Development of a Tool for Analyzing the Sustainability of Residential Buildings in Ohio

INTRODUCTION The building industry is one of the biggest consumers in terms of natural resources and one of the biggest producers of pollution thereafter, which has always been a cause for concern. Various constituents of the building industry together use one third of all the energy and two thirds of all electricity consumed in the United States (U.S.). According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), buildings in the U.S. account for 36% of total energy use and 65% of electricity consumption; 30% of raw materials use; 30% of waste output, which is 136 million tons annually; and 12% of potable water consumption [1]. Furthermore, buildings are a major source of the pollution that causes urban air quality problems, and the pollutants that contribute to climate change. Buildings account for 49% of sulfur dioxide emissions, 25% of nitrous oxide emissions, and 10% of the particulate emissions, all of which damage urban air quality. Buildings also produce 35% of the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions, the main green house gas [2]. Unhealthy indoor air is found in 30% of the new and renovated buildings worldwide. Typical buildings consume more of our resources than necessary, negatively impact the environment, and generate a large amount of waste. The growing population and technological advancements have added additional burdens on the resources and a point has come when the available resources need to be preserved and conserved for future generations. With the growing demand and construction, it becomes imperative to have methods to analyze both the performance and the influence of buildings and to provide accurate assessments to improve the living quality. This has led to changes in the way the design, construction, and operation of structures are approached by the building industry and owners and, subsequently, the move toward environmental performance and the birth of Sustainable or Green Buildings. Sustainable Buildings incorporate the concepts and principles of energy efficiency, water conservation, recycled-content materials, waste reduction, building longevity, healthy structures, and the integration of environmental concerns and green construction, thereby striking a balance between social, economic, and environmental performance. A number of tools are available to tie in the principles of sustainability for both new and existing buildings [3], although the high costs associated with these tools make them less usable by the public (see the comparison in Table 1). Although the available tools analyze the individual areas of the building and give recommendations, none of these tools can analyze the overall sustainability of the buildings and provide a comparative evaluation of the benefits of using sustainable options. None of the existing tools gives credit to the health, living conditions, and sustainable attitude of the occupants. The purpose of this paper is to present the development of a simple user-friendly occupant comfort and building assessment tool that helps to analyze and assess a building from the twin perspectives of sustainability and comfort. This tool aims at creating awareness on the advantages of sustainable construction and or remodeling, and educating people about environmental issues, possible solutions, and opportunities for reducing environmental impacts, and help people recognize the opportunity to lead an energy-efficient, pollution free, sustainable life. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers SOFTWARE REVIEWS