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Integrated Design Process
  • Only non-point system – A team collaboration strategy
  • Inter-disciplinary work between architects, engineers, costing specialists, operations people and other relevant actors right from the beginning of the design process.
  • Recognized in other point systems.
for more details on IDP.
Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency
Mainly used in Japan and Asia.
  • Q (Quality): Building Environmental Quality & Performance: Evaluates "improvement in living amenity for the building users, within the hypothetical enclosed space (the private property)."
  • L (Loadings): Building Environmental Loadings: Evaluates "negative aspects of environmental impact which go beyond the hypothetical enclosed space to the outside (the public property).
Point scale of 1-5

Rating categories
  • Energy efficiency
  • Resource efficiency
  • Local environment
  • Indoor environment
Military rating system based on modification of LEED, but are in the process switching to LEED
Building Research Establishment
  • UK based, but can be customized to international locations which is referred to as BREEAM International: Bespoke
  • Predominately a design stage assessment to incorporate elements early in the project.
BREEAM assesses buildings against a set criteria and provides an overall score which will fall within a band providing either a; PASS, GOOD, VERY GOOD or EXCELLENT rating.

for more details on BREEAM.
National Association of Home Builders
  • A collaboration mainly between National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the International Code Council (ICC) and the National Research Center.
  • National standard was released on February 14, 2008
  • Its model green home building guidelines consist of a variety of distinct line items that a builder can choose from in creating a green home
  • A voluntary green home building standard that can be adopted by green home building programs or local building departments as a conformance guide. North Dallas HBA has Green Built North Texas based on the national model
  • Award scale: Bronze, Silver Gold.
    • Lot Design, Preparation, and Development - total - 104
    • Resource Efficiency - total - 208
    • Energy Efficiency - total - 454
    • Water Efficiency - total - 70
    • Indoor Environmental Quality - total 158
    • Operation, Maintenance and Homeowner Education - total - 19
    • Global Impact - total - 37
for more details on NAHB.
Green Building Initiative - Canada and USA

An on-line auditing tool that lets designers, property owners and managers:
  • Assess and rate existing buildings against best practices and standards
  • Integrate principles of green architecture at every stage of project delivery for retrofits and the design of new buildings
The program produces a detailed report based on a confidential questionnaire.

for more details on Green Globe.
LEADERSHIP in ENERGY and ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

A leading-edge system for certifying DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, & OPERATIONS of the greenest buildings in the world.

LEED project rating systems:
  • New Construction (NC)
  • Homes
  • Commercial interiors
  • Core and Shell
  • Schools
  • Retail
  • Healthcare
LEED Categories (New construction)
  • Sustainable Sites - 14pts
  • Water Efficiency - 5 pts
  • Energy & Atmosphere - 17 pts
  • Materials & Resources - 13 pts
  • Indoor Environmental Quality - 15 pts
  • Innovation & Design Process - 5 pts
Total point system with max. 69 pts for platinum level.

Certified: 26-32 points
Silver: 33-38 points
Gold: 39-51 points
Platinum: 52-69 points

LEED for Homes
  • Sustainable Sites
  • Water Efficiency
  • Energy & Atmosphere
  • Materials & Resources
  • Indoor Environmental Quality
  • Innovation & Design Process
  • Location and Linkages
  • Awareness and Education
Energy Star EPA rating for energy efficiency i.e. at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes.

An Energy Star home gains 34 out of 38 points in the LEED for Homes Energy & Atmosphere category. To get a theoretically 3 bedroom, 2400 sqft house just LEED certified you need 49 points. Thus with energy star you have already approx. 69% of required points.

for more details on LEED.
Home Energy Rating Systems

What is the HERS Index?
A home energy rating involves an analysis of a home’s construction plans and onsite inspections. Based on the home’s plans, the Home Energy Rater uses an energy efficiency software package to perform an energy analysis of the home’s design. This analysis yields a projected, pre-construction HERS Index. Upon completion of the plan review, the rater will work with the builder to identify the energy efficiency improvements needed to ensure the house will meet ENERGY STAR performance guidelines. The rater then conducts onsite inspections, typically including a blower door test (to test the leakiness of the house) and a duct test (to test the leakiness of the ducts). Results of these tests, along with inputs derived from the plan review, are used to generate the HERS Index score for the home.

The HERS Index
The HERS Index is a scoring system established by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) in which a home built to the specifications of the HERS Reference Home (based on the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code) scores a HERS Index of 100, while a net zero energy home scores a HERS Index of 0. The lower a home’s HERS Index, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the HERS Reference Home.

Each 1-point decrease in the HERS Index corresponds to a 1% reduction in energy consumption compared to the HERS Reference Home. Thus a home with a HERS Index of 85 is 15% more energy efficient than the HERS Reference Home and a home with a HERS Index of 80 is 20% more energy efficient.

for more details on HERS Index.
What are green building rating systems?

Rating systems take a systematic approach to evaluating implementation of green building measures to help compare projects on a level playing field. Guidelines and rating systems are available for various types of projects on local, statewide, and national scales. Be aware that not all systems require independent, third-party verification of green building measures.

Green building rating systems use a scoring system designed to evaluate new and remodeled buildings against a selected standard for environmental performance.

Sustainable design guidelines are a way to include environmental issues on the design, construction and operation of new and renovated buildings. These guidelines typically contain strategies or solutions for sustainable design.

Green building strategies are most effective when they are integrated from the very beginning of a project, but the resources listed below can be useful at any point in the building process. Several of the main and popular rating systems include the above:

for more details on any of the rating systems.

      
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