Benefits of Green Buildings

As mentioned previously, three parameters are of utmost importance: social impact,

economic impact, and environmental impact.

· Green buildings allow for better societal structures by facilitating a healthy

environment for people. Such structures often include areas having plants that uplifts
the spirits of inhabitants. They are designed to allow maximum utilization of natural
light and wind which also have a positive impact on human health.

· Economically, green buildings have a higher initial cost as compared to typical

structures but have a higher salvage value, i.e. parts of green building can be reused
or repurposed hence offsetting their higher costs in the long term.

· Green buildings are designed and constructed in an eco-conscious way. Wastage

is minimized and harmful chemicals are limited. Surroundings are preserved and
protected. Efforts are also made to improve the surrounding landscapes.

Considerations for Green Buildings

A green building has following key elements or components which are incorporated
in the design:

· Site Selection: The building site is selected so that no natural features of the
landscape are damaged or disturbed. Important facilities for the inhabitants such as
transit or hospitals are easy to access.

· Design: The building is designed to improve the living conditions of the inhabitants.
The building is easily accessible. The building incorporates features of the natural
landscape and blends into its surroundings.

· Materials: Only high quality, non-toxic and renewable materials are used. Waste
materials of other processes (such as coal ash from coal power plants or plastic
waste) can also be incorporated in the building.

· Energy: The building is designed to minimize energy losses. Most of the energy is
produced through non-perishable sources such as Solar Energy or Wind Energy.
Natural Light and Wind are used to reduce electricity usage.

· Air Quality: Using the aforementioned factors, air quality is improved. Ventilation
systems with humidity controls are used to control the climate inside the building.
Good quality filters for filtering out allergens and pathogens are also incorporated.

· Water: Minimum amount of water is used in the construction process while

ensuring that water quality in the surrounding is not impacted by the building or
construction processes. Purified water is supplied through high-quality plumbing to
the inhabitants.
· Ecology: Environmental factors are considered, and it is ensured that minimum
disturbance is produced to the natural ecology of the surroundings.

· Adaptability: Green buildings can incorporate changes stemming from the

everchanging environmental conditions. As the building demands increase, the
building can be easily modified with minimal losses.

Sustainability and Green Buildings

Sustainability of any process can be easily assessed by answering a simple

question: Can you keep doing this again and again, forever? The typical construction
process requires materials that can only be used once, are not degradable once
demolished and usually have negative impacts on the environment. Cement, for
example, requires huge amounts of energy to produce and produce toxic gases in
the process. But the use of wood or fiber panels that are produced in an
environment-friendly way and can be reused or repurposed is eco-friendly. If
required, buildings built using these materials can be demolished with little to no
impact on the ecology.

Sustainable development ensures that what we are doing now is better for us but
should also help our future generations and an endless cycle should exist. Smarter
use of natural resources will help our future generations.

Green buildings are one of the examples of sustainable development. In the

construction of the green building, we maintain a delicate balance between
environmental, social and economic issues.

The role of GBI in Malaysia

The GBI organisation was established by the Malaysia Institute of Architects or

Persatuan Arkitek Malaysia (PAM) and the Association of Consulting Engineers
Malaysia (ACEM) in 2009 to set the standards for and administrate GBI
accreditation. The organisation also trains GBI facilitators and certifiers.

The GBI rating system is strictly regulated by an independent committee, the GBI
Accreditation Panel (GBIAP). Consisting of senior building professionals; this body
reviews and awards the GBI rating to qualified projects.

The GBI rating tool provides an opportunity for property developers and building
owners to design and construct green, sustainable buildings that can provide a
healthier indoor environment, better connectivity to public transportation, the
adoption of recycling and greenery for their projects and to help reduce construction
impact on the environment.

