CASBEE (Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency) is the green building certification program used in Japan. [4] It was created by a research committee called the Japan Sustainable Building Consortium (JSBC). [4] The first assessment tool, CASBEE for offices, was launched in 2002. CASBEE now consists of multiple assessment tools tailored to different project scales. The tools are collectively called the CASBEE family. [5] The development of CASBEE's assessment tools was a joint effort between JSBC sub-committees, industry, academia, and government leaders, and the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The JSBC provides overall management of CASBEE, and the administrative office is located within the Institute for Building Environment and Energy Conservation (IBEC). [6]
The first green building rating systems, including BREEAM and LEED, were developed to minimize the building sector's contribution to anthropogenic climate change. [7] CASBEE shares the same goal, but rather than being established by non-profit third parties, the government played a direct role in its formation. [8] The Japanese government has declared the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, [9] and reaching this goal motivates the government's continued commitment to the promotion and development of CASBEE. Local governments have a Sustainable Building Reporting System (SBRS) policy intended to create a sustainable building market by requiring the submission of building environmental plans to the local building official. [10] 24 cities have adopted CASBEE as the standard for their SBRS policy. [10] Additionally, many local governments require CASBEE assessment results when applying for building permits. [11]
It is a common structure among green building rating systems to determine their ratings via a point total calculated based on the fulfillment of credit requirements. [7] CASBEE pursued an alternative approach and relies on an indicator called the Building Environmental Efficiency (BEE) to determine a building's ranking. The BEE is advantageous because it considers a hypothetical boundary so that the building itself can be evaluated in the context of its surroundings. [7] The hypothetical boundary is chosen based on the site boundary and the scale being considered under the ranking system. [5] The BEE is calculated based on two assessment factors: Q and L. The environmental quality, Q, is defined as the improvement of the internal environment within the hypothetical boundary. Q relates the building to the inhabitants. [7] The environmental load, L, is defined as the negative impact the hypothetical boundary has on the external environment. L relates the building to the planet. [7]
CASBEE considers four assessment fields: Energy Efficiency, Resource Efficiency, Local Environment, and Indoor Environment. [12] Q and L are each divided into three sub-components with specific credits designed to evaluate the four assessment fields. Q consists of Q1: Indoor Environment (noise and acoustics, Thermal comfort, lighting, air quality), [13] Q2: Quality of Service (functionality, durability, reliability, flexibility), [13] and Q3: Outdoor Environment (preservation and creation of biotope, townscape and landscape, outdoor amenities). [13] L consists of L1: Energy (thermal load, Daylighting, efficiency of systems, efficient operations), [13] L2: Resources and Materials (water conservation, recycled materials, materials with low health risks), [13] and L3: Off-Site Environment (Air pollution, noise and vibration, odor, Light pollution, heat island effect). [13] Each credit is assessed on a 1 to 5 scale, where a score of 1 is earned if the minimum conditions required by law are satisfied, a score of 3 is earned for typical performance, and a score of 4 or 5 is earned for exceeding standard practices. [6] Scoring is completed by CASBEE accredited professionals. [4] The scores for each credit are then weighted and summed up depending on if they pertain to Q or L. The BEE is the ratio of Q over L. [12]
CASBEE displays this relationship on a BEE graph that has L values plotted on the x-axis and Q values plotted on the y-axis. [5] The higher the Q value and lower the L value the more sustainable the building is. [5] The graph is broken up into regions corresponding to the following rankings: S: Excellent, A: Very Good, B+: Good, B−: Fairly Poor, and C: Poor. [12] Green building rating systems that utilize a point-scoring system fail to evaluate the interaction between the environmental load and the environmental quality and may reward points for credits benefitting one category without considering the harm it causes to the other. [7] Calculating the BEE provides an integrated assessment that weighs how the hypothetical boundary is benefitting users and harming the surrounding environment. [12]
In line with Japan's commitment to reducing its carbon dioxide emissions, CASBEE assessment tools designed for the building scale also require a Life-cycle assessment of the carbon dioxide (LCCO2) emitted during the construction, operation, and demolition of a building. [5] CASBEE provides a spreadsheet to calculate the LCCO2. [5] The results are compared to the LCCO2 of a reference building that satisfies the standard according to the Energy Conservation Law. [5] The LCCO2 performance is indicated by awarding 1 to 5 stars. This result is reported alongside the BEE. [5]
CASBEE was designed to accommodate a wide range of building types at different stages of construction. [14] The four basic tools are CASBEE for Pre-Design, CASBEE for New Construction, CASBEE for Existing Building, and CASBEE for Renovation. [14] CASBEE's consideration of a hypothetical boundary allows for the scope of evaluation to be easily expanded beyond the limits of a single building. [14] Additional versions of CASBEE were developed to consider specific building purposes and scales. [14] These versions include:
The four basic tools and the additional versions are jointly referred to as the CASBEE Family. [14] The exact credits included in the environmental quality and environmental load assessment factors are tailored to be relevant to the specific CASBEE assessment tool. [12]
