96.3 Tonnes of CO2 Captured in Q1 and 2 2021. 2,000 tonnes Forecast by 2025

Welcome.

It is time to Build a Revolution.

We Hold the Keys for a Reliable, Resilient,

Sustainable Future.

"Proud Innovators of Zero and Carbon Capturing Homes"

Shifting the house building industry from I Care, to We Care.

"20 Tonnes of Captured CO2 per home by 2025. Fully scalable business model."

"Finalist nomination for Sustainability Project of the Year 2020 and Young Achiever of the Year 2020" RICS

Daniel Roberts, founder of Quantus Solutions, a leading Quantity Surveying firm by 2020 RICS awards finalist, Daniel Roberts MRICS. A specialised consultancy with experience in the UK, Middle East and over 11 years in Australia. Quantus Solutions offer professional consultancy services for property owners, developers, architects and financiers. We provide traditional quantity surveying “value add” services with a modern approach. We are experts in sustainability and leaders in Hempcrete construction techniques, we offer strategies for sustainable construction technologies with a focus on resilient, sustainable outcomes and projects.

Understanding the Future of Residential Homes - Carbon Capturing

When it comes to climate change, in particular the risk presented by the unprecedented amplification of CO2 into the atmosphere, even the most optimistic among us would agree that a slim 0.000001% risk of disaster is a risk not worth taking for the planet, ourselves or our loved ones present and future. After all, we only have one planet to call home.

Elon Musk recently valued the price of carbon at $50,000 per tonne and announces a total of $100m prize purse for anyone who can capture 1,000 tonnes of carbon within 4 year as part of his XPrize Carbon Capturing project, perhaps it is time to calculate the true cost of our residential homes.

A typical new residential home in Australia has around 70 tonnes of embodied CO2 and new residential constructions total around 33,000 per year, representing a staggering 2,310,000 tonnes annually.

The reason for such a high CO2 implication is because the new home residential market is dominated by the top 8 “project home” builders that manufacture low quality, high volume products of comparable specification and cost. The emphasis of the build is speed v cost and the builds are driven from a high volume and low margin prospective.

The cost of a typical 235m2 new residential home in Australia is between $200k and $400k, this is delivered mainly by the highly competitive residential building market where owners secure a parcel of land and then select an off the self design from a preferred builder, usually displaying their completed homes on exhibition. However, what is not advertised is the fact that average new residential home in Australia has an embodied CO2 footprint of around 60 to 70 tonnes of Co2 per house.

Embodied CO2 is the quantity of carbon that is released into the atmosphere as a consequence of the manufacturing process for an item or product. Residential homes typically include concrete footings with polystyrene void former slabs, steel frames, metal roofing, plasterboard internal linings and porcelain tiles. A list of materials we may perceive as innocent at first sight, however, when we look at the CO2 implications for these materials we can see a different story.

Building Material Quantity Embodied Co2

Reinforced Concrete Slab 60m3 12,960 kg

Polystyrene Void Formers 300kg 1,110kg

Cold Rolled Steel Frame 20t 24,000kg

Cavity Brick Wall 40t 9,200kg

Metal Roofing 2.4m3 3,000kg

Aluminum Windows 50m2 8,000kg

Internal Linings 600m2 1,900kg

Internal & External Doors allow 350kg

Glasswool insulation 150kg 200kg

Paint 100kg 215kg

Plumbing and electrical allow 450kg

Other, driveway, flashings etc allow 8,000kg

Total 69,385kg*

Considering the current price of carbon of $50,000 per tonne, the implication of the typical steel framed, project home is around $3,500,000 to $4,000,000 based on a reasonable 70 to 80 tonnes of embodied CO2, this is 10% the initial $200k to $400k cost of purchasing the home from one of the top 8 house builders.

* estimates could be higher, all builders presently ignore the embodied energy of a new build home.

The quality of our questions determines the quality of our lives, perhaps it is time to re-think how we approach our new homes and ask....

Is there a better solution?

Can we live in a home that is both functional and does not cost the earth?

This is precisely the question that Daniel Roberts aims to answer and has been a student of sustainable construction techniques for over 18 years and has authored research articles into embodied energy. Leading a small team of innovators, Daniel Roberts, a Newcastle based Property Developer has innovated Australia's first and Global leader of, medium scale, low embodied CO2 homes and has plans to produce negative, carbon capturing homes before the end of 2021.