The GBI assessment

Based on certain criteria determined by the GBI body, buildings are awarded either
the Platinum, Gold, Silver or Certified ratings. This does not stop at the construction
completion stage as buildings have to be re-assessed every three years to maintain
their ratings. This ensures that buildings are well-maintained.
Property developers would first have to submit an application for GBI assessment
and pay a fee before being appointed a GBI certifier. They will then submit the green
building design for assessment by the GBI certifier. An assessment panel will then
award a provisional GBI Design Assessment certification with an accompanying
score sheet. The final award will be given upon the completion of a Completion and
Verification Assessment (CVA) after the project is completed.

Due to the different ways that buildings are used, there are separate assessment
tools and scorecards for residential, commercial and industrial developments.

Difference between green and sustainable buildings

The terms “green building” and “sustainable building” tend to be

used interchangeably but there is a slight difference between the two.
A green building solely focuses on being environmentally friendly
while a sustainable building takes into account the social and
financial implications. For example, using wood as a construction
material is good for the environment but not so for sustainability
because trees take a long time to grow

Green Building important in Malaysia

Green buildings are designed to be energy efficient and water

efficient, which means that the cost of utilities will be reduced. This is
important considering how hot it can get in Malaysia. Buildings that
incorporate renewable energy such as solar panels will lead to a
reduction in carbon emissions. Solar power is something that can be
easily harvested in Malaysia thanks to the abundance of sunshine
that we get. The focus on using natural lighting and having good
quality indoor air contributes to a healthy living environment.

How Does THE Green Building Index Work

GBI is a crucial green rating model designed to help investors, companies, and
individuals pinpoint buildings that are committed to sustainability. It was developed
by the Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia in 2009 and is recognized
globally. Under the GBI, buildings are rated into the following:

 Platinum: Over 86 points.

 Gold: 76-85 points.
 Solver: 66 – 75 points.
 Certified: 50-65 points.

A building that does not reach the above points means that its systems are not
sustainable. Therefore, the developer has to check for specific areas of improvement
to make it achieve a higher rating. In a country where almost every property buyer
looks at sustainability rating, no developer wants to get it wrong on the GBI rating.
Green buildings in Malaysia come with a long list of benefits. Let us
highlight some of them:

 It helps to attract more property buyers in the market.

 Companies that deal with properties are able to secure a listing in eco-
driven Malaysia's capital market.
 Eco-friendly buildings are more energy efficient, which implies that users are
sure of using less on their utility bills.
 Crucial in promoting better health for the people who use them in Malaysia.
 Makes it possible for building design companies to cut their building-related
costs.
 Gives both developers and property buyers the opportunity to make an impact
in promoting a better planet for all.

What is Green Building

According to the World Green Building Council, a green building is any

development project or building that, in its design, construction, and later occupation,
eliminates or reduces the negative implications on the environment. We must say
that the whole idea is pegged on the rapidly growing concept of sustainability,
implying that you have to target the social, environmental, and governance impacts.

As we are going to see shortly, green buildings come with a long list of benefits, but
they are only achievable when the user understands the concept well. The
application of sustainability also denotes the crucial concept of continuity. Even if
your premise might have been developed before emphasis on sustainability was
adopted, it is also possible to green it using the Malaysian eco-model and the
suggestions we list later in the post.

Green building rating systems

Green buildings can contribute substantially to reducing current and future energy
demands. To achieve that important goal, regulations must be in place to promote,
encourage, and enforce the construction of every building as a green building.

Green building rating systems play a very important role in supporting this transition.
There are various green building rating systems that have been developed and are
being followed in different parts of the world. For example, Leadership in Energy and
Environment Design (LEED) in United States, BRE Environmental Assessment
Method (BREEAM) in Europe, Comprehensive Assessment System for Built
Environmental Efficiency (CASBEE) in Japan, Green Mark in Singapore, and Green
Star and Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) in India.

