SUSTAINABILITY ANALYSIS OF
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
Ashok Kumar
Abhilash Vijayan
Department of Civil Engineering
INTRODUCTION
• Industrial Revolution
increased resource
consumption
• Growing population
increases demands for
resource
• Increase in the
consumption and results in
pollution
Increased
Consumption
Increasing
Population
Increasing
Pollution
Increasing
Demand
Buildings are a major consumer of the resources, and one of the
biggest producers of pollution
INTRODUCTION - FACTS
Buildings in the United States 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
• 12% of potable water consumption
• 49% of sulfur dioxide emissions
• 25% of nitrous oxide emissions
• 10% of the particulate emissions
• 35 % of the carbon dioxide emissions
Sustainability
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs
(The Brundtland Commission,1987)
SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS
A “Cradle-to-Cradle” Approach
SUSTAINABILITY IN
BUILDINGS
• Sustainable development measures success in
terms of economic, environmental, and social
benefits.
• The ever-increasing need for new construction
and renovation juxtaposed with the resource
and environmental crisis forced the building
industry to expand on this concept, and apply
it to the built environment.
Effect of Sustainability
Working Principles
Application of Sustainability
Pre-Design
On-Site
Design
Material Selection
Construction
Building Program
Site Analysis
Environmentally
Project Budget
& Assessment
Conscious
Team Selection
Site Development
Construction
Partnering
& Layout
Preservation of
Project Schedule
Watershed
Laws, Codes
Management &
& Standards
Conservation
Research
Site Material
Site Selection
& Equipment
Passive Solar
Design
Materials &
Specification
Indoor Air
Quality
Features &
Vegetation
Waste Mgmt
IAQ Issues
Source Control
Practices
O&M
Maintenance Plans
Indoor Quality
Energy Efficiency
Resource Efficiency
Renovation
Housekeeping &
Custodial Practices
Advanced Features of a
Sustainable Building

Best Building Form

Solar & Energy Efficient Design

Improved Indoor Air Quality

Usage of Green Materials

Proper Mechanical Systems

Efficient Lighting

Proper Testing & Maintenance
Lighting
• Daylighting &
Skylighting- Incorporated
lots of natural light to
reduce the need for
electric lighting and the
associated increase in the
air conditioning load
• Energy efficient
fluorescent T5s installed in
classrooms
Natural Ventilation
• Operable windows pull
fresh air into one side of
the classroom, while
ventilation stacks pull the
air out on the opposite
side of the classroom
• At extreme temperatures,
automatic backup
mechanical ventilation
systems can be used
Green Materials
 Materials as well as their production, use and
disposal must be safe for the planet. Most of the
materials have specific range of conditions in which
they best work
 Sustainable building materials have the following
features:
• Durable and easily maintained
• Less processing required
• Low odor
• Low emitting
• Cost-effective
• Aesthetic
Economics of Green Buildings

Reduction in lighting energy requirements by at least 50 percent

Cut heating and cooling energy consumption by 60 percent

Reduced water consumption by up to 30 percent or more
Lower building operating expenses through reduced utility and
waste disposal costs

Lower on-going building maintenance costs, ranging from
salaries to supplies


Increase worker productivity by six to 16 percent

Higher property values and potentially lower lenders’ credit risk

Higher building net income

New economic development opportunities
Benefits of Sustainable
Construction
Sustainable construction makes wise use of all the natural
resources and up to 50% reduction in energy use

Improves occupant health, comfort, productivity, reduces
pollution and landfill waste that are not easily quantified

A sustainable building may cost more up front, but saves
through lower operating costs over the life of the building

Building is designed as one system rather than a collection
of stand-alone systems with the help of the integrated system
approach

Building Sustainability
Analysis Tool
• Simple user-friendly tool that helps analyze and
assess a building from a sustainability and comfort
standpoint
• Sustainable Building Score (SBS) to quantify
building sustainability and performance
• Provides options and solutions to increase the
environmental performance of the buildings and
create sustainable buildings
METHODOLOGY
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
Energy
Lights
Water
Appliances
Fixtures
Building Envelope
Window
Insulation
Pollution Prevention
LIGHTS
• Type of Bulb
• Number of Bulbs
• Wattage
• Usage
Annual Energy Consumptio n 
Number of Bulbs  Wattage  Usage per day  Days used
1000
Recommendations
Based on Illumination provided (in lumens) by the
user’s selection
LIGHTING RECOMMENDATION
FIXTURES
SHOWERHEAD
FAUCET
FLUSH
• Flow rate
• Usage
Annual Water Usage  Gallons per minute Number of people Usage / day 
Durationof Use  Daysof Use
Recommendations
Set by DOE to reduce flow rate
ANNUAL EXPENDITURE
INTERPRETATION OF
RESULTS
• The tool calculates the sustainability of a
building in terms of Sustainable Building (SB)
Score
SUSTAINABLE BUILDING
SCORE
Thank you!
More information at
http://p2tools.utoledo.edu/