Green Building Rating Systems Research Articles

Research Review of Green Building Rating System under the Background of Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality

In order to foster a more sustainable and eco-friendly trajectory for the construction industry, while concurrently mitigating environmental pollution and energy inefficiency, it is imperative to cultivate an environmentally conscious building and urban environment. Under the background of Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality, the green building rating system has become a research hotspot in the field of green building. This paper systematically summarizes the research progress of the GBRS in weight setting, indicator setting, and the evaluation process, and creatively proposes the following three directions for future research: (1) Weight determination methods based on machine learning or deep learning models, and reasonable weight allocation by mixing multiple evaluation methods. (2) Setting dynamic evaluation indicators, strengthening interdisciplinary research and regional consideration, and introducing a life cycle assessment to solve the problem of setting indicators in the existing evaluation system. (3) Combine building information modeling with GBRS to realize the automation and intelligence of evaluation and improve the comprehensiveness and accuracy of evaluation.

Review paper on Case Study on Green Building

Green building is a cutting-edge approach to creating environmentally friendly structures that use effective renewable energy sources without harming the environment over the course of its lifetime. This research journal is a case study of how elements from an existing conventional structure were implemented to make it a green building. Certain regulatory boards, referred to as rating systems, assess buildings based on their standards. The dynamics of green building, including material efficiency, waste reduction, indoor air quality, water efficiency, and energy efficiency, are examined in this case study. This case study has shown that by looking at the components and ideas of green building, a building's life and other characteristics may be efficiently improved. Additionally, it is determined that the directions furnished by rating systems are efficacious. Key Word: Principle of Green Building, Green Building Rating System, Elements, Case Study, etc.

Decarbonizing the high-rise office building: A life cycle carbon assessment to green building rating systems in a tropical country

The construction sector contributes a considerable share of global carbon emissions, with high-rise buildings having high emission density. Green Building Rating System (GBRS) certifications aim to reduce building emissions and improve occupant comfort. Most studies focus on low-to-mid-rise buildings, neglecting GBRS’ impact on commercial high-rises. Studies on the feasibility of adapting international GBRS to local high-rise buildings from a life cycle perspective are also scarce in tropical countries. Hence, taking Malaysia as a case study, this research quantifies the embodied and operational carbon reduction of GreenRE (local) and LEED (international) certifications on a high-rise office building using Life Cycle Assessment, where various certification tiers and scenarios are analyzed. LEED Platinum comprises 25.1% embodied (EC) and 74.9% operational carbon (OC) emissions, whereas GreenRE Platinum is 13.4% and 86.6%, respectively. Combining EC and OC emissions, LEED scenarios achieve reductions up to 61.1% with high OC reduction targets, while GreenRE offers up to 28.7% reduction with more stringent EC requirements. The LEED Max scenario, obtaining all available credits, achieves the highest carbon reduction of 65.1%. Unlike GreenRE, which specifies reductions from individual building components, LEED lacks specific requirements for components like lighting or cooling, potentially resulting in uneven emission reduction. Unconventional designs incorporating building-integrated photovoltaics, radiant cooling slabs, and other green features reduce carbon emissions by 62.7%. Recommendations to improve GBRS criteria towards achieving low-carbon buildings include relaxing the energy-related credit limit for GreenRE to reduce emissions by an additional 12.5% and incentivizing stakeholders to reduce EC in both LEED and GreenRE.

