Search Results (64)

The building sector remains one of the largest contributors to global energy consumption and CO₂ emissions, yet selecting optimal retrofit strategies is often hindered by inconsistent evaluation practices and limited integration of environmental and social impacts. This review addresses that gap by systematically analyzing how various assessment methods are applied to building retrofits, particularly from a financial and environmental perspective. A structured literature review was conducted across four major scientific databases using predefined keywords, filters, and inclusion/exclusion criteria, resulting in a final sample of 50 studies (green colored citations of this paper). The review focuses on the application of Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA), Cost–Benefit Analysis (CBA), and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), as well as additional indicators that quantify energy and sustainability performance. Results show that LCCA is the most frequently used method, applied in over 60% of the studies, often in combination with LCA (particularly for long time horizons). CBA appears in fewer than 25% of cases. More than 50% of studies are based in Europe, and over 60% of case studies involve residential buildings. EnergyPlus and DesignBuilder were the most common simulation tools, used in 28% and 16% of the cases, respectively. Risk and uncertainty were typically addressed through Monte Carlo simulations (22%) and sensitivity analysis. Comfort and social impact indicators were underrepresented, with thermal comfort included in only 12% of studies and no formal use of tools like Social-LCA or SROI. The findings highlight the growing sophistication of retrofit assessments post-2020, but also reveal gaps such as geographic imbalance (absence of African case studies), inconsistent treatment of discount rates, and limited integration of social indicators. The study concludes that future research should develop standardized, multidimensional evaluation frameworks that incorporate social equity, stakeholder values, and long-term resilience alongside cost and carbon metrics. Full article

Considering the climate crisis, global environmental awareness, and the pursuit of sustainable architecture, various methodologies and global standards have been developed to assess and reduce the environmental impact of construction projects. Green Building Codes (GBCs) and rating systems have been implemented worldwide to support green building practices based on the use of simulation models to evaluate energy consumption, such as the ENERGYui and others to rate buildings based on their simulated energy performance. Israel has also established green building standards, such as SI 5281, which provide practical tools for architects to promote the use of green building methods. However, several studies have cast doubt on the actual measured performance of certified buildings. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Israeli green building certification process (SI 5281/SI 5282) through a comparison between simulation-based ratings with measured post-occupancy electricity consumption. Through four case studies, the research identifies discrepancies, explores their causes, and proposes refinements to certification assumptions and evaluation methods. The research is intended to enhance the effectiveness of assessment tools in architectural design and contribute to more precise and sustainable green building practices. This study identifies significant gaps between simulated and actual energy consumption in Israeli green buildings, highlighting that, within this framework, educational buildings tend to exceed predicted usage, while residential buildings often consume less, thereby exposing limitations in current simulation assumptions and standard evaluation criteria. Full article

With expanding urban sprawl and the characterization of Australian housing as little more than glorified tents, there is a clear need for expert-informed tools—such as the Green Building Council of Australia’s Communities ratings. But what lessons can be learned from the ratings of recent housing developments? A review of existing cases and supporting materials found low rates of engagement for some criteria and few projects meeting the criteria, with the most direct links being with sustainability. The patterns of scores obtained and criteria addressed appear to reflect many developers placing emphasis on compliance with the minimum standards rather than best practice in sustainability. Notable areas with poor performance include greenhouse gas mitigation strategies, the use of environmentally friendly materials and the sustainability of buildings. Strong, comprehensive education campaigns regarding up-front costs relative to long-term benefits, perhaps more heavily focused on end consumers, may help address some of the hesitancy developers have in engaging with key criteria. However, current rating frameworks fail to account for the pressing need for infill development to address the ‘missing middle’. Perhaps an evolution is needed in sustainability-oriented ratings, such as a mandatory sustainability assessment, that would crystallize the green premium of sustainable housing, thereby harnessing the demand from consumers’ for better quality. Full article

