improved large-scale infrastructure is key. Building outside of the 1000-year floodplain, elevating major roads above these flood levels create safe egress routes during major floods and allow water to flow naturally without obstructing critical infrastructure. Reducing repair costs.
Implementing green infrastructure, such as permeable pavements, green roofs, and extensive rain gardens, absorb excess rainfall and reduce runoff reducing flash flooding events. The dutch use playgrounds that are sunken into the earth as holding basins for water during large rain events. Pools could be drained in advance of a storm and used for water retention in a similar fashion. Satellites monitor the surface of the Earth daily. Trends can be seen and actions can be taken to understand how a landscape responds to events and used to build resilience by predicting areas prone to various disasters.
Integrating resilience into policy and planning is essential for building resilient communities. Updating building codes to require resilient materials and designs, providing incentives for sustainable practices, and investing in public infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather events are key steps. Public-private partnerships drive innovation and investment in resilience, allowing governments, businesses, and communities to develop comprehensive strategies tailored to their regions.
The role of insurance in resilient communities
Building to withstand natural disasters can make properties insurable again. By meeting stringent standards for resilience, homeowners can reduce premiums and ensure their investments are protected. Insurance companies can also incentivize resilient construction practices by offering discounts for homes with reinforced roofs, storm shelters, and other protective features, since the risk of loss is significantly reduced.
The experiences of being in and around the damages after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria underscored the need for resilient infrastructure but also provided a roadmap for improvement. Embracing renewable technologies, ferrocement construction, electric vehicles, local agriculture, and advanced waste management, we create communities that are sustainable and capable of withstanding natural disasters.
Approaches to flood resilience and strategies for fire and tornado-prone areas demonstrate that we have the technology and knowledge to build safer, stronger communities. Integrating these solutions into our planning and policy frameworks ensures resilience becomes a fundamental aspect of our built environment, it also allows for a large fraction of the natural environment to coexist in urban areas reducing heat impacts and energy costs.
As we face increasing extreme weather events, resilience planning is a pathway to reduce costs and improve comfort. Building communities that can endure and adapt protects not only our physical structures but also the lives and livelihoods of residents.
This practical approach to resilience creates a more sustainable and secure future for all.
Mike Dieterich is an energy and sustainability leader with experience in sustainable design, policy, optimization, and innovation within the built environment. Degreed environmental scientist and LEED AP specializing in zero carbon, climate risk assessments, zero waste, net-zero energy projects, water optimization and energy efficiency programs. Mike delivers results in highly regulated organizations and utilizes a collaborative approach to generate solutions for complex and challenging issues.
Honored as an Environment+Energy Leader 100 in 2021, Mike is the author of '“Review and Sustain.”