Green building rating systems usually include global environmental impacts to indoor
impacts (Burnett, 2007). The major categories that are included in most green
building rating systems are: sustainable site, water efficiency, energy & atmosphere,
materials & resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design. Most
rating systems assess buildings on a 100 or more point system, with the number of
points being different for different rating systems. The buildings are awarded points
for the various criteria that they successfully meet under each category; collectively,
the number of points determines the rating that the buildings receive under the
framework of that particular system.

Rating systems have gained acceptance in part because they attempt to embody the
concept of “total quality” (Berardi. U, 2012) with respect to sustainability.
Nevertheless, there are various outstanding issues that need to be resolved, one of
which is that the allocation of marks is essentially a qualitative approach that can
lead to a lack of objectivity (S.R. Chandratilake 2013).

Green buildings

A green building may be defined as a building whose construction and lifetime of

operation assure the healthiest possible environment, while making the most
efficient and the least disruptive use of land, water, energy and resources.

Some of the major features that define a green building include a climate-responsive
architectural design; passive design features and techniques for space heating,
cooling, ventilation, and daylighting; the use of renewable sources of energy; efficient
and environmentally friendly practices during construction; and, post occupancy, the
use of vernacular materials and a focus on occupant health, safety, and comfort.

Around the world, the building construction industry today faces two major
challenges. The first is the consumption of energy produced by conventional
sources, which is increasingly expensive. The second is the kind of environmental
damage that can occur as a result of building construction and operation—for
example, air, water, and soil pollution; carbon emissions and other greenhouse-gas
emissions; and damage to surrounding flora and other natural habitats.

There is increasing recognition, however, that green design can help builders
respond to both of these challenges. It not only can make a positive impact on public
health and the environment, it also can reduce operating costs, enhance building
and organizational marketability, increase occupant productivity, and help create a
sustainable community (Fowler and Rauch, 2006).

Buildings will be awarded the GBI Malaysia rating based on six key
criteria

1) Energy Efficiency

2) Indoor Environment Quality

3) Sustainable Site Planning and Management

4) Materials and Resources

5) Water Efficiency and

6) Innovation

Introduction to Green Construction

Key Principles of Green Constrcution

1. Energy Efficiency:
Green buildings are designed to minimize energy consumption and optimize
energy performance. This involves incorporating energy-efficient appliances,
lighting systems, insulation, and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning) systems, as well as utilizing renewable energy sources such as
solar or wind power.
2. Water Conservation:
Green construction emphasizes reducing water consumption through the use
of water-efficient fixtures, rainwater harvesting systems, greywater recycling,
and landscaping practices that require minimal irrigation.
3. Sustainable Materials:
The use of sustainable and environmentally friendly building materials is a
core aspect of green construction. This includes selecting materials with low
embodied energy, utilizing recycled or reclaimed materials, and opting for
locally sourced materials to reduce transportation-related emissions.
 4. Indoor Environmental Quality:
Green buildings prioritize the health and comfort of occupants by improving
indoor air quality, enhancing natural lighting, controlling noise pollution, and
utilizing non-toxic and low-emission materials. This promotes occupant well-
being, productivity, and reduces potential health risks.
5. Waste Reduction and Recycling:
Green construction promotes waste reduction through efficient construction
practices, recycling and reusing materials, and implementing proper waste
management systems to divert construction and demolition waste from
landfills.
6. Site and Land Use:
Green buildings consider the site's impact on the surrounding environment.
They strive to minimize disruption to ecosystems, preserve natural features,
and optimize site selection, orientation, and landscaping for energy efficiency
and sustainability.

Benefits of Green Construction

Green construction offers numerous benefits, including:

 Energy cost savings through reduced energy consumption.

 Lower environmental impact, including decreased greenhouse gas
emissions.
 Improved indoor air quality and occupant health.
 Increased property value and marketability.
 Enhanced occupant comfort and well-being.
 Conservation of water resources.
 Reduced construction and operational waste.
 Compliance with environmental regulations and certifications.