Urban sprawl and excessive reliance on motorization have led to many urban problems. The balance of supply and demand in the real estate market, as well as price fluctuations, also face many challenges. Urban rail transit not only alleviates traffic congestion and air pollution, but also significantly reduces residents’ commuting time, broadens urban accessibility, and reshapes the decision-making basis for residents when choosing residential locations. This study takes the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th, 11th, and 13th metro lines that have been opened in Qingdao City as examples. It selects 12,924 residential samples within a 2 km radius along the rail transit lines. By using GIS spatial analysis tools and the multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model, it analyzes the spatial differentiation characteristics of housing prices along the rail transit lines and the reasons and mechanisms behind them. The empirical results show that housing prices decrease to varying degrees with the increase in the distance from the rail transit. For every additional 1 km from the rail transit station, the housing price increases by 0.246%. Through model comparison, it was found that MGWR has a better fitting degree than the traditional ordinary least squares method (OLS) and the previous geographically weighted regression model (GWR), and reveals the spatial heterogeneity of the influence of urban rail transit on housing prices. Different indicator elements have different effects on housing prices along these lines. The urban rail transit factor in the location characteristics has a positive impact on housing prices, and has a significant negative correlation in some areas. The significant influence range of the distance to the nearest metro station on housing prices is concentrated within a radius of 373 m, and the effect decays beyond this range. The total floors, building area, green coverage rate, property management fee, and the distance to hospitals and parks in the neighborhood and structural characteristics have spatial heterogeneity. Analyzing the areas affected by the urban rail transit factor, it was found that the double location superposition effect, the networked transportation system, and the agglomeration of urban functional axes are important reasons for the significant phenomena in some local areas. This research provides a scientific basis for optimizing the sustainable development of rail transit in Qingdao and formulating differentiated housing policies. Meanwhile, it expands the application of the MGWR model in sustainable urban spatial governance and has practical significance for other cities to achieve sustainable urban development. Full article

The building sector accounts for more than one-third of final energy consumption worldwide. Green retrofitting, which is part of the green building activities, is one of the main factors in achieving the target of zero carbon emissions by 2060. Green retrofitting is a viable way to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption. The risks in green retrofitting work activities have not been studied much, even though the risks in green retrofitting projects are likely to be greater and more complex than the risks in conventional projects. This is reflected in the small application of customization in developing countries, one of which is Indonesia. Through the calculation of the risk matrix between probability and impact, a high risk was obtained from the relationship between risk and correlated resources, and it had a positive impact on the work breakdown structure (WBS). The results obtained show that complexity factors consisting of labor, materials, equipment, work activities, work methods, and scope/work package affect the success of the project, then the risk handling strategy that needs to be implemented is to set the right priorities. A focused project team allocates resources wisely. Knowing the probability of events and impacts arising from the non-implementation of the WBS, we identified sources of risk factors and high risk in the implementation of green retrofitting work based on the WBS based on the Greenship Existing Building Rating Tools and PUPR RI Regulation Number 21 of 2021 applicable in Indonesia, its effect on resource planning, and cost accuracy. Full article

Wood construction is often proposed to reduce the construction sector’s greenhouse gas emissions due to its carbon sequestration potential. However, forestry significantly impacts natural water flows and increases water use—a critical concern in Chile. This study evaluates the water footprint of wood construction in Chile, considering direct and indirect water consumption under various scenarios. An input–output model was developed to quantify economic interactions, incorporating a new wood-construction sector based on data from a model house. An environmental extension matrix was also created to account for blue water (groundwater and surface water extraction) and green water (rainwater absorbed from soil) consumption. Future scenarios for the residential building sector were defined based on different growth rates for wood-based construction and current construction methods, and the model was resolved using the scenarios as demand vectors. The results indicate that wood construction’s water footprint is 2.38–2.47 times higher than conventional construction methods, with over 64% linked to forestry’s green water demand. By 2050, increased wood construction could raise the sector’s total water footprint by 30.0–31.8%. These findings underscore the need to assess water consumption as a critical sustainability parameter for wood construction and highlight the value of tools like the water footprint to guide decision-making. Full article

Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) represent an innovative approach to thinking and designing cities sustainably, in compliance with the European Union energy strategy. This strategy integrates sectors such as urban planning, energy, and construction to synergistically address energy and environmental challenges. Studies on sustainability assessment systems applied in PEDs evidenced that they focus mostly on energy aspects, while few include a comprehensive life cycle assessment of equivalent CO₂ emissions, considering the building component and the impacts of the materials used. Additionally, most assessments are conducted on the urban and district scale, such as Neighborhood Sustainability Assessments (NSA), which begin to correlate PEDs with the dynamics of selecting sustainable materials for green-certified projects, analyzed throughout the entire life cycle, relying on the adoption of Green Building Rating Systems (GBRS) at the building scale. To explore the impact of environmentally friendly (i.e., ‘green’) GBRS certifications in the selection of building materials and products according to sustainability criteria, and to encourage their use in projects explicitly referring to PEDs, this study analyzes the technical solutions implemented in two significant residential building renovation projects in Italy from a PED perspective. It proposes a classification system based on the required targets of energy efficiency, energy production, and energy flexibility. The results include the definition of an expandable portfolio of technical solutions, an analytical comparison between the materials used in the energy renovation projects of the case studies examined, and the sustainability criteria provided by voluntary ’green’ certification tools (GBRS). The collected evidence offers an operational framework that confirms the positive impact of GBRS certifications and the related selection of materials on sustainable urban development, contributing to the scientific debate on PEDs. Furthermore, the use of voluntary ’green’ certifications at the building scale can be encouraged in the context of the transition towards PEDs, aiming to identify specific criteria and indicators for the selection of building materials to be integrated into future PED certifications. This aims to contribute to creating energy self-sufficient urban areas, focusing on sustainability, efficiency, and innovation, in line with global emission reduction and climate change mitigation goals. Full article

Green construction evaluation systems can assist building stakeholders in scientifically evaluating the carbon emission performance of construction projects. However, most green construction evaluation tools and methods fail to explicitly incorporate construction carbon emission indicators, let alone a quantitative evaluation. Therefore, this study proposes a carbon emission evaluation system based on the entropy–TOPSIS and K-means methods for foundation construction projects. In this study, we innovatively divided the carbon emission of the foundation construction process into three phases, namely, transportation emission, excavation and earthwork emission, and pile work emission, considering their different emission characteristics and reduction difficulties by nature. Different from traditional carbon evaluation methods, the carbon emission of the three phases were evaluated separately against the baseline value obtained from local construction quota. After that, the emission performance of the three phases was weighted and evaluated based on the entropy–TOPSIS method, and then rated via the K-means method. Based on a case study of 19 residential buildings, the weights of the three construction phases were 27.66% (transportation), 42.34% (excavation and earthwork), and 29.99% (pile work). The carbon performance of the 19 cases were rated by the K-means method into four levels: six cases were rated “Excellent”, five were rated “Good”, five were rated “Fair”, and three were rated “Poor”. The proposed method was expected to objectively and scientifically evaluate and rate the carbon emission of the foundation construction process, and provided a theoretical basis for decision makers to identify emission hotspots and formulate specific carbon reduction measures. Full article

The advent and application of biophilic architecture bring numerous environmental, economic, and energy-efficiency benefits, playing a crucial role in advancing low-carbon, energy-saving, healthy, comfortable, and sustainable development within the construction industry. Thanks to its many advantages—such as aesthetic enhancement, improved microclimates, and negative carbon potential—biophilic architecture has been widely adopted in building design, particularly as a response to the escalating environmental crisis. Integrating plants with various architectural forms can optimize building performance, especially by reducing operational energy consumption. This study uses knowledge mapping tools like CiteSpace 6.1.R3 and VOSviewer 1.6.19 to analyze 2309 research papers from the Web of Science (WoS) published over the past decade on the topic of “energy efficiency in biophilic architecture”. It conducts visual analyses of publication trends, collaborative networks, and key themes. The research categorizes plant–architecture integration methods, focusing on three primary areas: green roofs, vertical green systems, and green photovoltaic systems. Additionally, it reviews the ways in which biophilic architecture contributes to energy savings, the research methodologies employed, energy-saving rates, and the factors influencing these outcomes. Finally, a SWOT framework is constructed to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and potential threats of biophilic architecture, as well as its future development prospects. The findings indicate that integrating plants with building roofs is an effective energy-saving strategy, achieving energy savings of up to 70%. Furthermore, combining biophilic elements with photovoltaic systems can enhance the efficiency of solar energy generation. This study offers valuable insights for architects and researchers in designing more energy-efficient and sustainable buildings. Full article