Green Building Rating of High-Rise Buildings in Sri Lanka


 
 
 As a result of urbanization, constructions of high-rise buildings become a major component of urban development. Constructing high-rise buildings contributes to social, economic and environmental development as well. There are many stages of construction including planning, designing, procurement and implementation. There is a wide range of sustainability practices which can be implemented in each stage of construction. In leading Sri Lanka to Sustainable Development, the green building rating system was introduced by National Green Building Council of Sri Lanka in 2002. This rating system has 100 total points and minimum of 40 points is required for green building certification. The rating system has different components. Among them sustainable sites category includes 25% of total points in green building rating system. This research study highlights the significance of sustainable sites category in order to award the green certification in green building rating system. For this research five major high-rise building construction sites in Colombo were selected and existing site selection practices of each site were investigated. Each site was visited and in-depth discussions were carried out with the planning engineer and other people in the construction site. The structured questionnaire was filled and scores were given accordingly where they have met the sustainable sites criteria. Two sites out of five could not earn single point as they did not fulfill the prerequisites of the site section category. The rest of the sites (three) earned 20, 19, and 18 respectively out of 25 points. In this study, lack of awareness in sustainable site selection practices has dropped the chances of being eligible for the green building certification. Since the minimum points required for green building certification is 40, buildings which are under planning or pre-construction stage have higher chances of obtaining silver, gold and platinum awards for green building certification. Therefore, sustainable sites category of the green building rating system contributes significantly to increase the score and therefore it is highly important in green certification & sustainable construction.
 Keywords: Green concept, High-rise buildings, Sustainable development, Sustainable site selection
 
 

A New Three-Pillar Score System to Reduce the Sustainable Subset Heterogeneity within the GREENSL Rating System in Sri Lanka


 
 
 Sustainable development is achievable only by integrating and acknowledging three main sustainability pillars (Environment, Social, and Economic) during the decision-making process. Sustainable/Green construction has become a major part of the sustainable development process in Sri Lanka today. Sustainable/Green buildings are evaluated using both international (LEED, BREEAM, CASBEE, Green globes, etc.) and local (GREENSL, Blue-Green Sri Lanka) green building rating systems. Most of these international green building rating systems have unequal credit point distribution among three sustainability subsets which causes heterogeneity among subsets. Thus, this research was designed to evaluate two local green building rating systems (GREENSL Version 2.0, and Blue-Green Sri Lanka for government constructions Version 1.0) to identify this heterogeneity in the local context. The credit point distribution among three sustainability subsets within the two selected rating systems was evaluated by analyzing the categories and criteria of these two rating systems. Here, when criteria represented one or more pillars of sustainability, the credit points belonging to such criteria were equally divided into those two subsets. The results revealed that three subsets were not equally considered in the GREENSL (Environment (52.1%), Social (21.6%), Economic (26.3%)) and Blue-green Sri Lanka for government constructions (Environment (48.4%), Social (17.2%), Economic (34.4%)) rating systems. Thus, there is a sustainable subset heterogeneity that is dominated by environmental sustainability. As achieving the exact 33.3% point distribution among three sustainability pillars is difficult, new point distribution percentages were proposed as 40% for the environment and 30% each for both social and economic sustainability pillars. Finally, a new three-pillar score system was proposed that can be used together with the GREENSL overall score for the buildings to reduce this subset heterogeneity by adopting the proposed point distribution percentages above. This study suggested that the building needs to fulfill both the total category score and the proposed three- pillar score to qualify for the respective GREENSL award (Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Green certified) to reduce the sustainable subset heterogeneity within this rating system.
 Keywords: GREENSL for the built environment, Sustainability subsets, Sustainable subset heterogeneity, Three-pillar score system
 
 

Carbon Neutrality in the Building Sector of the Global South—A Review of Barriers and Transformations

This work provides a review of economic, technical, sociocultural, political, and technological barriers that impede carbon neutrality in the building sector of countries in the Global South. These barriers include limitations in public and professional awareness, knowledge, and skills in the construction industry, the lack of ambitious energy codes and green building rating systems, the lack of green financing schemes and investment, costs of materials and technology, and limitations in regulations. Finally, this article recommends five transformations to address the critical barriers and enable net-zero emission status in the building sector of countries in the Global South. These transformations include environmental data collection, stringent building energy codes, and green building system certifications, lifecycle-based thinking and circular design, education enhancement and workforce development, and net-zero emission business practices.

