Low-Carbon Retrofitting Path of Existing Public Buildings: A Comparative Study Based on Green Building Rating Systems

Abstract

Existing building carbon emissions contribute to global climate change significantly. Various Green Building Rating Systems (GBRS) have considered low-carbon requirements to regulate the emissions. Low-carbon retrofitting is an important way to reduce existing building CO2 emissions. However, low-carbon retrofitting of existing public buildings is not sufficient and systematic, and there is a lack of research on low-carbon retrofitting from the perspective of GBRS. The purpose of this study is to propose a carbon emission control framework for existing public buildings based on GBRS analysis and guide the low-carbon retrofitting. This study makes comparisons among the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), Green Mark (GM), and Assessment Standard for Green Retrofitting of Existing Buildings (ASGREB). A low-carbon retrofit pathway for existing public buildings is proposed from the GBRS research for the first time, encompassing six aspects: materials, energy, management, innovation, site, and water, involving 15 measures. Among them, measures on energy and materials are the main considerations, with weights of 18.3% and 17.7%, respectively. Six recommendations for implementation pathways are also given. Furthermore, the necessary measures, the importance of local context and quantification, priorities of materials, and energy scopes are defined.