Green Building

The main objectives of green buildings are to improve their design and operation. Many studies have investigated whether green buildings lead to higher occupant satisfaction, yet with contradictory conclusions. The paper builds on the results of post-occupancy evaluation surveys of 68 buildings using the BUS Methodology. Satisfaction scores expressed by occupants with the qualities of their indoor environment were compared between the green and non-certified buildings. This research investigates whether green buildings have superior performance to non-certified buildings from the occupants’ perspectives. It was found that generally occupants were more satisfied in green buildings than in non-certified buildings. However, the differences were not significant for any of the environmental and operational parameters including thermal comfort, lighting, noise, and air quality. In the case of operational parameters such as design, needs, image of the building, and cleaning, the differences between the two building groups were notable. Air quality, design and work requirement had the strongest influence on perceived comfort in both green and non-certified buildings. Noise had the strongest influence on perceived productivity for both building groups. Although overall green buildings performed better than the non-certified buildings, the differences between the two were negligible particularly for environmental parameters. Most of the green buildings were not performing entirely as their designers may have intended and had weaknesses that needed to be addressed.

Comparative analysis of indoor air quality in green office buildings of varying star levels based on the grey method

Green residential buildings (GRBs) are an important part of the concept of green building. Although green buildings are well studied for geographic distribution and influencing factors, GRBs have not been fully explored or widely noted by parties involved in the building sectors. In this paper, we study the geographic distribution and influencing factors of 2134 GRBs that met the Green Building Evaluation Standard and obtained a green building logo in 2008–2016 in China. First, we analyze the geographic distribution and spatial correlation of GRBs with different star ratings at the provincial and municipal levels by natural break-point method and Moran’s index. Second, we study the aggregation degree of medium- and high-star GRBs in each province by development concentration index and define 42 leading cities with more favorable levels of GRB development. Third, we analyze the correlation between the GRBs’ number and 18 influencing factors covering the social economy and real estate market in the 42 leading cities. According to the analysis, this paper shows that (1) there are differences in the geographical distribution characteristics of different star green buildings in China. (2) The differences in geographical distribution and the spatial correlation of GRBs are more obvious in the study of municipal administrative division levels. (3) The local commercial residential building prices and the local residents’ economic and social statuses, education levels, and living standards are significantly positively correlated with the grade of GRBs.

Green buildings have been ushered in a period of rapid development in China. For there are few researches on economic benefit analysis, a result that most of Chinese people don’t want to purchase residential buildings because of misunderstanding that green buildings have a higher cost. This paper focuses on how to popularize green residential building in China. In order to achieve the goal, the field survey is carried out, qualitative and quantitative descriptive methods are used to analyze the statement of green residential building in Sichuan Province. There are two important conclusions. Firstly, the incremental cost control of green building in our province is relatively reasonable. However, the incremental selling price is much higher than the incremental cost. Secondly, ordinary people can accept is much lower than the selling price. Finally, in order to improve the popularization of green residential building, some suggestions are provided.

This study presents a detailed comparison of energy consumption between green and conventional commercial buildings by analyzing actual energy usage against benchmarks derived using Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Building Energy Intensity (BEI). MLR, selected for its statistical robustness and ease of implementation, incorporates variables such as Cooling Degree Days (CDD), temperature, humidity, rainfall intensity, wind speed, and number of working days as independent factors. The study evaluates energy consumption across 20 office buildings in Klang Valley, Malaysia, from 2019 to 2023. The findings indicate that both green and conventional buildings generally consumed less energy than their benchmarks. In terms of the difference between actual energy consumption and the benchmarks; green buildings recorded a narrower gap (26.49%) than conventional buildings (34.99%). However, green buildings consistently achieved superior energy efficiency, with BEI values ranging from 110 to 150, compared to 170 to 220 for conventional buildings. A notable reduction in energy usage occurred from 2020 to 2021 due to COVID-19-related remote work environment, though BEI slightly increased in 2023 with the normalization of operations. Energy label ratings further highlighted green buildings' superior performance, with 42% achieving a 4-star rating, while 80% of conventional buildings received only 2-star ratings. The results emphasize the importance of green building practices, demonstrating their long-term benefits in reducing energy consumption and achieving higher energy efficiency for sustainable living. This study offers valuable insights for policymakers, developers, and stakeholders, underscoring the need for sustained efforts in energy saving and innovation to enhance building energy performance.