Green Building Techniques: Under The Umbrella of the Climate Framework Agreement

Various green building rating systems have been devised to assess the sustainability levels of buildings, offering a standardized approach to evaluate their environmental impact. However, adapting these existing methods to diverse regions requires addressing additional considerations, such as distinct climatic conditions and regional variations. This study delves into a comprehensive exploration of widely utilized environmental building assessment methodologies, including BREEAM, LEED, SB-Tool, CASBEE, GRIHA, and Eco-housing. A new building environmental assessment scheme tailored to the global landscape is needed due to limitations of existing assessment schemes. A framework based on principal component analysis is introduced to develop this new scheme. PCA applied to a dataset of many responses on building sustainability revealed nine key components, including site selection, environmental impact, building resources and re-use, building services and management, innovative construction techniques, environmental health and safety, mechanical systems, indoor air quality, and economic considerations. A framework for sustainable building development in world is proposed. The study provides insights for designers and developers in developing countries, offering a roadmap for achieving green development. The framework prioritizes key components for a nuanced evaluation of sustainability in building projects, contributing to the global discourse on environmentally responsible construction practices.

Development of a Green Building Assessment System at The Green Building Planning Stage in Indonesia

The fact that more people are living in cities is an important challenge for the construction industry in designing and developing cities. This industry emphasizes to have sustainable construction development principles, one of which is Green Building strategies. Because of this, several developed countries have implemented Green Building Rating Systems (GBRS) to assess Green Building achievements. Green Building Rating Systems were developed to help professionals measure building performance, and meet the requirements of sustainable design and construction. In Indonesia, there are 2 assessment standards as a Green Building Rating System, namely PUPR Ministerial Regulation No. 21 of 2021 which is a regulation issued by the Ministry of PUPR as the Ministry in charge of Public Works and Public Housing Affairs in this case includes buildings and GREENSHIP as a product of the Green Building Council Indonesia (GBCI), which is a independent institution. Different GBRS have similar objectives such as verifying the environmental performance of buildings, using natural resources efficiently, estimating the energy performance of buildings, and encouraging more energy-efficient building designs. The purpose of this research is to identify Green Building variables that are most suitable and relevant to the current conditions in Indonesia with a comparative analysis.

Development of an integrative green building rating system for the Ethiopian public building projects using analytic hierarchy process

Development of an integrative green building rating system for the Ethiopian public building projects using analytic hierarchy process

Sustainability Assessment by Green Building Rating Systems: A Comparative Analysis of LEED, BREEAM and CASBEE on a Case Study

The construction sector, with its environmental impacts, such as energy consumption and pollution, urgently needs to adopt sustainable strategies to counter global warming. The global shift towards green buildings, significantly in developing countries, emphasises environmentally friendly structures that balance environmental, societal, and economic impacts, with green building rating systems pivotal in these efforts. This study aims for sustainability in the construction industry using green rating tools, focusing on a case study of a 5-story residential building assessed using LEED, BREEAM, and CASBEE standards. The building secured the highest ratings with LEED (42.72%), followed by BREEAM (40.03%), and CASBEE (33%) achieving "GOLD", "GOOD", and "GOOD" ranks respectively. Notably, the innovation and energy sectors offer room for enhanced rating. While all tools prioritise indoor environmental quality, comparative analysis of rating assessments and the three-dimensional sustainability and its association with rating tools reveal that they do not ensure economic sustainability while addressing environmental and social sustainability. This study provides insights into the efficacy of these rating tools and highlights areas for improvement to achieve sustainability ratings.