Green construction is a way for the building industry to move towards achieving
sustainable development, taking into account environmental, socio-economic and
cultural issues. Specifically, it involves issues such as design and management of
buildings, materials and building performance, energy and resource consumption -
within the larger orbit of urban development and management.

The key need here is to look at appropriate tools and concepts for the design and
assessment of the sustainability impacts of materials, components and technologies
used in buildings and their construction. We need to develop a better understanding
of the appropriateness of technologies that is used in buildings and for construction,
including indigenous materials and technologies currently being used.

By networking with other organizations and institutions, we need to develop capacity

– in terms of education, knowledge and experience – to use the materials,
technologies, and tools for sustainable construction. This also includes related
issues such as regulatory systems, institutional structures, market incentives, socio-
economic and historical aspects.
Ultimately, it is the broad involvement of all concerned stakeholders in the process of
adoption and implementation of green construction principles, that will drive
sustainability in the sector.

Green building management practices

According World Green Building Council (World GBC), an appearing non-governmental

institution at the international grade is the World GBC, established by David Gottfried in
1999. The World GBC is a network of national green building councils is largest international
institution in almost one hundred countries which it significant impact on the green building
marketplace. Members of green building council including Australia, Canada, India, Japan,
Korea, Spain, and the U.S. World GBC with one hundred thousand buildings and
approximately one billion square meters of green building space recorded which significant
impact is in social and environmental global network. In early 2007, national council leaders
recognized the immediate requirement found a secretariat for the World GBC that
accountable to the increasing industry in green buildings and an international view. The
secretariat was officially founded in Toronto, Canada. According to World GBC, member of
World green building council fall into one of three categories based on how developed their
organizations are: "Established", "Emerging" or "Prospective". These are independent
organizations that have developed and operate according to the best practices of the
international GBC model. Green buildings to enhance the conventional construction process
to the sustainable buildings throughout world nations. Green rating tools was introduced by
many countries to assess performance of green building such as UK was the earliest country
that started the green building rating system in 1990 known as Building Research
Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), followed by United States in
1998, with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and thereafter Japan
Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency (CASBEE) in
2001, Australia (Green Star) in 2003, Singapore (Green Mark) in 2005, Hong Kong
Comprehensive Environmental Performance Assessment Scheme (CEPAS) in 2009, and
Malaysia (Green Building Index) in 2009 (Zainol, Woon, Ramli, & Mohammad, 2013).
Eventually, there are various GB standard adopted by various countries in the world.
According to green building rating system (2009) every green building standards arrange
brief frame for recognizing and performing function, as well as evaluating green buildings
practice. This study reviews various practices contained in the “management” criteria
included in various green building standards in the world, including BREEAM, Green Globe,
HQE, Green Star, Green Star NZ, Green Star SA and BEAM Plus. Based on the review on
various GB standards in the world, this study proposed five key practices to manage green
building effectively: (1) Sustainable Procurement; (2) Sustainable Operation; (3) Resources
Management; (4) Repair and Maintenance management and (5) Environmental Health.

sustainable operations

Sustainable Operation (SO) practice is about collection of skills which is its arranged
business procedure to attaining sustainability (Gimenez, Sierra, & Rodon, 2012). As well as,
sustainable operation recognized in three steps such the planning, coordination and control
cause to saving money while protecting natural resources, environment and decrease the
carbon footprint (Gunasekaran, Irani, & Papadopoulos, 2013). Sustainable Operation
practices include life cycle cost and service life planning in BREEAM and Adoption of
sustainable development principles in operation in Green Star, Green Star NZ and Green
Star SA. In this context, there are various activities of sustainable operations in managing a
green building: evaluating building investment cost, evaluating building energy cost,
assessing building maintenance cost, taking into account building alteration cost,
determining building acquisition cost, taking into account building salvage value, examining
building environmental cost, assessing building interest rate and assessing building life-cycle
(Kayaş, 2009).

