Analysis of green building performance in cold coastal climates: An in-depth evaluation of green buildings in Dalian, China

Abstract

This study described here evaluated certified green building projects in Dalian, a typical coastal city in a cold region of China, from 2008 to 2017. Of 16 surveyed cases in Dalian, 73% adopted a high-performance building envelope system. Energy-saving technologies were favored and demonstrated worthwhile economic benefits. In 80% of the cases high-performance green materials had been used. Resource-saving technologies also were widely adopted. In addition to analyzing all the data collected, the study under-took an in-depth analysis of one building. A representative three-star green public building in Dalian, China, was chosen as a case study for analyzing the energy consumption and operating performance. The study found that energy use intensity of the case-study building is 68.02 kW-hours per square meter per year(kWh/(m2・a)). It saves 44.14 kWh/m2・a compared with a conventional building in the same climate, thanks to its energy efficiency systems and integration of renewable energy. The water consumption of the building when operating was 0.41 cubic meter per square meter(m3/m2) per year, which is even lower than the design value. The case-study building also demonstrated good indoor environmental quality throughout different seasons. Finally, practical methods and suggestions were derived from evaluating and discussing effective technologies in the 16 buildings surveyed. The research led to recommendations for developing green buildings in cold and coastal climates. It also provides a substantial guidance for the energy-saving design of green buildings and the application of appropriate technologies in cold coastal cities.