The main purpose of Green Buildings (GBs) is to support environmental sustainability and improve occupants’ health and well-being. Many GBs fail to achieve their sustainability goals during the operation and maintenance (O&M) phase. The majority of existing studies focus on energy performance but there is limited research about the practical management of GBs especially in the Malaysian context. The study investigates these obstacles to enhance facility management effectiveness and sustainability of Green Office Buildings (GOBs). The main reason that GOBs are targeted is because they represent a key segment of commercial real estate with high operational demands, where the gap between design intentions and actual performance is often most visible. The research employed a qualitative method which included semi-structured interviews with eight professionals who work in GOB operations. The participants were chosen through purposive sampling because they managed certified green office buildings under different ownership models such as government, REITs and corporate sectors. The NVivo software was utilised to analyse interview data through thematic analysis. The research reveals multiple connected problems which affect building performance over time. The tropical climate of Malaysia combined with outdated green technologies results in rising energy consumption and maintenance expenses. The combination of specialized vendor dependency and limited in-house expertise and owner-tenant priority conflicts makes daily operations more complicated. The additional problems include high certification renewal expenses together with inadequate water conservation measures and decreased performance in buildings with low occupancy rates. The observed challenges demonstrate a major discrepancy between the intended certification standards and actual operational practices. The research provides essential knowledge about the real-world obstacles that facility managers encounter when maintaining green performance after certification. The research demonstrates the necessity for flexible management approaches together with technical capability development and better integration between green building regulations and operational field requirements.

Urban green building transitions are driven by experiments and innovations raising questions of drivers and barriers behind these processes. This chapter discusses spatial and temporal perspectives on green building innovations drawing on research on policy mobilities and innovation. It discusses green building in Freiburg, Vancouver, Brisbane and Luxembourg as places of transition where innovations and change are shaped by internal (local) and external (extra-local) factors. Further, it highlights how the nature and objectives of green building have changed over time based on experiments with green neighbourhoods and flagship buildings and describes how green building is increasingly used for competitive positioning, green marketing and city branding. Finally, the chapter discusses the mobility of green building innovations for the four case study regions differentiating between Freiburg and Vancouver that are predominantly characterised by local policies, models and knowledge and Brisbane and Luxembourg that largely draw on external green building innovations. Together, the chapter highlights the value of spatially sensitive analysis of green building transitions.

A green building has a long lasting benefit through cultivating the occupants’ energy and resource-saving behaviours. To understand how green buildings can cultivate occupants’ pro-environment behaviours, the research applied the value–belief–norm model to investigate 17 pro-environmental behaviours which are related to a variety of green building design strategies. Two green and two non-green certified office buildings in the city of Shenzhen in China were surveyed, based on which structural equation modelling was established to confirm the relationship between personal values, environmental beliefs and norms that lead to pro-environment behaviours. Green and non-green building occupants showed significant differences in altruistic values, environmental awareness, personal norms, and pro-environmental behaviours. Green building users had more frequent pro-environmental behaviours than those in non-green buildings. The strategies that require fewer additional efforts were more likely to be adopted as pro-environmental behaviours, such as meeting daily needs within walking distance and adjusting sunshades, while the strategies that need extra physical efforts (taking stairs) or knowledge (garbage sorting) were less likely to be adopted as pro-environmental behaviours. This study pointed out important intervention opportunities and discussed the possible design implications for green building guidelines and programmes to cultivate green occupants and their corresponding pro-environmental behaviours.