environmental health

Environmental Health (EH) is about perspectives human health which contains the quality of
human life by taking into account environmental factors, including physical, biological, social,
and psychosocial. EH including several practices such as evaluating, correcting, controlling,
and preventing that can potentially decrease negative impact on human health over the
centuries (Links, 2006). EH contained two items, which are emergency response, plan
health & safety. The practice of emergency response plan (ERP) is included as part of the
criteria in Green Globe Canada while health & safety and environmental (HSE) performance
is included in BREEAM UK and BEAM Plus in Hong Kong. Buildings encounter with natural
or unnatural unforeseen and disaster incidents such earthquake, flood, hurricanes, building
system failures, elevators, emergency power systems, medical emergency and fire (Dorge &
Jones, 2000). According to Green Globe rating system (2004), ERP used to reduce the risk
of harm and the environmental effect of emergency occurrence.

Green building concept

A green building lowers or eliminates negative effects on our climate and natural
environment through its design, construction, or operation. Green building
concept construction helps to protect natural resources while also improving our
quality of life.

A building can be made ‘green’ by including a variety of characteristics. Among them

are:

 Energy, water, and other resources are used in a more efficient manner.
 Solar energy – renewable energy resource.
 Measures to reduce pollution and waste, as well as reuse and recycling
opportunities
 The air quality indoors is good.
 Non-toxic, ethical, and sustainable materials are used.
 The environment is taken into account during the design, building, and
operation of the facility.
 In design, building, and operation, take into account the residents’ quality of
life.
 A design that allows for changes in the environment adaptation.

Any structure, whether it’s a home, an office, a school, a hospital, a community

centre, or anything else, can be considered a green building if it has the criteria
stated above.

It’s worth mentioning, though, that not all green buildings are – or should be.
Different countries and regions have different climates, cultures, and traditions, as
well as different building kinds and ages, as well as different environmental,
economic, and social concerns, all of which influence how they approach
the environmental benefits of a green building.

Green Building Features

1. Building walls and surfaces must be airtight and vapour barrier

The building will be naturally cooler if the walls are able to keep out moisture and
humidity from the outside. As a result, air-conditioning systems won’t have to work
as hard to keep the building cool. This lowers the cost of power.

2. Glass with a low solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC)

The quantity of solar radiation that enters a structure through the glass and is
released as heat is known as the solar heat gain coefficient. The lower the SHGC,
the less solar heat the building transmits, and the cooler it is. This also saves money
on power because air conditioners don’t have to do as much work.

3. Exhaust air enthalpy recovery

An enthalpy wheel is a device that recovers cooled air from the interior and uses the
coolness of this “spent” air to chill fresh air from the outside. Outside air is also
dehumidified during the process. This is a low-cost technique to improve indoor air
quality while also reducing the amount of energy used by air conditioning systems.

4. Lighting systems that are controlled by the amount of light available during the day

Sensors that detect daylight are used in this type of lighting system. During the day,
the sensor turns off the lights because the sun provides enough light. The
mechanism will turn on the lights when the sunsets.

The use of artificial lighting during the day is minimised in this manner. It avoids
situations when inhabitants are too lazy or forget to turn off lights that aren’t in use.

objective of a green building

5. Sensors that detect whether or not a room is occupied

When it detects individuals in the room, this lighting system turns on. This technology
is also used in escalators that only operate when there are people waiting to ride
them.

6. Water-saving fixtures

To achieve the same result, modern faucets and flush mechanisms utilise less water.

7. Rainwater harvesting

Rainwater is collected by a structure and stored in large containers. Plants can be

watered, toilets flushed, and cooling towers can be supplied with water.

8. Facility for the recovery of materials (MRF)

The garbage from a building is separated into biodegradable, recyclable, non-
recyclable, and special or hazardous waste at an MRF. Compostable trash can be
used as fertiliser for the plants in the building.