Abstract
Green buildings, compared with conventional ones, can mitigate the rapid growth of China’s carbon emissions. They offer many advantages, such as saving resources and reducing negative environmental impacts. However, few studies have assessed their incremental costs and social benefits. This study comprehensively analyzed the incremental costs and benefits of green buildings in China through the life cycle stages of preparation, design, construction, and operation-management. The Analytic Hierarchy Process and Matter Element Analysis were jointly applied to establish a comprehensive green-building cost-benefit evaluation system. Based on expert judgment, an embracive two-level index scheme and a three-step grading strategy were developed. A residential case study tested the applicability of the model. It yielded the largest share of incremental cost in the construction phase at 90.5%. The economic benefits accounted for the largest proportion of incremental benefits at 72.22%, meeting the green building criteria and achieving the highest 3-star rating. The study has developed a full life-cycle costing methodology for green building design and quantified the benefits at each stage. The findings offer the theoretical and practical basis to refine the assessment of green building projects and improve green building performance to meet sustainable development goals.
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Abbreviations
- ΔC:
-
Green building incremental costs
- AHP:
-
Analytic Hierarchy Process
- B6 :
-
Land acquisition benefits
- B7 :
-
Underground space benefits
- C5 :
-
Green building costs
- C6 :
-
Conventional construction cost
- CE:
-
Cost-effectiveness ratio
- GCES:
-
Green-building cost-benefit evaluation system
- LCC:
-
Life Cycle Cost
- MATLAB:
-
Matrix Laboratory
- MEA:
-
Matter Element Analysis
- NPV1 :
-
Present value of green building benefis
- NPV2 :
-
Increased costs of green buildings over conventional buildings
- P1 :
-
Local electricity price
- P2 :
-
Local water price
- P3 :
-
market price
- P4 :
-
Price per square meter of awards
- P5 :
-
Benefit per square meter
- P6 :
-
Sewage wastewater market treatment prices
- P7 :
-
Emission reductions per unit of standard coal in China
- Q1 :
-
Electricity savings from heating and air conditioning between green and conventional buildings
- Q2 :
-
Electricity savings between LED and ordinary lamps
- Q3 :
-
Electricity savings from using renewable energy in green buildings
- Q4 :
-
Water savings
- Q5 :
-
Reclaimed water recycling capacity
- Q6 :
-
Rainwater recycling volume
- Q7 :
-
Structural material savings
- Q8 :
-
Building material savings
- Q9 :
-
Savings in coal use in green buildings compared to conventional buildings
- Q10 :
-
Reduction of sewage effluent
- S:
-
Area
- SE:
-
Comprehensive benefits
- SPSS:
-
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences
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This work was supported by the research grant kindly provided by the Ministry of Housing and Construction of China (grant number 2021R046) and the Fujian Province Science and Technology Department of China (grant number 2019R0032).
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Li, X., Lin, M., Xie, W. et al. Holistic Life-cycle Cost-benefit Analysis of Green Buildings: A China Case Study. KSCE J Civ Eng 27, 4602–4621 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-023-0431-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-023-0431-3