建筑电气外文文献

[T10-17] Intelligent Building Assessment Rating MethodsYu Ma*, Kecheng Liu*Informatics Research Centre, School of Business, University of Reading, Reading, UK*Corresponding e mail: yu.ma@, k.liu@Keywords: Intelligent buildings, Built environment, Building assessmentSUMMARYConstruction industry must take responsibilities and act to improve building design, construction, operation and management, to reduce the negative impact on human beings and global environment. Many concepts, e.g. intelligent building (IB), green building (GB), bio-home, have been used in new building constructions and the refurbishments of old ones. The works in the research community and industry have offered us enlightening methods and passports in getting through the new construction era. This paper discusses how the principles of IB and GB can improve building energy consumption and performance. Following that, it will demonstrate how current IB assessment rating methods can be applied to improve the development of construction industry through examining of theory, method and practice of IB assessment. A case study of IB assessment is conducted for illustration.INTRODUCTIONHuman beings are about to enter the urban century. The majority of the world’s population will live in urban areas. The growing population will demand an increasing number of buildings to live, work, receive education and conduct other activities. Moreover, people spend over 90% of their times living and working in buildings (Clements-Croome, 2004). Many buildings will be designed, constructed and refurbished over the next decades; therefore, there is increased demand of natural resources (energy, water, timber, etc.), increased pollution and waste generations, all of which will affect the Earth’s natural environment. According to Woolley, Kimmins, Harrison & Harrison (1997), nearly 50% of the UK’s total energy consumption is in heating, lighting and otherwise serving buildings. And in recent years, this number is increasing gradually. According to BRE (2008), 52% energy use in the UK is attributed to buildings, and 22% of energy use in the UK is from transport of people to and from buildings. Thus, construction industry is one of primary pollution sources, which has serious impact on human beings and the surrounding environment.Construction industry must take responsibilities and act to improve building design, construction, operation and management, to reduce the negative impact on human beings and built environment. In modern times, due to the shortage of non-renewable energy and the deterioration of Earth environment, more and more people are becoming concerned about the building environments in which human beings spend most of their times living and working. Experts and environmentalists have strong desires strongly to find out solutions on construction industries to mitigate or solve these problems and to protect the planet where human beings live. Many construction concepts emitted, e.g. Intelligent Building (IB), Green Building (GB) and Bio-Home, which can be used in new constructions and the refurbishments, may offer human beings enlightening methods and passport in getting through the new construction era. This research will investigate how the principles of IB and GB can improvebuilding performance and reduce harmful impact on the built environment. Following that, it will demonstrate on how IB assessment rating methods can be applied to improve the development of construction industry via explanation of the definition, significance and problems of current IB rating methods.IB and GBThe concept of intelligent building emitted in history, however they have developed rapidly in the past 20 years and been accepted by more and more occupants. According to European Intelligent Building Group (1982), intelligent buildings are defined as:‘Buildings which maximize the efficiency of their occupants while at the same time allowing effective management of resource with minimum lifetime costs; efficient use of buildings, space and business systems to support staff in effectively operating their businesses.’Gann (1992) indicated that “intelligence refers to a capacity for understanding and the ability to perceive and comprehend meaning”. It is generally thought that an intelligent building has advanced automatic equipment, high speed information communication network and effective maintenance systems, etc. Indeed based on the implement of developing intelligent design concept, operation and management technologies, IB can supply a higher comfortable environment, lower resources consumption and the sustainable development to meet the demands of stakeholders. IB design is not only concerned with the environmental impact performance and the efficiency of resource management, but also the well-beings and productivities in workplace. It can be argued that intelligent design can be divided into four aspects, improved environment for occupants, reduced project capital cost, improved operational performance and reduced cost of operation, which are the key criteria within measurement procedure of IB performance and value (Cole, 1998).A green building is a kind of sustainable construction; it can greatly contribute to our quality of life with more comfortable, healthy, sustainable and lower-polluted environment. Generally, when people talk about green buildings, they usually describe them as environmentally friendly building based on sustainable development. There is some evidence that green buildings have more advanced characters than existing simple buildings, because they can provide more benefits to the human beings and environment, such as lower environmental impact, economic and social benefits. Green building’s designer concerns with the environmental situations as primary target. However, the designer of the intelligent building concerns with the efficiency of resource management and productivities of occupants. It is thought that principles of green building and intelligent building has the same essentials in improving the environmental situation and energy consumptions what contribute primarily to the built environment.IB ASSESSMENT METHODSMajor Assessment MethodsIB assessment methods is second generation building assessment methods to measure the performance and value of developing IBs, including several added key performance factors of building stakeholders concerns and requires from design stage to end-to-use: energy efficiency design, pollution and waste control, health effects on productivity and sustainability of buildings, and other factors have affects on performance of resources and productivity in workplace. Each factor can be divided into many criteria and obtained score of performance whether or not plus these features weighting ratio in total building performance. IBassessment