Daniel and his team plan to scale up their unique and revolutionary homes that have between zero and minus 20 tonnes of embodied CO2 captured within the build. A transformation of over 90 tonnes from the baseline set by the 8 leading house builders.

Daniel has over 18 years experience with residential and commercial construction and explains that it is almost impossible to converting all new homes to zero carbon from their current model. The top 8 house builders dominate the supply of over 22,000 new homes per year and their business model is based on time and cost controls. Building teams work on tight rates, schedules and there is no place or reward for innovation in the area of embodied CO2, after all, why would a client pay for innovation?

Innovation is for the visionaries that can see what clients want and not what they are buying. Daniel explains that there is no functional difference between a low embodied energy home and that of a toxic CO2 gas house. In-fact, low embodied energy homes are better quality, they have softer and more durable finishes. More natural tones and functionally are a safe, greener and a more attractive environment.

A typical carbon capturing home shall feature exposed timber linings, breathable monolithic hemp facades, recycled timber, natural stone and saunas. With over 18 years experience, Daniel appreciates that the method of approach determines the outcome when it comes to any build. Daniel says the numbers speak for themselves and has a plan for the next 4 years that shall make Elon Musk ambitious plan look easy.

Daniel confirms that the key to success is lack of competition, when you start from zero, it is easy to get it right. When we shift the value from $ to CO2 implication, there is no winners until the problem is resolved. Daniel encourages all builders to be bold and confidently accept the challenge to convert their builds into a sustainable, low or reduced CO2 project. When you shift the paradigm, everyone wins.

Daniel suggests that major reason for such a heavy CO2 load by the top 8 house builders is lack of focus on the implication of their products, its obvious that their builds are toxic, the materials are well documented and they have list of dangerous and toxic materials, registers and procedures. The solution looks like absence of the problem, if we don’t fill our new houses with poison during the build, they shall be clean. Unfortunately, when our values are backwards and we believe time is money, we lose sight of the consequence of our actions.

Daniel reports that his forecasts are for more than 2,000 tonnes of carbon capturing with his team of entrepreneurs and investors over then next 3 developments scheduled between 2021 and 2025. Before earth day 2025 Daniel is banking on success and believes that he is creating a new carbon capturing property market, homes that are without comparison, clean and without the dangerous implication of the CO2 dice we are all familiar.

Daniel did not stop there, he outlines that his home have indoor grow gardens, intelligent landscapes with vertical grow beds and indoor planting. Like any good solution, they compound and get easier in time, our homes aim to be an example to all Australian builders, Daniels homes are open for inspection, a working template and example for others to understand the ease of low and negative CO2 future.

When it comes to strategy, Daniel preaches a win, win, win approach to life, if everyone needs are not met plus the planet, we all lose. Daniel believes it is time to unite as an industry and focus on clean, sustainable and low impact zero carbon homes.

If you would like to discover how to create a carbon capturing home, contact Daniel Roberts today.

Up and coming Meetups here.

How do we measure success?

This is perhaps the most important question when looking for improvement in any area of our lives. In the context to building and construction, investors look to the bottom line, products that sell with ease, components that save time and drive up margins.

This dualistic approach may have worked well in the past, with houses and other asset prices escalating in a steady upward trajectory, builders and developers that can bring assets to market quickly are safely are considered a reputable, reliable and successful individuals and enterprise.

But the question is, what is the consequence of our actions? Are there any seemingly unrelated consequences for our activities in the future? Are some of the most financially successful enterprises the biggest losers tomorrow when we have tipped the environment out of balance?

This is an especially apt question when it comes to climate change, particularly in relation to the amplification of CO2 into the atmosphere. Around 18 years ago, Daniel Roberts was submitting his dissertation on embodied CO2 in relation to wall insulation v a single source, gas heater for a traditional residential home. It was evident from the research that the CO2 used to manufacture the insulation would not be saved by the planet, the heat loss from the building did not justify the expenditure in CO2 of the additional building materials.

From earths prospective, the implication of the extra material is higher than the benefit over the life of the building. Daniel realised that if the unit of measure was not dollar savings or time, but implication or CO2, then most building products in common use do not meet the needs of the planet.

A "win, win, win" is for both parties, plus mother earth. Why is a three way relationship between human actions and the planet important for our future business models?