Green building rating systems comparative study and development methodology from global and local prospective

Green building rating systems comparative study and development methodology from global and local prospective

A Comparative Study on the Sustainable Evaluation of DGNB and G-SEED Focusing on IEQ Enhancement

This paper aims to compare the sustainability assessment methods of DGNB and G-SEED, the two domestic green building rating systems, focusing on indoor environmental evaluation and reviewing recent laws, certifications systems, and guidelines from Germany and South Korea. According to existing studies, Korea’s green building certification has similar evaluation items, environmental (62.6%), social aspects (25.4%), and economic aspects (3.0%) compared with DGNB. Continuing research comparing DGNB and G-SEED, this paper will present an insight into the DGNB and G-SEED green building rating systems’ aspects and motives; furthermore, we intend to equate the sustainability assessment methods of the DGNB and G-SEED certification systems, in order to improve certification systems by comparing and finding solutions to differences, thereby making international systems more adaptable to each country. This analysis will unify property categorization systems and will promote green building and sustainable development globally. Findings: Regarding similarities and differences, the certification criteria for air, thermal, visual/light, and acoustic quality are based on domestic laws in both countries. DGNB and G-SEED are similar in terms of the requirements but differ in methods and domestic laws. Some findings regarding differences are that DGNB requires low VOC-emitting products, while G-SEED focuses on natural ventilation. Thermal comfort is measured through design-phase simulation in DGNB, while G-SEED lighting is evaluated on the basis of saving light energy. Finally, in G-SEED, acoustic quality is measured via indoor soundproofing performance, while DGNB takes room size into account.

A Life-Cycle Carbon Emissions Evaluation Model for Traditional Residential Houses: Applying to Traditional Dong Dwellings in Qandongnan, Guizhou Province, China

In recent years, due to the low energy utilization of the whole life-cycle of buildings, the diminished indoor and outdoor comfort of buildings, and the impact on the surrounding environment caused by the carbon emissions of the building life-cycle, the establishment of a whole life- cycle carbon emission evaluation model for buildings to improve their energy utilization at all stages of their life-cycle has received unprecedented attention. In China, the construction industry has become a major carbon emitter, and traditional houses, as a green development building type, are an effective way to achieve carbon neutrality in buildings; however, the existing green building evaluation system lacks quantitative indicators of carbon emissions in the building life-cycle. The exclusive evaluation indexes for regional and characteristic buildings, such as traditional houses, are neglected. This study explored the formula for calculating the life-cycle carbon emissions model of traditional residential houses under a carbon emission intervention and used real measurements of the physical environment. Based on the results of indoor and outdoor heat and humidity environmental tests of residential houses due to locality, four important factors affecting local green buildings in terms of energy utilization, site ecology and landscape, land saving, and material saving were extracted; on this basis, the whole life-cycle carbon emission evaluation model of traditional residential houses was constructed by combining the existing green building evaluation standards with the carbon emission indexes of the life-cycle of traditional residential houses.

Circular Design and Embodied Carbon in Living Buildings: The Missing Potential

While the built environment negatively contributes to resource use, waste generation, and climate change, this same sector has the potential to provide innovative solutions to these complex global challenges. Circular economy (CE) strategies have the potential to provide these solutions, yet systems and incentives related to CE and the built environment are disparate and at varying stages of development. Green building rating systems, such as the Living Building Challenge, have the potential to change the market and drive innovation, but these systems need to evolve and change in alignment with the emergence of new and promising strategies, such as CE. The objective of this study was to elucidate whether implementing CE practices could help further reduce embodied carbon and life cycle carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq.) emissions in buildings that are already environmentally conscious to further drive market innovation. This study analyzed the potential reduction in the embodied carbon of an existing Living Building, the Frick Environmental Center, by applying various CE strategies and using life cycle assessment. The investigated strategies include (1) using materials that are biodegradable and have lower embodied carbon, (2) using salvaged alternatives for embodied carbon-intensive building products, (3) extending the lifespan of selected building materials, and (4) carbon sequestration. Given that the case study building is already LEED Platinum and Living Building certified, the results elucidated the extent of potential environmental impact savings in buildings that are already certified due to having lower environmental impacts than the industry average. The CE strategies resulted in a 30% reduction in the building’s embodied carbon (excluding end-of-life) compared with the base case. Results exemplify whether a significant decrease in the buildings’ embodied carbon/life cycle CO2-eq. emissions can be achieved as a result of implementing modest changes in design.

