Green Building Rating Systems and Energy Efficiency of a Building from the Building Lifecycle Perspective

Abstract

Developmental activities after the industrial revolution had a substantial environmental impact. In an attempt to reduce the impact, the concept of sustainability attained much popularity in the global context. To promote sustainable construction practices, the World Green Building Council (WGBC) got instituted in the year 2002 with Green Building Councils (GBC) from different countries. Green Building Councils have developed various Green Building Rating Systems (GBRS) across the globe, covering different domains of sustainability like Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, Sustainable Materials, Sustainable Sites, and Indoor Environmental Quality. Statistics show that buildings consume 30–40% of total global energy. In this context, it is very much relevant to find out the scope for reducing the energy consumption in buildings, and it is achieved by carefully analysing each stage of the building lifecycle. The Green Building Rating Systems is an essential tool to assess and reduce energy consumption in buildings. This study aims to investigate the weight for various phases of the building lifecycle exploring existing GBRS. The general framework of the GBRS is investigated. The study results would serve as a useful reference while developing and improving GBRS towards achieving sustainability.