How green building rating systems affect indoor thermal comfort environments design

Abstract

This paper addresses a controversial issue that Green Building Rating Systems (GBRS) may not necessarily improve user experience, particularly indoor thermal comfort. We conducted detailed theoretical analysis, simulation and comparison work to understand how the examined GBRSs (LEED, BREEAM, Green Star, Green Mark, ASGB and BEAM Plus) affect the indoor thermal environments design, particularly the impact of energy-saving centric indicators with prescriptive rating path on indoor thermal comfort under free-running conditions. We conclude that the GBRS attributes (criteria settings, rating approaches and weights allocations) dominate the green design and thus affect the performance of the indoor thermal environment in green buildings. The interaction between different environmental category criteria and indoor thermal environment creation is analysed; GBRS criteria for indoor thermal comfort creation are identified as performance-based and prescriptive-based; suggestions for the prescriptive-based criteria for the energy-saving design of building envelopes in Green Mark and ASGB are given; the interaction of indoor and outdoor thermal comfort is suggested to be strengthened; challenges and research directions for the performance path adopted in GBRSs are presented. The research findings inform the green building designers and consultants in selecting GBRS credits and provide insights into the development of GBRSs and potential research interests.