Can energy efficiency rating and carbon accounting foster greener building design decision? An empirical study

Abstract

Carbon accounting and energy efficiency rating systems are developed to foster carbon reduction at different stages of the building life cycle. The concepts of energy efficiency are familiar to construction practitioners in Australia. However, carbon accounting is yet to be considered as part of business as usual within the industry. This project aims to investigate if energy efficiency rating and carbon accounting can affect the industry practitioners' decisions in building design and operation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 industry professionals in Melbourne, Australia. The results indicate that the interviewees have a good understanding of energy efficiency and the concept of lifecycle costing. Yet, there is a general misconception about carbon accounting and its relevance to the industry and environment. This study demonstrates how carbon accounting and energy efficiency of a building can be estimated and used in the decision-making process by industry practitioners. Real construction project data was adopted and it was discovered that a higher building energy efficiency rating may, in fact, result in higher level of carbon consumed during the construction stage. Low-carbon construction was found to be dependent upon multiple factors including the practitioners’ ability to convince the clients with a comprehensive cost-benefits analysis and a greater understanding for the relationship between embodies carbon and energy efficiency. To this end, carbon accounting and energy efficiency rating systems are both vital tools that cannot be missed.