The four basic tools had their latest versions released in 2014. [4] CASBEE for Buildings (New Construction) 2014, CASBEE for Market Promotion 2014, CASBEE for Urban Development 2014, CASBEE for Cities 2013, and CASBEE for Cities (pilot version for worldwide use) 2015, are the assessment tools within the CASBEE Family that are available in English. [4]
CASBEE is still a relatively new green building rating system. [10] As of December 2022, 606 properties had obtained a CASBEE evaluation under one of the building-level assessment tools. [15] For comparison, there are 110,000 projects participating in LEED. [16] Due to CASBEE's relatively short time operating as a rating system, only preliminary conclusions can be drawn regarding its effectiveness. In 2014, Dr. Naoya Abe, an associate professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology who specializes in Applied Economics and Environment Policy, conducted a study to evaluate stakeholders’ perceptions of CASBEE in Japan. [10] The study surveyed local governments, architects, engineers, and building managers to gather feedback on their perceptions, motivations, incentives, and barriers towards adopting CASBEE. [10] The results concluded that the practical application of CASBEE in the building market is extremely limited. [10] Respondents with no connection to the government indicated a desire to implement CASBEE but lack the resources or support to do so. [10] These respondents also indicated a desire for more incentives, specifically priority review of CASBEE projects and financial incentives for building owners. [10] The results of the study suggest a disconnect between the government agencies employing CASBEE and other stakeholders in the building industry. [10]
Green building refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from planning to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. This requires close cooperation of the contractor, the architects, the engineers, and the client at all project stages. The Green Building practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. Green building also refers to saving resources to the maximum extent, including energy saving, land saving, water saving, material saving, etc., during the whole life cycle of the building, protecting the environment and reducing pollution, providing people with healthy, comfortable and efficient use of space, and being in harmony with nature. Buildings that live in harmony; green building technology focuses on low consumption, high efficiency, economy, environmental protection, integration and optimization.’
Green development is a real estate development concept that considers social and environmental impacts of development. It is defined by three sub-categories: environmental responsiveness, resource efficiency, and community and cultural sensitivity. Environmental responsiveness respects the intrinsic value of nature, and minimizes damage to an ecosystem. Resource efficiency refers to the use of fewer resources to conserve energy and the environment. Community and cultural sensitivity recognizes the unique cultural values that each community hosts and considers them in real estate development, unlike more discernable signs of sustainability, like solar energy,. Green development manifests itself in various forms, however it is generally based on solution multipliers: features of a project that provide additional benefits, which ultimately reduce the projects' environmental impacts.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods, which aims to help building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently.
A Zero-Energy Building (ZEB), also known as a Net Zero-Energy (NZE) building, is a building with net zero energy consumption, meaning the total amount of energy used by the building on an annual basis is equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site or in other definitions by renewable energy sources offsite, using technology such as heat pumps, high efficiency windows and insulation, and solar panels.
Established in 2003, the Energy and Environmental Security Initiative (EESI) is an interdisciplinary Research & Policy Institute located at the University of Colorado Law School. The fundamental mission of EESI is to serve as an interdisciplinary research and policy center concerning the development and crafting of State policies, U.S. energy policies, and global responses to the world's energy crisis; and to facilitate the attainment of a global sustainable energy future through the innovative use of laws, policies and technology solutions. In pursuit of this mission, EESI's primary operational function is that of an enabling environment for teaching, research and policy analysis vis-à-vis the impact of laws and policies on the scientific, technological, sociopolitical, commercial, and environmental dimensions of sustainable energy.
Life-cycle engineering (LCE) is a sustainability-oriented engineering methodology that takes into account the comprehensive technical, environmental, and economic impacts of decisions within the product life cycle. Alternatively it can be defined as "sustainability-oriented product development activities within the scope of one to several product life cycles." LCE requires analysis to quantify sustainability, setting appropriate targets for environmental impact. The application of complementary methodologies and technologies enables engineers to apply LCE to fulfill environmental objectives.
Design standards, reference standards and performance standards are familiar throughout business and industry, virtually for anything that is definable. Sustainable design, taken as reducing our impact on the earth and making things better at the same time, is in the process of becoming defined. Also, many well organized specific methodologies are used by different communities of people for a variety of purposes.
This article provides examples of green building programs in the United States. These programs span the public, private, and non-profit sectors, and all have the goal of increasing energy efficiency and the sustainability of the built environment.
Green building on college campuses is the purposeful construction of buildings on college campuses that decreases resource usage in both the building process and also the future use of the building. The goal is to reduce CO2 emissions, energy use, and water use, while creating an atmosphere where students can be healthy and learn.
