Module 2 Green Building

2.1 What is Green Building?

Green Building is generally defined as a building, which utilizes less external energy and is
capable of producing ample amount of energy for its intended use itself without causing harm to
the environment. Green Building is called energy efficient building or eco-friendly building.
Green building refers to building constructed with methods and techniques which are
environmentally sound and highly efficient in resource utilization throughout building’s life
cycle. Also known as sustainable or high performance buildings.
These buildings are called green due to their similarity with trees…as trees generate their food
only by the use of sun light and air, these buildings are also capable of producing energy and
utilizing it properly without damaging the environment. The term green building refers not to
specific buildings, but to the whole building life-cycle process, starting from conceptualisation,
design, site selection, obtaining materials, construction, operations, and finally, commissioning.
The term sustainable construction is often used to address the economic, ecological and social
issues of a building in the context of its community.
Green building can be defined as a practice of creating structures and using processes that are
environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle, from siting
to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction. In addition, a
green building can be further described as a technique adopted to improve building and site
efficiency by using energy, water and materials to reduce building impact on human health and
the environment through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance and removal
of complete building life cycle.
The concept of green or sustainable buildings is not new, but the technologies associated with the
concept have evolved and matured over time. “Green building is the practice of creating
structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient
throughout a building’s life-cycle from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance,
renovation and deconstruction.” This practice expands and complements the classical building
design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. A ‘green building’ is defined by the
Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) as “a building which is energy-efficient,
resource-efficient and environmentally responsible”. Green building is also known as “a
sustainable or high performance building”
Green buildings have been on the rise in the United States of America, Europe and Australia for
a number of years. However, in South Africa this is still a relatively new notion. In 2007 and
2008, consciousness of green buildings increased on account of the electricity and water
shortages and a growing awareness of global climate changes. These issues all resulted in a
demand for green building practice from international organisations.
 2.2
Benefits of Green Building
Green building yields a number of benefits to the owner, both tangible and intangible. Green
building, also known as sustainably-designed buildings, benefits from lifecycle cost savings –
including deferred replacement costs and improvements in human performance such as
productivity gain, better health and an increase in prestige. Green building benefits can be
divided into tangible and intangible benefits.

2.2.1 Tangible benefits

Tangible benefits constitute reduced taxes, energy savings, lower operating cost and waste
reduction. Tangible benefits can be measured in monetary terms. All relevant examples,
mentioned in the preceding subsection, are outlined by category below:
 Energy savings or efficiency: This is referred to as the lesser energy used to provide the
same quality of service. Energy efficiency is the key to achieving sustainability in a green
building. Lowering energy consumption in construction presents a significant opportunity
for organisations. For instance, energy and costs of producing building materials, also
referred to as a lifecycle costs, are attributed to a larger population and societal value of
green buildings. Similarly, the purchase of a renewable energy from alternate sources and
the purchase of carbon offset credits represent indirect holistic value.
 Lower operating cost: Defined cost as part of goods sold sacrificed in order to obtain
revenue. Operating cost as “the expenses relating to the operation of a business, or the
 operation of a device, component, or a piece of equipment or facility”. Based on
preceding definitions, lower operating cost in green building is determined by reduction
in cost associated with the maintenance and administration of a green building on a daily
basis. The operating cost is deducted from the revenue to arrive at the operating income
in a green building.
 Waste reduction: Green building seeks to decrease waste of water, energy and materials
used during construction. In the process, one major target is the reduction in the amount
of material ending in landfills. Well-designed buildings aid in the reduction of waste
produced by occupants and the provision of on-site solutions. Another important
usefulness of a green building is reducing the impact of waste on wells or water treatment
plants. Such waste, regarded as grey water, derived from washing machines or
dishwashing for example, can be used for subsurface irrigation, and perhaps if treated,
could be used for non-potable purposes, such as flush toilets and compost bins, washing
cars and reducing matter going to landfills.
 Maintenance savings: Maintenance savings involves the design and selection of
materials for building and site construction that result in lower maintenance costs and
longer service life, thereby minimising the frequency of equipment replacement. For
example, native or inert landscaping conserves both water and monthly maintenance
costs. Similarly, pollution prevention and waste management efforts reduce the ongoing
cost of refuse disposal and treatment. In addition, ongoing scheduled maintenance aids
the reduction of utilities costs by properly caring for systems and equipment.
2.2.2 Intangible benefits
Intangible benefits are relevant aspects of a green building that are not visible or touchable,
but contribute to the use and value of the building. As earlier stated, these types of green
building benefits reduce liability and provide enhanced comfort.
 Enhanced comfort: This particular characteristic of intangible benefit means reduced
drafts and minimised floor-to-ceiling temperature stratification and control of noise.
Furthermore, many green buildings enable strong control of individual spaces or
offices. This heightens occupants’ awareness of their own control over their
workspace environment.
 Reduced negative impact on the environment, improvements in human
performance and productivity, improved company brand equity and goodwill, and
improved health of building occupants. These aspects of design may focus on
improvements in indoor environmental quality, such as air quality, temperature
control and day lighting. Additionally, sustainably designed buildings, in terms of
energy savings, have a positive effect on worker productivity and quality of life.
Other vital contributions include occupant health and comfort improvement,
stimulating the reduction of liability by lessening or eliminating toxic or harmful
substances. This may also result in reduced absenteeism and turnover. Other
improved areas include educational facilities, student retention and learning
capability. While in the healthcare facilities, sustainable design may result in faster
 recovery time for patients. However, most results concerning the influence of
sustainable design on building occupants are qualitative not quantitative.
Other intangible benefits that influence the value of a building include the following:
 Design flexibility and careful consideration of site planning to reduce the square footage
and associated systems (footprint) of the building, and right-sizing the facility while
satisfying the needs of the owner.
 Efficiency in infrastructure: for example, minimised length of sewer and utility lines and
savings on surface area for paving.
 Economised mechanical and electrical equipment, through the help of day lighting,
natural ventilation and low- or no flow plumbing fixtures. Also, high efficiency systems
and appropriate building siting are benefits.
 Use of locally-sourced or reclaimed materials, which not only boosts the local economy
but also reduces transportation costs.
2.2.3 Other benefits attributed to value of a green building include the following:
 Provision of healthier and more comfortable environments
 Improvement of long-term economic performance
 Incorporates energy and water efficient technologies
 Uses recycled material for its construction
 Reduces construction and demolition waste
 Incorporates renewable energy technologies
 Improves indoor air quality
 Reduces negative environmental impact
 Encourages greater tenant attraction
 Reduces vacancy periods