Simple indicators are often used to summarize the complexity of systems or products, commonly through color-coded labels paired with letters. These labels, like those indicating energy efficiency or nutritional ratings, help users quickly understand essential characteristics. Building on this approach, the Quality Urban Label (QUL) has been developed to assess public space adaptation to urban climate change. The QUL utilizes four key indicators, called quality components: air quality (pollutants), noise pollution, thermal comfort, and visual comfort. It ranges from 0 to 25 and is represented by a color and letter code (green, A, ranging from 0 to 2; blue, B, ranging from 6 to 11; orange, C, ranging from 15 to 19; and red, D, ranging from 22 to 25), with green representing better quality and red poorer quality. The QUL aims to evaluate public spaces based on energy consumption reduction, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, and progress toward carbon neutrality. This article explores some ecological and climate benefits of the QUL, especially in warm Mediterranean cities. An objective label that quantifies the alignment of urban public space with climate neutrality has numerous advantages, which are discussed in the article. In addition, it is a key tool for urban project planning, focused on reducing urban social inequalities and promoting a just energy transition of urban public space. Full article

As the construction sector is one of the most carbon-intensive and resource-intensive industries, the necessity for a transition from a linear to a circular economy is widely acknowledged. Aimed at facilitating the transition, several policy frameworks, operational tools and assessment instruments have been developed in recent decades. Nevertheless, the integration of circularity in the construction sector remains constrained and haphazard, frequently focusing solely on the production phase and neglecting the comprehensive impacts within the overall process. The detected gap between theoretical framework and practical implementation is reflected by the limited coordination between policies and tools, which creates a significant obstacle to the adoption of consistent and effective practices. A dual analysis is conducted, comprising two parallel domains: an investigation of a circular policy theoretical framework in urban environments through a literature review, and an analysis of practice-oriented tools through resilience assessment and green building rating systems. As a result, common ground and shared targets are identified between the two scopes, as well as contrasts and inconsistencies that require further attention. These are classified according to their role as barriers or drivers of change, and recommendations for synergistic improvement between policies and tools are provided. Full article

The roof is the part of a building that is exposed to solar radiation for the longest period, making green roofs particularly effective in reducing air conditioning energy consumption during the summer. This study aims to assess the advantages of modular green roofs in terms of energy savings and cost reduction during the summer in Xuzhou. By conducting field measurements and surveys under both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned conditions and utilizing building energy simulation tools, the performance of green roofs with different parameters was compared. Using EnergyPlus, factors such as soil thickness, thermal conductivity, and leaf area index were simulated. The results indicated that green roofs have superior thermal performance in summer, with the daily cooling load per unit area for top-floor rooms being 1.05 kWh/m², 0.21 kWh/m² lower than that for bare roofs, achieving an energy saving rate of 16.7%. It is recommended that soil thickness not exceed 0.3 m and insulation thickness not exceed 0.05 m or be set to 0 m. Take building no. 2 of the Xuzhou material market as an example: with the optimized green roof, the energy saving rate increased to 27.0%, which is 12.4% higher than that of the original green roof. The suggested cost for modular green roofs is 204 RMB/m². Full article