The Building and Construction Authority Green Mark Scheme in Singapore encourages better indoor environmental quality for healthier workplaces for occupants. However, studies have shown that green buildings do not necessary ensure better indoor environmental quality. This case study aimed to compare the prevalence of sick building syndrome symptoms and sick leave in a Green Mark Platinum and a non-Green Mark-certified building. Thirty-two employees from the Green Mark Platinum building and 33 employees from the non-Green Mark-rated building were surveyed to investigate their perceptions of the indoor environmental quality and prevalence of sick building syndrome experienced. Information concerning the offices and absenteeism of staff was collected as well. Compared to the Green Mark Platinum-certified building, the non-Green Mark-certified building was more leaky and had a higher air change rate (between 2.5 to 3 times higher), was about 1°C cooler, and had a lower illuminance level. The statistical analysis of the data showed that there are significant differences in occupant perception; the Green Mark Platinum-certified building was cooler (p = 0.002); had fresher cleaner air and less odor (p = 0.002), had more relaxed monitor/keyboard comfort (p = 0.029), and had more satisfactory ergonomics (p = 0.033) at a 95% confidence level. Findings also suggested that the most frequent symptoms in the non-Green Mark-certified building were dry or irritated throat (15.2%) and lethargy or tiredness (15.2%), whereas the most frequent symptoms in the Green Mark Platinum building were blocked or stuffy nose (12.5%), dry or irritated throat (12.5%), dry skin (12.5%), and lethargy or tiredness (12.5%). However, there is no statistically significant association between sick building syndrome symptoms and the offices (p > 0.05). Furthermore, analysis of the sick leave records failed to show that occupants in the Green Mark Platinum-certified building took fewer sick leave days as compared to the non-Green Mark building. This unexpected finding is not affirmative due to aberrations attributable to (i) differences in industry type between the offices studied, (ii) plausible settling in effects of occupants in the Green Mark Platinum-rated office, and (iii) high leakage characteristics of the non-rated office that resulted in an unintended 2.5 to 3 times higher air change rate (ventilation) compared to that of the Platinum-rated office.

This paper presents new results on the link between energy factors and commercial mortgage default. First, we summarize results from an empirical analysis of the impact of source energy use intensity (EUI) and electricity prices on mortgage default. We used a unique data set that merges building-level energy use data from city benchmarking ordinances and financial data for commercial mortgages on the same buildings. We found that building source EUI and electricity price are statistically and economically associated with commercial mortgage defaults. Next, we present five case studies on the impact of energy use and price variations on default risk: three office buildings, a hotel, and a multi-family residential building. We use the empirical model coefficients to compute the default risk impacts due to variations in source EUI and electricity price over the course of the mortgage term. We found that variations in source EUI could raise or lower the default rates in these properties by between 5% and 40%, depending on the property type and geography. Electricity pricing has an even greater effect – roughly 60% change in default rate in the Denver area and nearly 90% in northern California. Finally, we propose an energy risk score that lenders can use to assess energy risk and inform mortgage terms. The score is being developed and piloted in collaboration with three mortgage lenders. We conclude with implications of this score as a market signal and mechanism for incentivizing energy efficiency investments through the commercial mortgage channel.

Homebuyers are now demanding green buildings over conventional buildings due to better performance, higher operating savings, and the premium satisfaction that the green buildings offer. However, whilst the supply of green buildings is increasing, the satisfaction of the occupants requires evaluation. This research investigated the satisfaction of the occupants of certified residential green buildings in the Greater Kuala Lumpur. The research was based on a cross-sectional survey questionnaire comprising 15 performance factors and 118 green building occupants. The survey forms were administered through hand delivery. The satisfaction of the occupants with respect to the ability of the buildings to accommodate the elderly and the disabled was very high. The occupants were also satisfied with the acoustics, overall lighting, layout, and overall air quality of the buildings. The factor analysis structured the performance factors into four clusters, namely, lighting, indoor environmental quality, operating cost, and spatial. The findings will be useful for the design teams because developers and city planners and the green rating certifiers and facilitators make their decisions on the prioritisation of the performance criteria of the green buildings. Whilst the data were collected in Malaysia, the information is applicable to beyond Malaysia.