Green building rating systems: A critical comparison between LOTUS, LEED, and Green Mark

Despite being established in Vietnam for over a decade, LOTUS has not achieved the same popularity as other international green building rating systems (GBRS), such as LEED and Singapore’s Green Mark (GM). Consequently, concerns about its effectiveness persist. This study employed a systematic literature review to compare and analyse the effectiveness of LOTUS against LEED and GM rating systems. The findings revealed that LEED was the most widely adopted GBRS in Vietnam. While the primary criteria identified across all three systems were energy, water, materials, and indoor environment, the critical aspect of sustainability was environmental. Although GM placed a greater emphasis on sustainability and climate-responsive design, LEED and LOTUS prioritised site location. These results suggest that the late introduction and complexities surrounding the initial versions of LOTUS significantly contributed to its limited popularity in Vietnam. To enhance its effectiveness, this study recommends that the Vietnam Green Building Council (VGBC) increase its engagement with green building researchers and construction stakeholders both within and outside Vietnam, with the aim of simplifying its approach. A more user-friendly and streamlined version of LOTUS will likely encourage adoption by Vietnamese construction practitioners, thereby raising awareness of green building practices in Vietnam.

THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN ADAPTATION OF GREEN BUILDING RATING SYSTEM IN NEPAL

Nepal especially Kathmandu Valley is highly rich in huge number of residences and users from all over the country which is major source of increasing Greenhouse Gas emission and CO2 footprints. Haphazardly mushrooming concrete jungle without proper planning, environmental consciousness and future vision is the big, alarming sign of degradation of its beauty and environment. Nepal is leading towards "grey rather than green". Electricity consumption growing rate of approximately 10% per year and the total energy consumption at a rate of 2.4% per year is in increasing order. At present context, the depletion of energy resources and the risk of climate change is demanding for a sustainable development path based on renewable energies and energy efficiency. Therefore, incorporating green features in buildings can substantially save energy, water consumption, and reduce GHG emissions. Green Building Rating System provides framework for healthy, efficient, carbon and cost saving green buildings. It helps the building industry to move toward sustainable development and enhances performance, durability, aesthetic, and sustainability of built environment. In many developed and developing countries, there is a minimum mandatory rule for rating system. Rating of building helps user to know and aware about how much his/ her houses consume energy and reduce; not only energy consumption but also reduces the energy expenses. The knowledge about energy efficiency, green building, green features, design parameters and Green Building Rating System is very low among the general public and most of the technical persons and is the reason why still Green Building Rating System is still not implemented in Nepal. There is a very low demand of Green Building Rating system in Nepal due to the lack of awareness both social and cultural. Lack of education, lack of proper and mandatory green building related guidelines and lack of skilled manpower and technology are the major challenges. Group of renowned Architects and experts of Nepal were involved and tried their best with green building projects to register under LEED certification but was failure to get the certificate. Additionally, draft of ERA guidelines (preliminary) prepared by the group of pioneer Architects of Nepal was the initiation towards establishment of own building rating system in Nepal. Green Building Rating System will be the solution for energy optimization and will mark a turning point for the green design and green movement in building industry in Nepal.

Under the background of green architecture, the aesthetic elements of Henan's traditional ancient architecture and modern architecture based on BIM technology

With the introduction of the "double carbon" target in China, green building has gradually become a trend in the development of China's construction industry. The combination of traditional architecture and modern architecture based on the concept of green architecture has become a new pursuit for architects. Based on this, this study integrates the aesthetic elements of traditional ancient architecture in Henan with modern architecture in the context of green building design. This paper first introduces the basic theory of the green building evaluation system and compares and analyzes the green building evaluation system at home and abroad. Secondly, the feasibility of using BIM technology in green buildings is demonstrated in terms of usage cost, and the application of BIM technology in green building evaluation is introduced with the modernization design of an ancient building in Henan. Finally, we calculated and analyzed the key indicators of the energy performance of a building in Henan. According to the results, the studied case building has a 13% reduction in the system-integrated part-load performance coefficient and a 6.6% reduction in the integrated heat gain coefficient of the envelope structure.

