Economic sustainability of green buildings: a comparative analysis of green vs non-green

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 528-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Achini Shanika Weerasinghe ◽  
Thanuja Ramachandra
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Economic Sustainability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Manufacturing

Purpose In Sri Lanka, a limited number of buildings have been certified for incorporation of green features and the reasons are attributed to green building investors who continue to perceive that green buildings are expensive. Further, the green building investors fail to appreciate the subsequent benefits received by those buildings during the operational phase. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to compare the life cycle cost (LCC) of green certified industrial manufacturing buildings with a similar form of the conventional buildings to establish the economic sustainability of green buildings. Design/methodology/approach The study involved a comparative case study analysis of two green buildings and a similar natured conventional building. The data required to perform the LCC analysis were extracted through documentary analysis. Findings The comparative analysis shows that the construction cost of a green industrial manufacturing building is 37 per cent higher than that of a similar natured conventional building while operation, maintenance and the end life cost of green buildings result in 28, 22 and 11 per cent savings, respectively. This results in an overall cost saving of 21 per cent in green buildings. Originality/value The current study provides an assessment of the total LCC of green industrial manufacturing buildings. In Sri Lanka, green industrial manufacturing buildings offer LCC saving of 21 per cent over its lifetime compared to similar natured conventional buildings. Thus, comparative analyses would enable green investors to make informed decisions before commissioning their investment in green facilities and thereby promote sustainable construction in Sri Lanka.

Examining barriers and measures to promote the adoption of green building practices in Pakistan

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 86-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sana Azeem ◽  
Malik Asghar Naeem ◽  
Abdul Waheed ◽  
Muhammad Jamaluddin Thaheem
Keyword(s):  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Building Codes ◽  
Common People ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Common ◽  
Green Building Codes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the barriers inhibiting the adoption of green building and measures to promote this approach in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach Barriers and measures were identified and examined by using a combination of research methods, including literature review, questionnaire survey, and in-depth interviews with the construction industry-related practitioners working in Pakistan. Ranking technique and factor analysis were used to identify the significant issues associated with the adoption of green building practices. Findings As per the survey results, the most critical barrier is “lack of awareness among people about the importance and advantages of adopting green building practices,” followed by “lack of incentives from government” and “lack of green building codes and regulations,” respectively. The results also indicate that most important measure to promote the adoption of green buildings is “creation of public awareness toward green initiatives through seminars, workshops, and discussions,” followed by “availability of green building codes and regulations (mandatory to apply)” and “financial incentives and penalties by the government (e.g. soft loan, tax) for promoting green building practices,” respectively. Research limitations/implications Research limitation is that its findings, other than Pakistan, cannot be generalized to other developing countries. Practical implications Findings of the research will be helpful in sensitizing the regulatory agencies, the policy makers, and the building construction practitioners about the barriers to adoption of green building practices. The suggested measures will help in devising policies and economic measures to promote the construction of green and environment-friendly buildings. Social implications This research will help the common people to know about the importance of green buildings that may lead to a deviation from the practice of traditional buildings to a widespread trend of building green buildings. This will lead to drastic reduction in demand for energy and considerable monetary savings for the common people. Originality/value The findings of this study are expected to contribute valuable information to decision makers for the better understanding of key issues that call for more attention in the promotion of efforts of green building practices in Pakistan. The results are based on the perception of local stakeholders, but might also be helpful for policy makers in other countries.

scholarly journals Key drivers for green building project financing in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kofi Agyekum ◽  
Chris Goodier ◽  
James Anthony Oppon
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Project Financing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Comparative Review ◽  
Key Drivers ◽  
Building Project