PurposeThe green building phenomenon has only recently extended to the residential sector. The purpose of this paper is to provide context on the prevalence of green building within the multifamily residential sector. The decisions on where green apartment buildings are sited are also examined.Design/methodology/approachA series of comparative analyses are performed on green criteria scorecards provided by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) across property types. Comparisons are made to determine whether the climate and rents differ substantially between green multifamily locations and the area means.FindingsGreen multifamily properties underperform other property types in each of the six categories that the USGBC uses in its green scoring criteria. While the siting of green multifamily properties was inordinately located in areas with high heating degree days during the early years of USGBC certification, green apartment buildings have since diffused to communities with more normal temperature patterns, suggesting an appeal of green buildings beyond simply energy savings. Finally, the median rents for areas where green apartments are located far outpace those of the surrounding areas, raising affordability concerns.Research limitations/implicationsThe nascence of the green movement within the multifamily residential sector limits the amount of available data for use within this research project.Originality/valueThis research represents one of the first attempts outside of the housing trade industry at examining green multifamily residential properties. This research helps policy makers understand how the multifamily sector differs from other property sectors seeking green certification.

This study quantitatively examines the effect of municipal policies oncommercial green office building designations. Many states and citieshave adopted green building requirements and incentives as policyinstruments. This study conducts an OLS regression analysis usingAmerican central cities as a unit of analysis and codes municipal greenbuilding regulations and incentives for separate dummy variables. Thefindings reveal that municipal regulatory policy has been a strong toolto promote green office building designations as expected, but incentive-basedpolicies have not been effective except for administrativeincentives.

PurposeClimate change has become a critical challenge, drawing attention to the need for sustainable practices in the built environment. Despite the recognised environmental benefits of green buildings (GBs), research on the economic value of GBs, especially in the housing sector, remains limited, with mixed results documented. To better comprehend the economic value of green residential buildings, this study aims to examine the consistent effects of GB certifications (GBCs) on housing markets and identify factors contributing to the documented mixed results.Design/methodology/approachThis study applies a meta-regression analysis supplemented by the Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol to synthesise findings from past literature in testifying to the existence of green housing (GH) effects and identifying drivers for the varied effects.FindingsThe meta-regression evidence exhibits consistent green premiums in housing markets. In addition, four principal influential factors governing GH premiums are identified, including certification characteristics, data attributes, model specifications and external considerations. The implications of these findings and their practical applications are also discussed.Originality/valueAs the first study to examine price premiums and the reasons for heterogeneous effects related to GB certifications in housing markets, this meta-regression analysis extends the body of knowledge in this research domain. The findings of this study enhance the understanding of the economic value of GH and provide policymakers with some practical guidance aligning with markets.

PurposeRisks are considered a significant obstacle to Green Building (GB) development and have recently received significant attention from both construction practitioners and academics. This study aimed to identify critical GB risks and explore the relationship between participants' characteristics and risk assessment.Design/methodology/approachFirstly, a list of GB risks was developed based on a comprehensive literature review and interviewing GB experts. After that, a survey of 207 construction professionals was then conducted to validate these GB risk factors. Finally, this research adopted the ANOVA test and hierarchical regression analysis to examine the relationship between participants' characteristics and risk assessment.FindingsThe results provided a list of GB risks classified and evaluated according to the GB project life cycle and, thus, may serve as a helpful reference for GB practitioners. Notably, the ANOVA analysis revealed that risk assessment negatively correlates with participants' GB experience, while their industry experience does not affect risk assessment. Furthermore, the hierarchical regression analysis proved that participant roles do not moderate the association between risk assessment and GB experience.Originality/valueThis study contributed to GB literature by implementing empirical research on GB risks in a developing country. The results implied the essential role of professionals with rich GB experience in risk management in GB projects. Furthermore, this research could help construction practitioners understand GB risks adequately and thereby have better risk-management strategies for future GB projects.