Ecological transition for the built environment: natural insulating materials in green building rating systems

The regenerative concept of design and construction is gaining relevance, as it is changing the sustainability paradigm toward the ecological transition for the built environment, representing a track on which economic and financial support policies are currently being routed. One of the ways to achieve ecological transition is to use sustainable insulating materials in buildings. In addition, certification systems have been developed to actualize and renovate the concept of sustainability. The literature review showed that no studies deal with the influence of different insulating materials on green building rating systems. This research applies ITACA and LEED protocols to quantify the impact of insulating materials on certification levels. Starting from the comparison between these protocols and the analysis of credits related to sustainable building materials within LEED, the rating systems were applied to an existing multi-story residential building by varying the insulating materials for the building envelope, such as glass wool, expanded polystyrene (EPS), and two types of natural materials (e.g., mineralized wood fiber and kenaf). The results showed that every envelope configuration obtained the certification in both protocols, except EPS, which did not obtain the certification in LEED. However, although kenaf and mineralized wood fiber can be considered sustainable materials, they do not reach the maximum achievable category score influenced by the insulating material choice.

International Green building systems and Egyptian Green Pyramid system: a comparative study

The construction sector causes bad environmental effects. Consequently, several worldwide Green Building Rating Systems (GBRSs) have been created delivering a standard Credit Criteria (CC) for evaluating Green Building functioning. On the other hand, there is an obvious absence of study on determining a baseline to build novel Green Building Rating System and to assess the current Systems. Therefore, this study determines main Credit Criteria using a general literature review, and aims to assess these Criteria based on International Green Building Systems and Egyptian Green Pyramid System. The analysis is built on a numerical quantity which is acquired throughout giving credit values of chosen systems to the recognized main Credit Criteria. The assessment of these Credit Criteria can be assumed as a reference to create novel Green Building Rating System and it supplies effective outcomes to improve the current system further. It is discovered that ‘Energy’ yardstick is the greatest commonly believed main criteria and then followed by ‘Water’ criteria. On the other hand, Credit Criteria such as ‘Financial aspects’, ‘Sustainable designing’, ‘Stakeholder relationships’ and ‘waste reduction’ are recognized as potential Credit Criteria which can be involved in upgrading the assessment system in the future.

A Platform of Critical Barriers to Socially Sustainable Residential Buildings: Experts’ Perspective

The concept of sustainable cities and communities is endorsed as one of the seventeen goals of sustainable development. Since buildings represent an essential element of the city, they play a primary role in achieving the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of cities. Previous studies have pointed to the lack of emphasis on the social aspect of buildings. Aiming to fill the gap, this research is focused on identifying barriers that hinder the adoption of social sustainability (SS) measures and practices in residential buildings, as a first step in overcoming these barriers and enabling faster achievement of SS goals. The initial platform of barriers was derived from a comprehensive review of the published literature, international reports, and green building rating systems. For the selection of critical barriers, the Delphi method was used with the participation of 60 international experts. Of 58 barriers initially identified from the literature and experts’ suggestions, 29 were selected as important and classified into five groups. Further, in each of these groups three barriers were singled out, the overcoming of which would facilitate and speed up buildings’ SS to the greatest extent. These results provide insight into barriers to SS for policy makers, developers, and planners, invite further studies on this topic, and provide a starting point for other researchers to identify the most relevant barriers in different contexts, i.e., countries and regions with their specific characteristics. This will further create the conditions for the elimination of barriers to SS by focusing on the most critical issues.