A knowledge base for Accredited Green Buildings around the world Dissertation

A knowledge base for Accredited Green Buildings around the world - Dissertation Example While BREEAM system of accreditation is more in use in UK, LEEDS system of green building accreditation is more popularly implemented in the US and other countries throughout the life cycle of a green building. 11 Chapter Two: Literature Review 11 2.1 Green Buildings 13 2.2 Concept of Green Buildings 14 2.3 Principles of Green Building 14 2.4 Rating Systems 15 2.5 BREEAM Rating System 16 2.6 BREEAM awards 17 2.7 BREEAM advantages and disadvantages 18 2.8 LEED Rating System 19 2.9 LEED certifications 20 2.10LEED’s advantages and disadvantages 22 2.11 Summary 22 Chapter Three 23 3 Methodology 23 3.1 Secondary Data 24 3.2 Primary Data 25 3.3 Quantitative Research 27 3.4 Method of Data Analysis 27 3.5 Summary 28 Chapter Four: Analysis 28 4.1 BREEAM Award Ratings 29 4.2 BREEAM Offices 29 4.3 LEED Certified Buildings 32 4.4 LEED New Construction 32 4.5 LEED for Existing Buildings 33 4.6 LEED for Core and Shell 34 4.7 LEED for Commercial Interiors 35 4.8 BREEAM vs. LEED 36 4.12 Summa ry 39 Chapter Five: Discussion 40 5.1 BREEAM Rating Systems Accreditations 40 5.3 LEED Rating System Accreditations 45 Chapter Six 46 6 Conclusion 47 References 48 Bibliography 53 APPENDICES 54 Abstract The intention of this report was to analyse the green buildings accreditations and to determine the differences between BREAM and LEED ratings for green buildings. The report specifically focused on tasks and requirements of the Green Buildings all over the world. Both primary and secondary evidence were collected, compared and correlated. The evidence gathered has been analyzed and primary findings were revealed. The intended outcome of this report was to discover the different types of accreditations that each rating system faces and to evaluate which is better. It comes out that while BREEAM is more successful and of high standard than LEED in UK, LEED has more value in other parts including US. There is also an effort to merge the best practices of all the accreditations to frame new building regulations in UK by 2019. While this effort is gaining precedence in the UK, other countries are set to follow. The results are presented using graphs, tables and figures. Evidence is divided by awards, certifications from each category under BREEAM and LEED rating systems. Chapter One: Introduction According to Yudelson (2008, p. 5) â€Å"a green building is a one use design and construction practices that significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of buildings on the environment and occupants†. Green buildings are frequently known as eco-homes or sustainable buildings. They are designed and built to energy-efficient guidelines in order to have a positive economical and environmental impact over their life cycle (SustainableBuild, 2009). Green Building’s accreditations mean that there are some certifications upon Green Buildings that must always be considered. The accreditation process ensures that their certification practices are acceptable , typically meaning that they are competent to test and certify third parties, behave ethically, and employee suitable quality assurance. To examine Green Building’s accreditation, information from two Green Buildings Rating Systems are chosen as they are the most widely used rating systems across the world Those are: BREEAM: Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, and it is based in UK LEED: Leadership in