PurposeThe majority of the literature on green buildings in Ghana focuses on environmental benefits, innovative designs, construction technologies and project management techniques. However, little is known about how such facilities are financed. This issue creates potential knowledge gaps, one of which this study aims to address. This study examines the key drivers for green building project financing in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses an explanatory sequential design with an initial quantitative instrument phase, followed by a qualitative data collection phase. An extensive critical comparative review of the literature resulted in the identification of eight potential drivers. One hundred and twenty-seven questionnaire responses based upon these drivers from the Ghanaian construction industry were received. Data were coded with SPSS v22, analysed descriptively (mean, standard deviation and standard error) and via inferential analysis (One Way ANOVA and One-Sample t-Test). These data were then validated through semi-structured interviews with ten industry professionals within the Ghana Green Building Council. Data obtained from the semi-structured validation interviews were analysed through the side-by-side comparison of the qualitative data with the quantitative data.FindingsThough all eight drivers are important, the five key drivers for the Ghanian construction industry were identified as, in order of importance, “high return on investment”, “emerging business opportunity”, “ethical investment”, “conservation of resources” and “mandatory regulations, standards, and policies”. The interviewees agreed to and confirmed the importance of these identified drivers for green building project financing from validating the survey's key findings.Research limitations/implicationsKey limitations of this study are the restrictions regarding the geographical location of the collected data (i.e. Kumasi and Accra); timing of the study and sample size (i.e. the COVID-19 pandemic making it difficult to obtain adequate data).Practical implicationsThough this study was conducted in Ghana, its implications could be useful to researchers, policymakers, stakeholders and practitioners in wider sub-Saharan Africa. For instance, financial institutions can invest in green buildings to expand their green construction and mortgage finance products to build higher value and lower risk portfolios. The findings from this study can provide investors with the enhanced certainty needed to help guide and inform their investment decisions, i.e. what to invest in, and when, by how much and how a scheme being “green” may influence their rate of return. Also, for building developers, it will give them a clearer understanding of the business case for green buildings and how to differentiate themselves in the market to grow their businesses.Originality/valueThis study's findings provide insights into an under-investigated topic in Ghana and offer new and additional information and insights to the current state-of-the-art on the factors that drive green building project financing.

Sustainable construction

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Waseem Khan ◽  
Yousaf Ali
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Rice Husk ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Partial Replacement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Concrete Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The change in climate and depletion of natural resources because of the harmful emissions from different materials becomes a main issue for the globe. Some of the developed and developing countries have focused on this issue and performed research to provide a solution. The purpose of this study is to identify the best types of concrete based on its impact on the environment and economy. Design/methodology/approach The life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis of six concrete mixtures that include construction and demolition wastes (CDW), marble sludge, rice husk and bagasse ash as a partial replacement of cement, are performed. These types of concrete are compared with each other and with ordinary concrete to select the best possible concrete type for a developing country, like Pakistan. Findings The results show that, although for an agricultural country like Pakistan, the agriculture wastes such as rice husk and bagasse ash are preferable to be used, if the emissions of CO2 and CO from rice husk and NOx and SO2 from bagasse ash are properly controlled. However, based on the results, it is recommended to use the CDW in concrete because of the small amount of air emissions and affordable prices. Originality/value Through this study, a path has been provided to construction companies and relative government organizations of Pakistan, which leads to sustainable practices in the construction industry. Moreover, the base is provided for future researchers who want to work in this area, as for Pakistan, there is no database available that helps to identify the impact of different concrete on the environment.

Contractor prequalification for green buildings—evidence from Turkey

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 1377-1400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asli Pelin Gurgun ◽  
Kerim Koc
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Practical Evaluation ◽  
Hierarchy Process

PurposeCompetent contractors are one of the critical stakeholders to achieve targeted sustainability objectives in green building (GB) projects. Prior to contractor selection, prequalification is an important step, which requires contractors with certain capabilities in addition to traditional features. This study aims to develop a systematic and practical model for prequalification in GB projects using a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach by adopting the analytical hierarchy process (AHP).Design/methodology/approachThe AHP model with 8 main criteria groups and 25 sub-criteria is structured based on literature review and professional opinions accompanied by a pilot study. Then, interviews with experts, who are experienced in the development and application phases of GB projects in Turkey, are arranged to collect judgements. The agreement levels between different groups of experts are analysed via Pearson's and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Model applicability is tested on six hypothetical contractors for practicality.FindingsThe results show that i) financial capabilities, ii) legal status and iii) sustainability groups are the top three main criteria, while i) compliance with schedule requirements of the client, ii) current legal status including suits, iii) negative litigation history records, iv) contractor's compliance capacity to client's sustainability checklist for the proposed project and v) sustainability with lower life cycle cost (durability, maintenance, constructability) are the top five sub-criteria.Originality/valueThere is a gap in the literature analysing contractor prequalification phase in GB projects. This study attempts to fill this lack provided with a practical evaluation tool.

scholarly journals BIM-VE-Based Optimization of Green Building Envelope from the Perspective of both Energy Saving and Life Cycle Cost