2.3 Features of Green Building

Buildings can incorporate many green features, but if they do not use energy efficiently, it is
difficult to demonstrate that they are truly green. In fact, given that the term “green building” can
be somewhat vague, some people prefer to use the term “high performance building.” A high-
performance building is a building whose energy efficiency and environmental performance is
substantially better than standard practice.
Although green buildings, on average, use less energy than conventional buildings, energy
efficiency remains elusive. In fact, there is a growing debate whether buildings that achieve some
level of green building rating system are more efficient in their use of energy than regular
buildings. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to improve a building’s energy efficiency, from
insulating walls to installing automatic shutoff switches for lights. Energy efficiency can be and
often is mandated by local and state energy codes, which require that new and substantially
renovated buildings comply with increasingly stringent energy efficiency requirements. It
suffices to say that if a building is not energy-efficient, it cannot be said to be green.
Green building is characterised by certain unique characters or elements that render it
sustainable. One of the vital elements or characteristics of a green building is its resourceful use
of energy, as this which incorporates many green features. For instance, if a building does not
use energy efficiently, it is difficult to determine if it is truly green. With a high-performance
building, for example, its environmental performance and energy efficiency is substantially
better than standard practice. Outlined below are typical features of a green building, according
to GBCSA:
 Use of daylight censored high performance chilled water
 Economy cycle water recycling systems (e.g. rain water and grey water harvesting)
 Kitchen and WC water efficient fittings (e.g. censored taps, grey water collector)
 Recycled glass and steel
 Renewable materials like bamboo and rubber
 3-pipe variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system
 Carpets made from 100% recycled material
 Wind energy (e.g. wind turbines and wind power plant)
 Photovoltaic solar panel system on building roof
 Megawatt photovoltaic solar plant
 Electrical sub-metering used for individual billing purposes
 Electric car and bicycle charging points
 Biometric reader system (BRM)
 Black water recycling system
 Water metering for monitoring and leak detection
 Vegetation efficient drip irrigation system
 Borehole water and reverse osmosis plant cyclist and shower facilities
 Use of roof light (e.g. tear drops)
 Use of inverters (a multi split air conditioner e.g. VRV III)–to enable individual zone
control
 Recycled cork panels and flooring
 Use of sunglasses
 Triple-glazed windows
 Timber flooring from a certified plantation
 Atrium roof lights
 Use of light shelves
 Eco-friendly building materials,
 Environmentally friendly construction
 Green power
 Water use efficiency
 Energy efficient and eco-friendly equipment
Module 3 Green Building Rating Tool
3.1 What is a green building rating tool?
Green building rating tools(GBRTs) also known as certification are used to assess and recognise
buildings which meet certain green requirements or standards. GBRTs are the tools that help us
measure how much green these buildings are, in shortly how to assess their sustainability. They
assess the building’s sustainability and give a degree on how much green or sustainable that
building is. So in another point of view it can be said that they urge architects to build more
sustainable buildings. Rating tools, often voluntary, recognise and reward companies and
organisations who build and operate greener buildings, thereby encouraging and incentivising
them to push the boundaries on sustainability. They kick-start the market by setting standards
that then in turn elevate the ambition of government building codes and regulation, workforce
training, and corporate strategies.
Rating tools vary in their approach and can be applied to the planning and design, construction,
operation and maintenance, renovation, and eventual demolition phases of a green building.
Rating tools can also differ in the type of buildings they are applied to, with specific tools or
subsets of tools used for different building types such as homes, commercial buildings or even
whole neighbourhoods.

