Energy Efficiency In Public Buildings Research Articles

Structural Assessment for Improving Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings

Abstract This paper explores the pivotal role of structural assessment in enhancing energy efficiency within public buildings. Structural assessment, a systematic evaluation of building components and systems, is essential for ensuring safety, longevity, and sustainability. By identifying weaknesses and improvement opportunities, structural assessment provides valuable insights for stakeholders to enhance operational efficiency and compliance with safety standards. The symbiotic relationship between structural integrity and energy efficiency underscores the significance of prioritizing structural considerations in sustainable building design. Material selection, design principles, and maintenance practices are crucial factors influencing energy performance. Structural assessments aid in pinpointing critical issues contributing to energy loss, such as air leaks, thermal bridging, and inadequate insulation. Recommendations derived from these assessments enable targeted interventions to improve energy performance and occupant comfort. Case studies of three schools highlight the tangible benefits of energy efficiency retrofits informed by structural assessments. These retrofits result in significant reductions in energy consumption, enhanced indoor comfort, and a diminished carbon footprint. A structured strategy for conducting seismic structural assessments and subsequent energy efficiency improvements is proposed, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive approach to building sustainability. In conclusion, structural assessment serves as a linchpin for advancing energy efficiency in public buildings. By leveraging insights from structural assessments, stakeholders can drive transformative change towards a greener and more sustainable future, fostering environments that promote human well-being and environmental stewardship.

ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТЬ СИСТЕМ ВЕНТИЛЯЦИИ С ПЕРИОДИЧЕСКИМ РЕЖИМОМ РАБОТЫ

Effective management of the ventilation system is one of the main priorities for improving the energy efficiency of public buildings today. There are two types of energy saving in ventilation systems. The first is saving electrical energy, the second is saving thermal energy. For the desighned shopping centre "Magnit" (Tyumen) the authors proposed the ventilation system with intermittent operation. In the ventilation system of the desighned building, we calculated and selected energy consuming equipment of Russian manufacturers. The airflow rate of the ventilation system depends on the number of visitors and takes into account the irregularity of visits to the designed shopping centre. A graph of the distribution of the required airflow rate by period was plotted. An automation scheme for the ventilation system was proposed. The consumption of electricity of the ventilation system with intermittent operation during the year and the annual heat consumption were calculated. Calculations showed that the annual energy cost for ventilation system with intermittent operation in the projected building would be 1.72 times less than for the permanent system, the equipment would pay off in 0.4 years. Thus, it is possible to speak about the effective application of ventilation system with intermittent operation in the designed buildings with irregularity of visits.

Building energy efficiency assessment base on predict-center criterion under diversified conditions

With the rapid expanding of urban economy and population, how to reduce the energy consumption and improve energy efficiency of public buildings has become a key issue for energy conservation and urban development. However, due to the diversity of building usage condition, energy consumption data often has problems with nonlinearity, outliers, and diversity, which greatly reduce the accuracy of energy consumption prediction and energy conservation assessment. To overcome the above drawbacks, a regression prediction model of building energy consumption is designed, which cluster the same type of data characteristics to form a subset of equipment through Gaussian mixture clustering, and design the specific normalized adaptive loss function to determine the optimal control parameters of regression model. Furthermore, a novel predict-center energy efficiency evaluation criterion is proposed, and the cumulative distribution pattern is further statistically analyzed. Finally, the energy benchmark evaluation framework is proposed to determine the energy efficiency evaluation grade. Through comparative experimental analysis, it can be seen that the proposed prediction model can adapt to different types of building data, and have better prediction accuracy and convergence speed. The consistency and robustness of the benchmark evaluation framework and method are optimal.

Improving the Energy Performance of Public Buildings in the Mediterranean Climate via a Decision Support Tool

Addressing Europe’s decarbonisation challenge involves widespread deployment of nearly zero-energy buildings, deep energy renovations and renewable energy integration in the building sector. Enhancing energy efficiency in public buildings necessitates tailored solutions and strategic planning involving Local Public Administration. This work focuses on advancing insights into the application of the PrioritEE Decision Support Tool in Portuguese public buildings, highlighting the energy and financial savings and carbon dioxide emission reduction potential. Using detailed building characterisation data from energy performance certificates, we applied the tool across 22 public buildings of diverse typologies in three distinct regions of Portugal, representing various public entities. Results demonstrate the tool’s adaptability, enabling a comprehensive assessment of energy performance and facilitating the exploration of customised energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions. The research emphasises the critical role of user-friendly tools in aiding policymakers and local administration technicians in meeting national renovation targets and contributing to the broader energy transition objectives.