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 7862
Author(s):  
Zhenmin Yuan ◽  
Jianliang Zhou ◽  
Yaning Qiao ◽  
Yadi Zhang ◽  
Dandan Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Mathematical Formula

In the context of the increasingly severe energy crisis and global warming, green buildings and their energy-saving issues are being paid more attention in the world. Since envelope optimization can significantly reduce the energy consumption of green buildings, value engineering (VE) technology and building information modeling (BIM) technology are used to optimize the envelope of green buildings, which takes into account both energy saving and life cycle cost. The theoretical framework of optimization for green building envelope based on BIM-VE is proposed, including a BIM model for architecture, a life cycle cost analysis model, energy-saving analysis model, and a value analysis model. In the life-cycle cost model, a mathematical formula for the life-cycle cost is established, and BIM technology is used to generate a bill of quantity. In the energy-saving analysis model, a mathematical formula for energy saving is established, and BIM technology is used for the building energy simulation. In the scheme decision-making sub-model, VE technology integrating life cycle cost with energy saving is used to assess the envelope schemes and select the optimal one. A prefabricated project case is used to simulate and test the established methodology. The important results show that the 16 envelope schemes make the 16 corresponding designed buildings meet the green building evaluation standards, and the optimal envelope scheme is the “energy-saving and anti-theft door + exterior window 2+ floor 1+ exterior wall 1 + inner shear wall + inner partition wall 2 + planted roof” with the value 10.80 × 10−2 MW·h/ten thousand yuan. A significant finding is that the value generally rises with the increase of energy-saving rate while the life cycle cost is irregular with the increase of energy-saving rate. Compared with previous efforts in the literature, this study introduces VE technology into architectural design to further expand the current boundary of building energy-saving theory. The findings and suggestions will provide a valuable reference and guidance for the architectural design industry to optimize the envelope of green buildings from the perspective of both energy saving and life cycle cost.

Site planning and design of green residential building projects: case studies in China

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 525-543
Author(s):  
Xiaosen Huo ◽  
Ann Tit Wan Yu ◽  
Wu Zezhou ◽  
Wadu Mesthrige Jayantha
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Planning And Design ◽  
Site Planning

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present site planning and design (SPD) relevant variables and items in practice for practitioners to better understand and implement SPD in green building projects. Design/methodology/approach The research methods include questionnaire survey and case studies in the context of China. A questionnaire survey was adopted to identify the importance of 13 variables and the corresponding 38 items in SPD of green residential buildings. Three green residential projects including one in Hong Kong and two in Mainland China were selected to investigate the SPD considerations in practice and to discuss the necessary improvement. Findings The results show that 12 out of the 13 variables of SPD in green buildings are involved in the three case projects to some extent, thereby underscore the importance of these variables. The potential improvement in real-life SPD of green buildings is also discussed such as adopting design-build and integrated project delivery methods and preserving and protecting cultural characteristics on site. Originality/value The research findings may serve as a reference for practitioners to better conduct SPD in green building projects.

Users’ preference for green features in office properties

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 374-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Oluwole Oyewole ◽  
Markson Opeyemi Komolafe
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Building Industry ◽  
Point Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Preference Index ◽  
Building Practice ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the preference of office property users for green features in Lagos, Nigeria. This is with a view to determining the degree of users’ aspiration for green buildings in the country. Design/methodology/approach The study purposively sampled two office properties from the management portfolio of 88 registered estate firms in Lagos. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaire on two users purposively selected from each of the properties. The data were analyzed with the use of frequency distribution, percentages and measures of the users’ preference index. Findings The results revealed that the preference for green features by office property users in the study area was above average (2.5 on a five-point scale). Feature relating to “building ecology, waste and recycling” is the most preferred feature with UPI of 3.970 while those relating to “owner and occupant education” with UPI of 3.558 were least in preference. Practical implications The paper concludes that with the preference of users for green features in the study area, it may be necessary for government to strengthen the existing framework for sustainable development. Also, increased sensitization of investors, users, professionals and other stakeholders in the building industry is pertinent to the success of green building practice in the country. Originality/value This is one of the few studies on users’ preference for green features in emerging economy, particularly in the Nigerian context.

scholarly journals Sustainable Construction, Green Building Strategic Model

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Salama ◽  
Ashraf Hana
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Location ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
The Core ◽  
Strategic Model ◽  
Global Concern