Environmentally sustainable design is the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment, and services to comply with the principles of ecological sustainability and also aimed at improving the health and comfort of occupants in a building. Sustainable design seeks to reduce negative impacts on the environment, the health and well-being of building occupants, thereby improving building performance. The basic objectives of sustainability are to reduce the consumption of non-renewable resources, minimize waste, and create healthy, productive environments.
A green home is a type of house designed to be environmentally sustainable. Green homes focus on the efficient use of "energy, water, and building materials". A green home may use sustainably sourced, environmentally friendly, and/or recycled building materials. This includes materials like reclaimed wood, recycled metal, and low VOC paints. Additionally, green homes often prioritize energy efficiency by incorporating features, such as high-performance insulation, energy-efficient appliances, and smart home technologies that monitor and optimize energy usage. Water conservation is another important aspect, with green homes often featuring water-saving fixtures, rainwater harvesting systems, and grey water recycling systems to reduce water waste. It may include sustainable energy sources such as solar or geothermal, and be sited to take maximum advantage of natural features such as sunlight and tree cover to improve energy efficiency.
LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND), where "LEED" stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a United States-based rating system that integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism, and green building into a national system for neighborhood design. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a development's location and design meet accepted high levels of environmentally responsible, sustainable development.
Sustainable urbanism is both the study of cities and the practices to build them (urbanism), that focuses on promoting their long term viability by reducing consumption, waste and harmful impacts on people and place while enhancing the overall well-being of both people and place. Well-being includes the physical, ecological, economic, social, health and equity factors, among others, that comprise cities and their populations. In the context of contemporary urbanism, the term cities refers to several scales of human settlements from towns to cities, metropolises and mega-city regions that includes their peripheries / suburbs / exurbs. Sustainability is a key component to professional practice in urban planning and urban design along with its related disciplines landscape architecture, architecture, and civil and environmental engineering. Green urbanism and ecological urbanism are other common terms that are similar to sustainable urbanism, however they can be construed as focusing more on the natural environment and ecosystems and less on economic and social aspects. Also related to sustainable urbanism are the practices of land development called Sustainable development, which is the process of physically constructing sustainable buildings, as well as the practices of urban planning called smart growth or growth management, which denote the processes of planning, designing, and building urban settlements that are more sustainable than if they were not planned according to sustainability criteria and principles.
Sustainable refurbishment describes working on existing buildings to improve their environmental performance using sustainable methods and materials. A refurbishment or retrofit is defined as: "any work to a building over and above maintenance to change its capacity, function or performance' in other words, any intervention to adjust, reuse, or upgrade a building to suit new conditions or requirements". Refurbishment can be done to a part of a building, an entire building, or a campus. Sustainable refurbishment takes this a step further to modify the existing building to perform better in terms of its environmental impact and its occupants' environment.
Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable nations in the world due to climate change. As the ninth most populous country and twelfth most densely populated countries in the world, its rising population and limited land space have put tremendous strains on the urban ecosystem. The capital of Dhaka itself underwent severe transformations in recent years to catch up the increased rate of urbanisation. This change was paralleled by a boom in the real estate, construction and housing industry. According to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dhaka is one of the most polluted cities in the world.
NABERS, the National Australian Built Environment Rating System, is an initiative by the government of Australia to measure and compare the environmental performance of Australian buildings and tenancies. There are NABERS rating tools for commercial office buildings to measure greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, water efficiency, waste efficiency and indoor environment quality. There are also energy/greenhouse and water rating tools for hotels, shopping centres and data centres.
The Green Building Initiative (GBI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that owns and administers the Green Globes green building assessment and certification in the United States and Canada. It was established in 2004 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon.
The Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) [Originally QSAS] is the first performance-based system in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, developed for assessing and rating buildings and infrastructure for their sustainability impacts. In 2016, FIFA officially endorsed GSAS as the sustainability assessment system for Qatar's eight stadiums set to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The primary objective of GSAS is to create a sustainable built environment that minimizes ecological impact and reduces resources consumption while addressing the local needs and environmental conditions specific to the region. GSAS adopts an integrated lifecycle approach for the assessment of the built environment including design, construction and operation phases.
Building information modeling (BIM) in green buildings aims at enabling sustainable designs and in turn allows architects and engineers to integrate and analyze building performance. It quantifies the environmental impacts of systems and materials to support the decisions needed to produce sustainable buildings, using information about sustainable materials that are stored in the database and interoperability between design and analysis tools. Such data can be useful for building life cycle assessments.
Green building certification systems are a set of rating systems and tools that are used to assess a building or a construction project's performance from a sustainability and environmental perspective. Such ratings aim to improve the overall quality of buildings and infrastructures, integrate a life cycle approach in its design and construction, and promote the fulfillment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by the construction industry. Buildings that have been assessed and are deemed to meet a certain level of performance and quality, receive a certificate proving this achievement.
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