Indoor thermal nonuniformity of atrium-centered public building: Monitoring and diagnosis for energy saving

Heating ventilation and air conditioning system accounts for over one third of building energy usage, especially for public buildings due to large indoor heat source and high ventilation and thermal comfort requirement compared to residential buildings. Natural ventilation shows high application potentials in public buildings because of its high-efficient ventilation effect and energy saving potential for indoor heat dissipation. In this paper, the building design is conducted for a science museum and library with atrium-centered natural ventilation consideration. The floor layout, building orientation and internal structure are optimized to make full use of natural ventilation for space cooling under local climatic conditions. A natural ventilation model is established through building field tests to evaluate the air flow and thermal environment under indoor and outdoor pressure differences. The preliminary results show that Building A's courtyard exhibited overheating issues, likely attributed to outdoor solar radiation, whereas Building B's courtyard experienced localized cooling, possibly due to indoor air conditioning system controls. Addressing these concerns necessitates modifications in courtyard design and structure. Moreover, both courtyards displayed vertical temperature gradients, emphasizing the need for effective management of outdoor heat influx and enhancements in indoor ventilation and shading strategies. To mitigate these issues, the study proposed three distinct roof design models and more refined indoor air conditioning system control strategies. The optimization of architectural design can achieve a maximum energy-saving rate of 46.54 %. Furthermore, aligning functional zones with thermal comfort areas was recommended to enhance overall building thermal comfort. The findings and proposed solutions from this study are anticipated to contribute to the enhancement of thermal comfort, energy efficiency, and vertical temperature distribution in large public buildings, catering to user requirements while reducing energy consumption. This research holds significant implications for advancing sustainability and environmental preservation in the realm of architecture.

A STRATEGY FOR REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS IN A CITY USING A LOW-CARBON STRATEGY - A CASE STUDY

Various environmental policies are created on the basis of scientific knowledge in the sectors of energy, climate and transport. An important role has the Paris Agreement with the aim of limiting the increase in global temperature. The commitments regarding climate neutrality within the framework of "Fit for 55" are important. One of the principles of how to approach the reduction of CO2 emissions within the strategies of countries, regions, cities and municipalities is the use of low-carbon strategies. As part of the study, an analysis of the input data is carried out as part of the assessment of the energy demand and efficiency of public and residential buildings, buildings of the tertiary sector, energy consumption in the public lighting sector, or the use of renewable resources in the city. The aim of the article is to determine the potential of energy savings in individual sectors and propose measures to achieve a reduction in CO2 emissions.

Research on the knowledge demands of multiple subjects for energy efficiency improvement in Chinese public buildings

At present, China's public building energy efficiency improvement projects lack vitality in the market due to the weak awareness of energy efficiency among the participating subjects. Therefore, improving the knowledge and awareness of all participating parties has become the key to effectively promoting energy efficiency improvement in Chinese public buildings. This paper researches the knowledge demand of key subjects for energy efficiency improvement in public buildings(EEIPB), establishes a knowledge demand indicator system for EEIPB, and proposes targeted knowledge improvement methods. Firstly, the knowledge demand of key subjects for EEIPB is identified by using grounded theory, and the knowledge demand indicator system for EEIPB is established. Secondly, the knowledge demand categories are determined with the help of the improved Kano’s model, and the priority of the knowledge demand elements of each subject is derived through Better-Worse index analysis. Finally, suggestions on the learning paths for Better-Worse index analysis are put forward. It is found that the demand for various subjects for knowledge on EEIPB is mainly focused on five aspects: incentive policies, regulations, standard specifications, market, and technology. In terms of demand, the types of knowledge demand elements for EEIPB of each subject are mainly One-dimensional Attributes and Mixed Attributes among which incentive policies and market are the focus of attention of each subject. In addition, there are both commonalities and differences in the knowledge demands of each subject. This research will help government authorities formulate effective promotion measures for the demand for energy-efficiency improvement knowledge in public buildings and raise the level of energy-efficiency knowledge awareness of all subjects in the public building industry.