A rating system is a set of best practices that assess sustainability by incorporating a series of
indicators. Environmental assessment methods are considered to be powerful and effective ways
to enhance the efficiency of buildings. Sustainability tools are the processes for classifying,
predicting, and assessing the impact of various processes on major sustainability aspects. Rating
tools have begun to redefine a stable structure for sustainable development. The rating tools offer
a means of screening that the structure has succeeded in achieving the level expected to function
in several specified ways.
There are many GBRTs around the world to certificate buildings according to their sustainability
degrees. They work through some criteria and give points/credits to the building according to
meeting these criteria. And the building finally gets its certificate degree according to how much
point/credit it gets.
Most of the GBRTs have similarities in common more than differences. This is due to the fact
that all of these systems are trying to help us create a better world and leave our children a better
and cleaner world. Therefore, the principles are and should be nearly the same: principles to
decrease the harm given to the environment. Therefore, the aim of this study is to give an
overview of mostly used GBRSs around the world from the viewpoint of sustainability. This is
going to be done by describing sustainable development, sustainability and sustainable
architecture first, and then by explaining what a green/sustainable building is and how a building
can be assessed in terms of sustainability, then by describing some of the mostly used GBRSs
around the world, by discussing the common points of these GBRTs, in the end the results
achieved through this discussion will be put forward.

3.2 LEED

3.2.1 U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), co-founded by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried and Rick
Fedrizzi in 1993, is a private membership-based non-profit organization that promotes
sustainability in building design, construction, and operation. USGBC is best known for its
development of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building
rating systems and its annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, the world’s largest
conference and expo dedicated to green building. USGBC was one of eight national councils that
helped found the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC). The current president and CEO is
Mahesh Ramanujam who acquired this role in January 2017 after co-founder Rick Fedrizzi.
USGBC is made up of tens of thousands of member organizations, chapters, and student and
community volunteers. Currently, there are more than 76 chapters, 16,000 member
organizations, and 197,000 LEED professionals, and those numbers continue to grow. Members
of USGBC include engineers, architects, building owners, contractors, facility managers,
building product manufacturers, designers, utility managers, college students, college faculties,
government agencies, and more.

USGBC promotes buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and supportive of
human health.

USGBC’s Mission:

“To transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated, enabling an
environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the
quality of life.”

USGBC’s Vision:
“Buildings and communities will regenerate and sustain the health and vitality of all life within a
generation.”

USGBC accomplishes this mission through the following:

LEED: The most widely known and used green building program across the world.
Credentials: The LEED Green Associate credential and the various LEED AP credentials offer
professionals a designation to help them stand out in the building industry.
Greenbuild International Conference & Expo: The world’s largest expo, launched in 2002,
dedicated to green buildings.
Education: USGBC provides educational programs about green buildings to further spread
environmental principles and design.
Advocacy: At every level of government, USGBC provides policymakers and community
leaders with all the tools, strategies, and resources necessary to inspire action toward a
sustainable built environment.
Chapters & Committees: USGBC contains more than 76 regional USGBC chapter organizations
for involvement from the local level to the national level.

3.2.2 What is LEED?

LEED which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a certification rating
system for green buildings, developed by the USGBC. Short after the formation of USGBC,
LEED Green Building Rating System was developed by the members of the USGBC committee
and is “voluntary, consensus-based and market-driven”. LEED is the most widely used green
building rating system in the world. Available for virtually all building types, LEED provides a
framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is a
globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership.

LEED is for all building types and all building phases including new construction, interior fit
outs, operations and maintenance and core and shell. Unsure of which rating system to use?
Check out our interactive Discover LEED tool to get started; then, use the rating system selection
guidance to make a final decision.