methods can constitute a set of construction design and operation targets to provide specific performance objectives and provide a quantitative and qualitative framework to assess built environment and performance. Indeed many of these building assessment rating methods are developed for assessing GB in specific situation and environment, and most of them are different in definition, significance and assessment procedure. However, most of them include four key elements: environment, societal, economic and natural resources, which are the key performance factors of existing buildings.BreeamThere is a well-known technique of assessment, the Building Research Establishment Environment Assessment Method (BREEAM), developed by the British Research Establishment, UK, 1990, and used worldwide rapidly as the benchmark for assessing building environmental performance. BREEAM uses a comprehensive checklist of criteria, including the construction and building maintenance system which covers eight factors: management, energy consumption, well-being, pollution, transport, location, material and water (figure 1). In addition, BREEAM can be used to aim for a certain amount of energy or water to be used.Figure1. Process of BREEAM (Source: BREEAM Fact File, 2007)It is thought that BREEAM assessment method can assess most environmental criteria of a building, and can set some specific resources consumption targets in advanced, or compared with selected building. Thus, BREEAM assessment process can contribute to environmental improvement over a wide range of building types from medium-sized to large one, from relatively new building to old one (BRE, 2008). In addition, it can also provide building stakeholders’ motivation to improve the performance of a project. Moreover, it does include practical solutions about how developers and investors can improve and develop through demonstrate on missed documents or installation of energy efficient systems.LeedLEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) born in U.S.A and began its development in 1994. From 1994 to 2006 (USGBC, 2008), LEED grew from one standard for new construction to a comprehensive system of six interrelated standards covering most aspects of the development and construction process: Sustainable sites; Water efficiency; Energy and atmosphere; Materials and resources; Indoor environmental quality; Innovationand design process. LEED was created to accomplish the following tasks: define ‘green building’ by establishing a common standard of measurement; promote integrated, whole-building design practices; recognize environmental leadership in the building industry; stimulate green competition; raise consumer awareness of GB benefits; transform the building market. However, it does not use a discernible organizing framework or distinct categories for these criteria. Criteria are simply listed in alphabetical order.Through-life AssessmentThrough-life assessment is a principally method of evaluating the environmental impacts of a building taking into account its full life cycle, from the beginning of construction to the end. Through-life analysis of a product’s environmental impact is a relatively novel, and still arguable field (Clements-Croome, 2004). It is showed that this method involve all criteria in a building’s life, for instance, extraction, production, distribution, use and disposal, and give the score depending on their positive or negative impact on environment. However, there are hundreds criteria in a building need to be assessed, hence this method has advantages whilst might be disadvantages. The most fundamental problem with Through-life assessment is in trying to come up with a single aggregate ‘score’ for each aspect of a project. This would entail trying to judge the relative importance of, for instance, 50g emission of ozone depleting, which is very difficult and complex to obtain. And most of these data come from construction companies, not from practical building cost, so the reliability of these data should be considered and evaluated carefully.Impact of IB AssessmentIB rating methods are the second generation building environmental assessments. Compared with first generation building assessment methods, it can be used to improve building performance over both short-term and long-term; enhance and emphasize sustainability; add life-cycle value; provide a set of considered targets and criteria; achieve higher environmental performance; provide information about building operation and management; lower maintenance cost; provide references to new building design, construction, operation and management, etc. IB rating methods implies measuring how well or poorly a building is performing, or is likely to perform.IB rating methods should consider and derive from the basic environmental elements and impacts of human activities. Above mentioned there are three IB rating methods that use commonly in the world, and there are many more IB rating methods in various countries. And these three building rating methods are some of them which be used commonly and practically. Every method has its particular benefits and advantages. There is no method can cover every factors of an intelligent architecture, and achieve the perfect performance of assessment, because exist some disadvantages inevitably. To obtain the correct and reliable evaluation result, developers and designers should have the abilities to choose the appropriate method for specific building and stakeholders’ requirements.CASE STUDY: BEDZED LOW ENERGY SCHEMEBREEAM is applied in building assessment to identify deficiencies in response to the recent development of new buildings. Further improvements have been suggested. In this case, BREEAM is applied to assess the performance of Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZed) located in South London is the UK’s intelligent and green housing, which designed as a giant machine to save the most energy, and impact as little as possible on the environment. Regarding to Peabody Trust (2004), “the BedZed system integrates environmental, social andeconomic needs and brings together proven strategies to reduce energy, water and car use”. The BedZed system have a number of intelligent and green technologies in achievement their residents comfortable, safety and saving costs, but this assignment focus on limited aspects of ZED system: environmental circumstances and impact, energy consumption and sustainability. IB Assessment Applied in BedZedThe green and intelligent building techniques in ZED environment can give the residents a comfortable and safety circumstances from exterior to interior. For instance, an appropriate dry ditch is set in front of the house to provide a water-filled, valuable wildlife habitat and an attractive landscape feature. Due to high density housing cannot