DETERMINATION OF OPTIMAL PACKAGES OF ENERGY EFFICIENT MEASURES FOR PUBLIC BUILDINGS

The paper is devoted to the problem of improving the energy efficiency of public buildings maintained with funds from the state and/or local budgets. Optimization modeling is proposed as an instument to determine the optimal packages of energy efficiency measures according to the criterion of maximum achieved savings of fuel and energy resources. Approbation of the mathematical model on actual data has shown its practical value - depending on a given budget, the optimal packages of energy efficiency measures for public buildings (on the example of Zaporizhzhia city) are determined. Based on the results of computational experiments, energy efficiency measures with the best and worst ratios of implementation costs and achieved savings of fuel and energy resources were identified. The impact of additional constraints on the composition of an optimal package of energy efficiency measures was shown to make informed and rational decisions on investing in energy efficiency improvement projects for public buildings.

A Review of Energy Efficiency Interventions in Public Buildings

This research provides a comprehensive exploration of energy efficiency dynamics in non-residential public buildings such as schools, swimming pools, hospitals, and museums. Recognizing the distinct energy consumption patterns of each building type, the study accentuates the unique challenges they present, with a particular focus on the continuous and intensive energy demands of hospitals and the unparalleled energy needs of swimming pools. Through an extensive review of various case studies, the research unveils prevailing energy consumption trends, highlighting the role of metrics in assessing energy efficiency and the inherent challenges these metrics face in ensuring uniformity and direct comparability. A core element of this analysis emphasizes the dual nature of technical retrofitting, categorizing interventions into passive and active measures. The research delves into the sustainability imperatives of energy interventions, exploring the economic motivations underpinning retrofit decisions, and the intricate relationship between advanced technological solutions and the behavioral tendencies of building operators and users. Additionally, the study uncovers the influence of external determinants such as climatic factors and government policies in shaping energy consumption in public buildings. In synthesizing these findings, the paper offers insightful recommendations, emphasizing the need for an integrated approach that harmonizes technological innovations with informed operational habits, aiming to optimize energy efficiency in public non-residential buildings.

Design and Implementation of Renewable Hydrogen-Based System for Social Housing Decarbonization

The energy transition towards a decarbonized economy requires focused and ambitious policies that must be taken through the agreement of governments, stakeholders, and private companies. The intermittency of renewable energy sources (RES) makes it necessary to implement energy storage systems (ESS) that allow for an uninterrupted supply of low-carbon power. Energy generation and consumption activities are responsible for 75% of global CO2 emissions. Particularly, energy use in commercial and residential buildings is the third major contributor after industry and agricultural activities 1. In this context, hydrogen as an energy vector facilitates and enhances RES penetration in the energy mix. Moreover, it can be employed as a fuel or commodity to obtain other chemical compounds 2. Hence, hybrid renewable hydrogen-based systems (RHS) can play a key role in buildings decarbonization 3. On top of that, green hydrogen may tackle other problems such as energy poverty faced by the most vulnerable and disadvantaged citizens 4.In this context, the SUDOE ENERGY PUSH project proposes an innovative solution for the overall management of social housing located in the regions of southwestern Europe to increase the energy efficiency of public buildings and improve the living standards of vulnerable citizens. Through passive renovation, RES, and BIM methodology, it aims at reducing the consumption and emissions of buildings and at improving the comfort of the inhabitants, overcoming the risks of energy poverty. In this context, a pilot plant combining RES and hydrogen technologies has been implemented in a social housing in Cantabria (Spain) to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of the system. This demonstration is aimed at achieving energy self-sufficiency of the house throughout the year while saving remarkable amounts of primary energy and CO2 emissions. The primary source of the system will be solar photovoltaic (PV) energy. To combat PV intermittency and harness the periods with energetic surpluses, different energy storage systems (ESS) have been installed within the pilot plant: lithium-ion batteries for short-term energy storage and hydrogen-based technologies for seasonal energy storage. Furthermore, a compressor has been included to reduce the hydrogen storage volume and a programmable logic controller (PLC) rules the operation of the configuration based on the state of charge of the batteries, so that the PLC decides which equipment operates at what time. Finally, the pilot plant is continuously monitored to optimize the control algorithm and enhance the overall performance of the implementation.To carry out the design of the system, an hourly load profile has been built by compiling real consumption data from the smart meter of a home during a year to obtain an accurate hourly load demand. Subsequently, meteorological resources of the location have been considered to obtain an hourly renewable generation profile. Furthermore, equipment costs and characteristics, apart from compressor energy demand have been taken into account. The main objective is to reduce the system size and the resulting levelized cost of energy, as well as increasing the overall efficiency of the system 5.According to the simulated operation of the pilot plant, the home can be disconnected from the grid, saving up to 7,000 kWh per year of primary energy from the grid, 1,000 kg per year of CO2 emissions while consuming 100% clean electricity and more than 600 € per year in electricity bills. As per November 2022, more than 3,500 kWh of primary energy, more than 500 kg of CO2 and more than 400 € have been saved in a six month period, showing a great correlation between the simulation and the real outcomes obtained during the normal functioning of the plant. Acknowledgment This research is being supported by the Project ENERGY PUSH SOE3/P3/E0865, which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERPF) in the framework of the INTERREG SUDOE program, as well as the project, “HYLANTIC”-EAPA_204/2016 within the framework of the INTERREG ATLANTIC program. Furthermore, the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities is also supporting this investigation through the projects PID2021-123120OB-I00, TED2021-129951B-C21 and PLEC2021- 007718 References 1 H. Ritchie and M. Roser, CO₂ and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-other-greenhouse-gas-emissions.2 I. Staffell, et al., Energy Environ. Sci., 2019, 12, 463–491.3 V. M. Maestre, A. Ortiz and I. Ortiz, Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., 2021, 152, 111628.4 V. M. Maestre, A. Ortiz and I. Ortiz, J. Chem. Technol. Biotechnol., 2022, 97, 561–574.5 V. M. Maestre, A. Ortiz and I. Ortiz, J. Energy Storage, 2022, 56, 105889. Figure 1