Academic and policy literature over the past four decades (from as early as the 1970s) has been, and still is, concerned with understanding and articulating the core principles of sustainable development and sustainable construction or, in other words, sustainable building and construction, which is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach. The increasing global concern with the maintenance and improvement of the environment, as well as the protection of the human health has become an important aspect to be considered by construction companies worldwide. The chapter falls into two parts. The main aim of the first part is to present a critical review of the established theoretical frameworks in order to understand the topic in depth, and identify the main concepts and relevant dimensions or variables that have a crucial influence on promoting and implementing sustainable construction/green buildings practices. The second part presents the findings of a research study conducted by the authors (Salama and Hanna, 2013) that sought to develop a strategic model for implementing the green building initiative in the UAE; Green Building Strategic Model, (GBSM – UAE). Despite being based on the UAE case, the underpinning theoretical framework and the stages of modelling used in building, training and validating the model makes this section a useful read for all parties interested in the area of sustainable construction in general, and green buildings in particular, regardless of their geographical location.

Developing a research framework for the green maintainability of buildings

Facilities ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 39-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.Y.L. Chew ◽  
Sheila Conejos ◽  
Ashan Senel Asmone
Keyword(s):  
Health And Safety ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Facilities Management ◽  
Knowledge Gap ◽  
Safety Hazards ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Framework ◽  
Novel Concept

Purpose The aim of this paper is to present a research framework for the green maintainability of buildings. This study makes the case for the development of a new concept called “green maintainability”. The paper also identifies and discusses the knowledge gap concerning green facilities management (FM). As an integral part of green FM, the economic, environmental and social impacts and opportunities of green maintainability throughout the total life cycle of the facility are also highlighted. Design/methodology/approach The little attention paid to the maintainability of green buildings has resulted in losses of lives due to occupational health and safety hazards as well as high operation and maintenance costs. To address this issue, this study has conducted a literature review to determine the relevant background knowledge and provides a conceptual framework that will aid in conceptualizing the green maintainability of buildings and the development of a research framework for the furtherance of this concept. Findings This paper finds that there is little research on the maintainability of green buildings, and the studies about the maintainability of green features are nonexistent in current research. This study confirms the knowledge gap of this little-researched area and draws from it the formulation of a research framework for the green maintainability of buildings to ensure green FM. Emerging literature on green practices and methods is currently receiving attention from academia, as well as building and construction practitioners, and can valuably contribute to the existing theories, practices and methods concerning building maintainability and facilities management. Originality/value This study develops the novel concept of green maintainability, which integrates maintainability and green FM at the planning/design stage. The proposed research framework is the first attempt to investigate the green maintainability of different typologies of buildings and especially green building technologies.

The characteristics and evolution of business model for green buildings: a bibliometric approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojing Zhao ◽  
Wei Pan
Keyword(s):  
Core Collection ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Web

PurposeThe wide uptake of green building is hindered by factors such as limited market demand and high up-front cost despite substantial policy incentives. Successful business models (BMs) help facilitate the diffusion of sustainable innovation and have attracted increasing attention. However, little attention has been paid to examining the adoption of green building from the perspective of BM. This paper aims to identify the characteristics of BM that companies adopted to deliver green building projects and examine the evolution path of BM for green buildings.Design/methodology/approachA total of 744 interdisciplinary bibliographic records related to BM and green buildings from the Web of Science Core Collection database have been identified from the Web of Science Core Collection and analyzed through co-author analysis, co-word analysis and co-citation analysis.FindingsBM research mainly focuses on five subjects, namely, environmental science, engineering, business, economics, science and technology. Keywords “strategy”, “capability”, “perspective” and “design” receive the highest centrality index, which suggests that the strategy design and corporate capability are indispensable elements when designing or innovating a company's BM. “BM canvas” and “resource based view” received the burst citations in the recent decade. Twelve research clusters are identified, including performance evaluation, waste management, energy efficiency, BM, project business, professional capital, leadership and product innovation. These topics highlight three evolution direction for green building projects, i.e. life cycle-oriented value proposition, collaborative value delivery and innovative cost and revenue structure.Originality/valueThe findings contribute to a systematic understanding of the underlying mechanisms of BM for green buildings and illuminate the development trend of business strategies for sustainability.

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