3.3 Green Star

3.3.1 Green Building Council of South Africa

Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) is an independent, non-profit organisation,

established in September 2007 to promote green building in South Africa’s commercial property
industry. A green building is a building which is energy efficient, resource efficient and
environmentally responsible- which incorporates design, construction and operational practices
that significantly reduce or eliminate its negative impact on the environment and its occupants.
Building green is an opportunity to use resources efficiently and address climate change while
creating healthier and more productive environments for people to live and work in.

The GBCSA works with its membership community to inspire a built environment in which
people and planet thrive. They are passionate, collaborative planet shapers that operate across the
commercial, residential and public sectors to ensure that buildings and homes are designed, built
and operated in an environmentally sustainable way. Their combined influence drives
competitive, viable and professional membership advantages. GBCSA’s affiliations enable
access to a community of experts at home and abroad. The GBCSA is one of about 75 members
of the World Green Building Council.

What They Do

They Advocate
We host events and campaigns to advocate for a better built environment.

They Educate
Professional development is available through our education offerings.

They Certify
Their suite of rating systems offers tools for almost any type of building.

Where They operate

Residential Sector
Their work in the residential sector includes the development of rating tools that allow them to
build and occupy homes that are better to live in, and better for our environment. They offer
training in this sector.

Commercial Sector
All their rating tools can be used throughout the building industry, they have over 8 tools that
you can choose from depending on your building type. They offer training for our rating tools
and other green building topics.

Public Sector
They work in the public sector focuses on advocating with local and national government for
better building standards and to create better cities for you and me. They educational content and
training is relevant to the public sector.

The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) is committed to continuously improving
the Green Star SA environmental rating tools for buildings. As such, the GBCSA conducts
periodic credit reviews based on stakeholder feedback and research and consultation. This is
done to establish the appropriateness of current credits, identify best practice benchmarks and
provide clear guidance to suppliers, manufacturers and Green Star SA project teams on the
compliance requirements.
Updates to the Green Star SA can be as a result of a Technical Clarifications (TC) and or a
Credit Interpretation Request (CIR). The Green Star SA Technical Clarifications, Credit
Interpretation Request (CIR) Rulings and Errata provide an essential source of information to all
projects undertaking Green Star SA certification.

3.3.2 What is Green Star SA?

Green Star SA is a voluntary environmental rating system that evaluates the environmental
design and construction of buildings. Green Star SA tools were developed to provide the
property industry with an objective measurement for green buildings and to recognise and
reward environmental leadership in the property industry.

The objectives of the Green Star SA Rating Tools are as follows:

 Establish a common language and standard of measurement for green buildings;
 Promote integrated, whole-building design;
 Raise awareness of green building benefits.
  Recognise environmental leadership;
 Reduce the environmental impacts of development.

3.3.2 How does Green Star SA work?

Green Star SA consists of nine separate environmental impact categories under which specific
key criteria are grouped and assessed. These nine categories are:
 Management
 Indoor Environmental Quality
 Energy
 Transport
 Water
 Materials
 Land Use and Ecology
 Emissions
 Innovation

The categories are divided into credits, each of which addresses an initiative that improves or has
the potential to improve a design, project or building’s environmental performance. Points are
awarded in each credit for actions that demonstrate that the project has met the overall objectives
of Green Star SA and the specific aims of the Green Star SA rating tool. Once all credits in each
category are assessed, a percentage score for the category is calculated. A Green Star SA
environmental weighting factor is then applied to each of the project’s category scores to reach a
single score. Green Star SA environmental weighting factors vary across rating tools to reflect
differing environmental concerns and imperatives for different building types and lifecycle
phases.

Materials Category
The Materials Category of the Green Star SA rating tools consist of Credits which target the
consumption of resources through selection, use, reuse and efficient management practices. The
credits reward reduction, reuse and the use of recycled and recyclable materials wherever
possible. The credits aim to address and improve the environmental impacts of building products
and materials by taking into consideration issues pertaining to the lifespan, lifecycle and
approach towards the use of these resources within the building fabrics of Green Star SA
certified projects. The various environmental and human health impacts arising from building
materials are reduced when use of virgin materials is limited and special attention is given to the
selection of ecologically and health-preferable materials. Aspects of the materials and resource
use that are rewarded under the Green Star SA include, but are not limited to: sustainable timber,
reuse of building façade and structure; recycled content of steel and concrete.

Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) Category

The IEQ Category of the Green Star SA rating tools consist of Credits which target the wellbeing
of the occupants. The credits address how the heating and cooling systems, lighting, indoor air
pollutants and some building attributes contribute to a healthier indoor environment quality.
Health issues such as minimisation of indoor volatile organic compounds, asbestos and
formaldehyde emissions as well as ventilation are addressed in this category.