Research on Multiple Energy-Saving Strategies for Existing Coach Stations: A Case of the Xi’an Area, China

In the context of China’s dual-carbon goals, energy efficiency in public buildings has become a focal point of public concern. As large-scale public transportation buildings, the indoor thermal comfort and the current state of energy consumption of coach stations are increasingly being emphasized. This research used existing coach stations in the Xi’an region as the object; through on-site investigations and field tests of indoor thermal environments in winter and summer seasons, it was found that the coach stations had energy waste and high energy consumption; the enclosure structures had poor thermal performance; and the stations lacked effective energy-saving measures. Energy-saving transformation strategies were proposed from two aspects: enclosure structures and renewable energy utilization. Using DeST-C for energy consumption, the external walls, roofs, insulation materials, and glass materials were simulated, and nine different combinations of energy-saving schemes were simulated using orthogonal experiments. The optimal scheme was selected based on the comprehensive energy-saving rate and economic analysis results, which included using 80 mm XPS external insulation for the external walls, low-e hollow glass for the windows (low transmittance type), and an 80 mm PUR board for the roof insulation. The energy-saving rate of this scheme was 26.84%. The use of rooftop solar photovoltaic power generation and fresh air heat recovery devices can effectively reduce building energy consumption, and the investment payback period is less than 5 years. The research applications have practical significance for improving the indoor environment of existing coach stations and saving energy consumption.

The Relationship between Trade Liberalization, Sea Freight, and Carbon-Dioxide Emissions within the Perspective of EKC: The Case of Mexico

The main purpose of this research is to investigate the long-term nexus among trade liberalization, sea transportation, economic growth, energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by considering the EKC hypothesis for Mexico from 1980 to 2021. In this context, multiple regression, ADF, PP, FMOLS, Bayer-Hanck co-integration tests are employed in order to examine both the effect of independent variables on dependent variables and the long-run relationship. According to results of multiple regression, FMOLS analysis and Bayer-Hanck co-integration test, trade liberalization, sea transportation, economic growth, energy consumption have substantial impact on CO2 emissions and there is a long-run relationship among variables from 1980 to 2021 for Mexico which verifies the EKC hypothesis. All empirical evidence demonstrates that the Mexican government should take radical steps to prevent environmental degradation. The presence of trade liberalization and the positive movement of the ecological footprint reveal the increasing effect of growth on carbon dioxide emissions, especially in a developing country such as Mexico, which aims for more economic growth. All these indicate the necessity of switching to practices aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. In this sense, incentives for renewable energy sources, rate differentiation in motor vehicle tax, and regulations in the tax system for negative externalities are some of the applications that can be done. In addition, public expenditures for green infrastructure such as low-carbon energy production and energy efficiency in public buildings can be increased, investments can be made in R&D studies to support innovation, and activities can be preferred to increase environmental awareness. Besides, there are various sea transport green solutions in order to reduce emissions and pollution in maritime transport. Green energy suggest solutions such as reducing the cruise speed of the ship, reducing the use of fossil fuels, choosing new generation fuel types with cleaner content, increasing energy efficiency, and making a weather-dependent cruise plan.