Imagine for a second that I invented a product so burdensome that it depletes all the natural resources for the entire planet and extinguishes all life on earth, however, at the start, the product provides a nice profits for share holders? There would be a tug of war between the supporter and investors seeking profit and the critics or activists who can see the failed epistemology of the supporters. However, once the supporters realise, become educated that their profit is worthless if we all die or have our planet destroyed beyond repair. When would be the time to stop such a business? Immediately would be my suggestion.

This may seem like an extreme example, however, when you look at the carbon outputs, there is already evidence that CO2 emissions are not without implication. No-one can say that the lifestyle we have promoted and support may not result in disaster, the risk is certainly not zero.

When we are calculating risk, even a 0.0000000000001% probability or risk of fatal damage to the planet and humanity is not a risk worth accepting. We only have one environment.

If were to pause for a second and ask, what would a solution look like?

Ancient texts promote the timeless message of balance, the middle road, zen. Clearly the environment and earth we share is affected by humans and the consequences of human actions are either in balance or they are out of harmony.

Just like in music, we all have an ear for a harmonious piece of music, or an item of art that is balanced or promotes a message of harmony. What we fail to recognise is that all humans are born equal under the sun and if 8 billion humans are out of balance, the environment suffers as a product of individual disharmony.

The underlying issue is not the expansion of our experiences, travel, goods, services and economy. It is the fact that a handful of individuals that control the largest and most impactful companies forgot to calculate the CO2 implication of the very environment we call home. Planet Earth.

On an individual level, we all resonate with mother earth, the planet is beautiful and we all want it to be in balance for eternity, no single soul would vote for total depletion of the earth. The traditional people of this land knew this. If we don't calculate the implication of our actions as closely as our attention to finances and balance sheets, we do run the risk of losing more than money can ever replenish or buy.

From a carbon prospective, some products are better than others. For example, steel has a value of 12,207 kg CO2 per 1 m3 of steel. A heavy burden to carry, comparatively, pine takes 25 years to reach maturity. There is approximately 1,200 trees per hectare; 12,000kg co2 per year is removed from the atmosphere and is embodied into the timber once used. there is approximately 80m3 of timer per hectare.

A simple comparison, but a powerful example of good decision making. Sustainably sourced pine is positive for the environment, providing the trees are replaced. In-fact, a pine tree consumes more CO2 whilst reaching maturity than when it is fully mature. Cutting down pine from sustainable forests can be positive for the planet. It is also true to suggest that planting more trees can offset the amount of CO2 omitted by steel manufacturing.

If we aim for zero, we achieve balance. Harmony. The truth is, if we don't aim for an outcome, or calculate the implications of our business activities, we shall live under the consequences of our actions. These consequences are going to show up in the future, in the environment we share. The environment shall fail us, it is law.

The average person is aware that our activities and industries are a one sided affair. More CO2 is emitted than we are offsetting or capturing, human businesses are out of balance, mother earth is being pushed out of balance as a consequence and we all suffer or face losing it all. An unacceptable consequence of our actions.

Time is of the essence to aim for zero implication in our business activities and priorities. Through a combination of carbon reduction and amplification of activities that capture CO2 such as pine production and carbon capturing homes, we can return back to an equilibrium we all, including mother earth feel comfortable.

The good news is, there has never been a better time to start a personal and industry return to harmony. Now is the time to make decisive actions and to vote with our individual actions.

Here at Quantus Solutions we are creators of Zero and Negative Carbon Homes. Simply put, we are on a path to produce homes that are either in balance "net zero" or "negative" i.e. offsetting the heavy load of other industries such as steel production.

Innovation is key, through innovation we have manifested revolutionary material usage such as recycled timber, hempcrete, sustainable pine, plywood and all components are calculated for both cost and CO2 implication. A revolutionary and intelligent approach to business.

A typical home in Australia is around 235m2 and has a negative CO2 implication of 66 Tonnes per house during the build. This excludes ongoing, maintenance and power usage. With carbon priced at $50,000 per tonne, the true cost of the average Aussie home is much more burdensome than most appreciate. The Australian house building sector is out of balance and change is required of the essence.

Quantus Solutions, Daniel Roberts and our trusted innovators and partners are proud to be leaders in balanced building techniques, success for us means success for all and we are here to support all reduce and offset the heavy burden we all share from the old, out dated dualistic business model of time and profit that pushed mother earth out of balance.