Net metering (NM) is among the potent regulatory tools used globally for supporting distributed generation and renewable energy sources. This paper examines the trajectory of NM in a developing country such as Pakistan, analyzing the impact of regulatory changes, confidence-building strategies, hindering factors, and technical/financial issues. The three-stage methodology involves three components, namely techno-economic analysis, stakeholder engagement surveys, and impact analysis of financing mechanisms. This study emphasizes the importance of clear regulatory and financial frameworks, grid upgrades, and public–private partnerships for technology distribution in the context of a developing country with weak grid utilities and an import–export energy ratio. It also explores the role of financial incentives, such as tax breaks and subsidies, to encourage investment in NM systems from the perspective of lucrative rates, impact on paybacks, and return on investments, and proposes concrete solutions to enhance financial inclusion for ambitious renewable energy goals. Until April 2023, over 56,000 NM/distributed generation facilities were commissioned, with an installed capacity of 950 MW. By May 2024, the number of NM consumers reached ~100,000, with a 1950 MW capacity, nearly doubling. However, the import and export ratio of IESCO changed most, with 61% exports and 39% imports, directly impacting the revenue stream. A total of 60% of banks have adopted actions linked with green banking criteria, aiming to limit their environmental impact. The change in tariff will result in reduced ROI for NM consumers to 20%, and increase the payback period from less than 4 years to 13 years. Government subsidies, tax breaks, and green financing frameworks are proposed to encourage investment, but have been abruptly halted, and were previously at a 6% interest rate. This research aims to provide insights into effective market evaluation methodologies for NM programs and offer policy recommendations to strengthen legislative and institutional frameworks governing NM. Full article

This research aims to study and develop a model to demonstrate the causal relationships of factors used to forecast CO₂ emissions from energy consumption in the industrial building sector and to make predictions for the next 10 years (2024–2033). This aligns with Thailand’s goals for sustainability development, as outlined in the green economy objectives. The research employs a quantitative research approach, utilizing Linear Structural Relationships based on a Latent Growth Model (LISREL-LGM model) which is a valuable tool for efficient country management towards predefined green economy objectives by 2033. The research findings reveal continuous significant growth in the past economic sector (1990–2023), leading to subsequent growth in the social sector. Simultaneously, this growth has had a continuous detrimental impact on the environment, primarily attributed to the economic growth in the industrial building sector. Consequently, the research indicates that maintaining current policies would result in CO₂ emissions from energy consumption in the industrial building sector exceeding the carrying capacity. Specifically, the growth rate (2033/2024) would increase by 28.59%, resulting in a surpassing emission of 70.73 Mt CO₂ Eq. (2024–2033), exceeding the designated carrying capacity of 60.5 Mt CO₂ Eq. (2024–2033). Therefore, the research proposes strategies for country management to achieve sustainability, suggesting the implementation of new scenario policies in the industrial building sector. This course of action would lead to a reduction in CO₂ emissions (2024–2033) from energy consumption in the industrial building sector to 58.27 Mt CO₂ Eq., demonstrating a decreasing growth rate below the carrying capacity. This underscores the efficacy and appropriateness of the LISREL-LGM model employed in this research for guiding decision making towards green economy objectives in the future. Full article

As global demographics shift towards an aging population, the need for sustainable healthcare environments becomes increasingly critical. This study addresses this imperative by examining the application of Green Building Rating Systems (GBRSs) in healthcare facilities, such as hospitals and nursing homes. It emphasizes the urgency of developing environmental assessment criteria specifically tailored for healthcare buildings to meet the challenges posed by an aging society. The research involved an extensive examination of a wide array of sustainability indicators from the literature, coupled with a Delphi survey involving a panel of 15 experts to guide the rigorous selection and validation process. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was then applied to assign relative weights to each indicator, culminating in a specialized evaluative framework that includes 54 sustainability indicators across various dimensions. This framework is designed to support decision-making in the design process of new or retrofitted healthcare buildings, offering a comprehensive tool for creating sustainable healthcare settings. The findings and proposed framework aim to act as a reference for future development, supporting the creation of sustainable healthcare settings in Hong Kong and potentially informing similar efforts in other urban areas with similar challenges. Full article