Challenges and prospects for energy efficiency development in residential buildings

The multifamily housing stock in Russia has a high degree of wear and tear, low energy efficiency, and inadequate maintenance, which leads to over-consumption of energy resources. High energy intensity is related to the fact that energy equipment is obsolete, high heat and energy losses during transportation occur, energy is spent by enterprises and population unreasonably, buildings and constructions have high heat losses. The main reasons for the efficient use of energy in the building sector is to reduce the heating and hot water costs of building owners, improve the indoor climate of buildings, save taxpayers' money in order to use the saved funds in other areas, introduce energy efficient and renewable energy technologies, improve the air quality, reduce the negative impact on the environment and climate change Based on the above mentioned, the article examines the aspects of energy efficiency of residential buildings, namely identifying the problems of energy efficiency, the main parameters of the state programme of energy efficiency of residential and public buildings. An example of potential incentives, comprehensive and reasonable use of incentives, which can change the current situation in the shortest possible time, is presented.

Application of a Model Based on Rough Set Theory (RST) to Estimate the Energy Efficiency of Public Buildings

The study was carried out on a group of 85 public buildings, which differed in type of use, construction technology and heating systems. From the collected data, a set of qualitative and quantitative variables characterizing them in terms of heat demand was extracted. In this paper, the authors undertook to test the suitability of a model based on rough set theory (RST), which allows the analysis of imprecise, general and uncertain data. To obtain input data for the RST model in quantitative form, the authors used an alternative approach, which is a method based on the thermal properties of buildings. The quality of the predictive model was evaluated based on the following indicators, such as the coefficient of determination (R2), the mean bias error (MBE), the coefficient of variance of the root mean square error (CV RMSE) and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), which are accepted as statistical calibration standards by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers). A quality-acceptable predictive model must meet the calibration conditions: MBE ±5%, CV RMSE < 15% and R2 > 0.75. For the analyzed RST model, the following values of evaluation indicators were obtained: MBE = −1.1%, CV RMSE = 11.8% and R2 = 0.91. The evaluation results obtained gave rise to the conclusion that the method used, which is based on a limited amount of data describing buildings, gives good results in estimating the unit rate of energy demand for heating.

Multi-objective optimization of energy efficiency and thermal comfort in public office buildings. Critical summer period in the city of San Juan -Argentina

Buildings represent 40% of the world's energy demand and CO2 emissions. In Argentina, buildings are responsible for 40% of the total annual energy consumption. The problem lies in an imbalance between the need to provide a high quality of life and comfort in office spaces, and the high energy cost required to meet that goal. Both a high comfort level and energy savings represent two objectives to be achieved. In this sense, this paper proposes a new methodology that combines onsite measurement with mathematical simulation tools. Innovative techniques and models are incorporated to make the tool, applying thermal-energy multi-objective optimization, which operates dynamically during working hours. The results show significant savings in energy consumption regarding cooling office spaces in the summer, from 57.5% to 83.3%, together with an increase in the thermal comfort quality, with improvements between 4.7% and 29.4%.

Energy Refurbishment of Serbian School Building Stock—A Typology Tool Methodology Development

Energy refurbishment of school buildings is a priority regarding both energy consumption in buildings and improving comfort conditions for sensitive young occupants. During 2016–18, a group of teachers and associates from the Faculty of Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering from the University in Belgrade participated in the project “Energy efficiency in public buildings” in cooperation with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture and Ministry of Mining and Energy of the Republic of Serbia. During 2016 and 2017, a comprehensive survey and database of public buildings were conducted by the local community. The focus of the research was the facilities of children’s institutions, and detailed data were collected to determine the current building stock conditions, energy consumption, and possible improvements. This paper presents the methodology of the project based on defining the typology of buildings, determining the representatives of the characteristic periods of construction, and analyzing their energy performance. Five possible scenarios were considered: designed condition, existing state, and three levels of a building improvement. The main goal of this project was to ascertain the entire fund for school buildings, indicate the potential for energy savings of this type of public building at the national level, and use this as a starting point for developing strategic decisions and further energy efficiency policies. This paper presents the complete results of the research on school buildings in Serbia, their energy performance, and possible energy savings. Key findings show that a great majority of schools are in a poor state in terms of their energy efficiency, but at the same time, there is a large potential for improvement of building envelope, HVAC, and lighting systems, which can cut the current energy need for heating to up to 80%.

