Green Building Performance Assessment and Rating

INTRODUCTION Current green building practice has been largely advanced by an integrated design process. This integrated design process involves multiple disciplines, such as architecture, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering. The design method heavily relies on utilizing building performance simulation to illustrate how design parameters affect the energy consumption and quality of the indoor environment before actual design decisions are made (Anderson, 2014). The architectural design tools in the integrated design process supersede traditional geometrical exploration instruments, such as Sketchup, Revit, ArchiCad, and Rhino (Negendahl, 2015). More building performance simulating tools, such as Ecotect, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Radiance, and EnergyPlus, have been developed to help architects measure building performance (e.g., natural ventilation, daylighting, solar radiation, and energy uses) in the design process and attain green building standards such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The information presented by these tools guide architects at a certain level in achieving green building goals. However, building simulation is generally beyond the architect's knowledge domain. Many architects have difficulty in understanding these technical terms and models, as well as their design implications. Therefore, specific consultants have emerged to help architects grasp the meanings of these numbers and models, which require architects to implement a high level of design collaboration and coordination (Aksamija, 2015; Gou & Lau, 2014). Simulation consultants can work in parallel with architects at the early design stage to intervene in the conceptual and schematic design; they may also work behind architects to verify the building performance after the design is finished and make their design green through technical alterations. Most existing literature argues for an early intervention of building performance simulation in the architectural design process and explores different algorithms or models for optimal intervention (Degens, Scholzen, & Odenbreit, 2015; Sick, Schade, Mourtada, Uh, & Grausam, 2014; Svetlana Olbina & Yvan Beliveau, 2007). However, the difference between early intervention and late verification is often not investigated. Few qualitative studies can help understand how the building performance simulation is actually implemented, and how it influences the quality of design solutions in addition to the quantity of performance outcomes. The current research presents two case studies that compare building performance simulation as an early intervention and a late verification tool in the architectural design process, which contextualizes the building simulation research in real building practices.

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GREEN CLEANING: AN ESSENTIAL ASPECT OF MALAYSIAN GREEN BUILDINGS

Jurnal Teknologi ◽

10.11113/jt.v75.5274 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 75 (10) ◽

Author(s):

Nurul Nadiah Zainol ◽

Izran Sarrazin Mohammad ◽

Maizan Baba ◽

Neo Bee Woon ◽

Abdul Qayyum Nazri

Keyword(s):

Assessment Tool ◽

Green Building ◽

Green Buildings ◽

Building Performance ◽

Indoor Environmental Quality ◽

Green Cleaning ◽

Maintenance Stage ◽

Operations And Maintenance ◽

Reduce Energy Consumption ◽

Specific Regulation

This paper discusses the importance of green cleaning for green buildings during the operations and maintenance stage. The investment on green buildings is often driven by the aim to reduce energy consumption. However, many tend to overlook the importance of the operations and maintenance aspect of the building, particularly the green cleaning aspect. Green cleaning is a major contributor to Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) where IEQ is one of the important criteria that should be considered during the assessment of green building performance. In Malaysia, there is no specific regulation set for green cleaning. Green Building Index (GBI) tools itself does not specifically highlighting green cleaning in their assessment tool. Thus, based on literature review, this paper discusses the benefits of implementing green cleaning and how green cleaning can contribute to achieving better green building performance.

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Factors Hindering Green Building Performance: A Review

Sains Humanika ◽

10.11113/sh.v8n4-3.1083 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (4-3) ◽

Author(s):

Tsau Kar Yen ◽

Izran Sarrazin Mohammad ◽

Maizan Baba ◽

Rohaya Abdul Jalil ◽

Nurul Nadiah Zainol ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Green Building ◽

Green Buildings ◽

Social Benefits ◽

Building Performance ◽

Construction Process ◽

Property Market ◽

Performance Potential ◽

Modeling Tools ◽

Initial Stage ◽

And Control

The demand for green buildings in the property market is substantially increasing. The motivation for the investment on green buildings ranges from environmental concerns and social benefits to financial savings during the operational stage. However, these perceived benefits have been argued to be mostly theoretical and yet to be empirically proven. There is often a performance gap between the expected and the actual measured performance of green buildings once operational. Green buildings simply fail to perform as to what it was intended despite the thorough design and technological considerations put at the initial stage of their development. Hence, by reviewing various literatures, this paper targets to indicate and discuss the factors that hinder green buildings from achieving their fullest performance potential. Six theoretical factors namely miscommunication, technologies used, modeling tools, construction process and handover, occupant behavior and management and control were identified from various literatures. The findings in this paper will be a commencement for further studies pertaining to non-performance of green buildings.

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Building performance in the context of industry pressures

International Journal of Energy Sector Management ◽

10.1108/ijesm-11-2013-0005 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 527-543

Author(s):

Craig Robertson ◽

Dejan Mumovic

Keyword(s):

Energy Consumption ◽

Performance Assessment ◽

Energy Gap ◽

Building Energy ◽

Energy Performance ◽

Building Performance ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Web Based ◽

Actual Performance ◽

Content Type

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the relationship between designed and actual building performance as represented in an Royal Institute of British Architects- and Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers-backed web-based comparison platform and the industry perception of the pressures surrounding building performance assessment. European directives and UK Parliamentary Acts have resulted in a range of mechanisms aimed at encouraging monitoring of energy consumption, responsive management and evidence-based design. Web-based feedback platforms aim to feed evaluation data back to industry anonymously; however, there exists a range of barriers and disincentives that prevent widespread and habitual engagement with building evaluation. Design/methodology/approach – Using energy data from the CarbonBuzzweb platform and a series of semi-structured interviews, a mixed-methods study has been carried out. Analysis of the characteristics of the existing energy discrepancy between designed and actual performance shows where variance typically occurs. Interviews with industry actors presents a synopsis of the perceived and actual legislative and procedural pressures that exist in relation to building performance assessment. Findings – The conclusions of this paper identify weaknesses in the current legislative and incentivisation mechanisms with regard to targeting building energy performance and industrial pressures that hinder broader industry engagement with post-occupancy evaluation. Originality/value – The recommendations arising from this study are for adjustments to the existing legislative framework to increase participation in meaningful building energy evaluation targeted at the specifics of the energy gap and the motivations of industrial actors. This will specifically help to reduce building energy consumption and associated carbon emissions.

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