Supporting Local Authorities to Plan Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings: From Local Needs to Regional Planning

The support offered to local authorities in this work consisted of technical and economic training on the integration of energy efficiency measures as well as the development of tools (guidelines, a decision support tool, databases and a visualization platform) that allow local authorities to prepare their building renovation plans. These tools are found very useful for local authorities, particularly in the case of Teruel province, characterised by many small municipalities whose local governments do not have the technical staff to undertake this type of planning. As a result of this work, an energy action plan was elaborated for the implementation of 96 energy efficiency measures in public buildings of Teruel province. The execution of this plan would allow energy savings of 1.3 MWh/year and 245 tonsCO2e/year of CO2 emission reduction, involving an investment of EUR 1.2 M. The close collaboration with public authorities made it possible to assess the strengths and weaknesses of using the developed tools. One of the barriers found is the availability of accurate building data (e.g., regarding envelope features) necessary for the decision support tool.

Automatic Compliance Check of Window-to-Wall Ratio Software Embeded Intelligent Algorithms in Revit Modeling

Window-to-Wall Ratio(WWR) is a crucial building envelope element that decides the air conditioning and lighting energy consumption in the building. Controlling WWR within a reasonable range is of great significance to building energy conservation. Due to the importance of WWR’s selection in Revit modeling, an automatic compliance check software in Revit Modeling is developed to ensure the WWR of Revit model within a reasonable range. The range is given in Design Standard for Energy Efficiency of Public Buildings (GB50189-2015,China). Based on the value range, the enumeration-based WWR compliance inspection software was developed in C# language and integrated into Revit to achieve compliance check on Revit model. Software testing was conducted for a certain office building in Shanghai, China. And Ecotect was used to analyze the thermal environment of unchecked model and checked model, respectively. The result shows that this software can automatically obtain the WWR of each facade of the current model, and determine whether it meets the range of the building location. When a facade does not meet the specification, it can be quickly and automatically adjusted to the appropriate range within the scope. By comparing the Ecotect thermal environment analysis results of unchecked and checked model, it is found that the heating and cooling loads are reduced after the model is checked with intelligent algorithms.

A new method of evaluating energy efficiency of public buildings in China

Traditional building energy evaluation methods usually adopt a single energy use indicator as the benchmark. However, such single-indicator based methods often lead to a paradox that switching off building service equipment or systems is equivalent to energy saving. To avoid such paradox for a more pragmatic and comprehensive evaluation of building energy use, this paper aims to establish a robust evaluation model of the operational energy efficiency for public buildings by coupling the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE). Firstly, 23 quantitative indexes and 7 qualitative indexes are extracted from existing building energy codes/standards in the input-output perspective of energy performance evaluations for public buildings. The AHP is then used to determine the weight of each index based on a proposed index correction method, which extends the range of applicability of the index system. Finally, a three-level comprehensive evaluation model is established for the operational energy efficiency of public buildings. Furthermore, a case study is conducted on a typical office building to validate the evaluation results with the proposed model. The case building achieves an overall score of 84.9 at a “Good” level, and corresponding recommendations are made for further improving building performance indexes. The proposed method is of great significance to developing building energy efficiency assessment systems and guidelines in China and over the world.

Plan for the Sustainability of Public Buildings through the Energy Efficiency Certification System: Case Study of Public Sports Facilities, Korea

This study examines strategies for energy efficiency in public buildings in Korea and the implementation of certification systems. It also identifies the actual plan status and discusses improvements at the institutional level. The target is the national sports centers, where the discussion on energy efficiency has been assiduous, as they have recently expanded regionally in Korea. Among the 541 national sports centers in Korea, 90 facilities for which a preliminary review was performed on the plan by the National Public Building Center were analyzed. The energy efficiency plan is realized through Building Energy Efficiency, Zero Energy Building, and Green Standard for Energy and Environmental Design certifications. As a result of analyzing the plan status, omissions or errors in certification were confirmed in about 10% of each, even though more than 80% of the facilities were subject to mandatory application. In Korea’s condition, to revitalize the practice of the system, it is necessary to expand the government’s publicity and support initiatives, use differential application of evaluation items, and strengthen incentives. This study provides meaningful results and suggestions for implementing an energy efficiency system at the national level under similar conditions in the future.