supply enough green space and sports pitch, every single building in BedZed has a conservatory and roof garden what can supply some healthy organic food and grow some plants or flowers. Each housing gets every eco-angle covered, much of it born of common sense, such as facing homes within 20 degrees of south, to catch the sun to use as daylight can give the occupants who work in local areas a good working environment. The natural ventilation system is the magic chimneys as symbol of BedZed, which are two-way, “so warm stale air exhaled from each home heats incoming cool air, caught as each chimney rotates to let the homes breathe” (Peabody Trust, 2004). Hot water generation varies throughout the year but with as little as 4 square meter of collector sufficient hot water can be gained to sustain about 60% of hot water service requirements for the needs of a two-person household. It should be noticed that hot water use for hand washing, showers and baths is at a stable rate throughout the year and does not peak in cold weather as had been originally thought. All systems, mentioned above, installed in BedZed houses make large contributions to obtain higher score using BREEAM.A building with green techniques cannot only create comfortable environment, but also can use the materials what can get from local available materials and consider the vernacular environment and climate. Adequately concerns about the resources and environments around the location, mostly renewable or recycled materials (more than 50%) sourced carefully from within a 35-mile radius of the BedZed to save petrol, and hence easy to replace and maintain. Using green materials and intelligent techniques give the BedZed housing short-term added performance and long-term appreciated value, thus the implementation of environmental friendly systems and utilization of lower embodied material can give higher score in assessment process.Energy efficiency is another key factor in assessment process of BedZed scheme. The BedZed energy system does not rely on the high intelligent solutions, but is based on the economic techniques to maximum the efficient utilization of non-renewable energy and increase the renewable energy application, whilst minimize the energy demands of homes and offices. This provides a “carbon-neutral” energy supply to BedZed development, avoiding contribution to the greenhouse effect. Regarding to Woods (quoted in Clements-Croome, 2006), solar system with a reasonable control strategy, which be installed similarly as BedZed Sheme, can achieve an annual energy requirement of 50% less compared with conventional buildings. The BedZed public transport plan to reduce the demands and using to travel, they provide on-site facilities and grocery delivery services, and make the maximum possibility commute interior. Due to the transport accounts for over 22% of UK energy consumption, facilities such as BedZed car club can provide pay-as-you-drive electric vehicles and use the building solar panels to generate enough electricity to charge vehicles cost-freely. In addition, there are some secure bicycle storages for occupants to reduce the local pollution and congestion. Solar systems are installed using most conventional boiler layouts, including comb boilers, and also are linked to under floor heating systems by use of a thermal store.Peabody Trust (2004) pointer that about 50% residents said they had noticed a reduction in fuel bills since living in BedZED.Below is one example of assessment in Construction Site Impact of BedZed Sheme:1.Credits are available where evidence provided demonstrates that 2 or more of items a-g, listed below are achieved.2.Credits are available where evidence provided demonstrates that 4 or more of items a-g, listed below are achieved.3.Credits are available where evidence provided demonstrates that 6 or more of items a-g, listed below are achieved.4.One additional credit where evidence provided demonstrates that all site timber isresponsibly sourced.a)monitor, report and set targets for CO2 or energy arising from site activities;b)monitor, report and set targets for CO2 or energy arising from transport to and fromsite;c)monitor, report and set targets for water consumption arising from site activities;d)monitor construction waste on site;e)sort and recycle construction waste;f)adopt best practice policies in respect of air (dust) pollution arising from the site;g)adopt best practice policies in respect of water (ground and surface) pollutionoccurring on the site.Credit validation: Letter of appointment confirm that Construction Confederation will monitor, report and set targets for CO2 or energy arising from transport to and from site, evidence in House Specifications. And energy use is monitored at least weekly & recorded weekly alongside monthly targets in sections of House Specifications – requirement a and b achieved;A water meter, with a pulsed output, has been installed on the mains water supply to the building, but no mention of targets or monitoring procedures – requirement c not achieved; Construction waste is monitored & the targets have been set – requirement d achieved; Sorting and recycling of construction waste is mentioned – requirement e achieved; Pollution issues not addressed – requirement f and g not achieved; There is evidence provided from House Specifications demonstrates that all site timber is responsibly sourced. Therefore 3 credits can be awarded.Credit references: House Specifications.Further information/action:The 3 credit can be awarded in the final assessment if the design team can provide documentation confirming the following or carry out the suggestions below: •monitor, report and set targets for water consumption arising from site activities;•adopt best practice policies in respect of air (dust) pollution arising from the site;•adopt best practice policies in respect of water (ground and surface) pollution occurring on the site.Limitation in Assessment MethodsIt is generally thought that IB assessment rating methods should assist building developers and users to make the occupants’ life simply, comfortably and easily. Users of BedZed want the systems to be simple and seamless, easy to use, easy to maintain, easy to change and upgrade, however, the BedZED low energy scheme in South London has some dissatisfiedaspects and some places need to be improved whilst there are a number of satisfied and advanced characteristic in assessment process. Peabody Trust (2004) points that the main issues mentioned were problems with the heating system, about 45% of residents said they did not fully understand how their heating system worked, even the energy efficient heating system installed in BedZed houses obtain higher score in total assessment. However, there is no central heating system and the residents must learn how to adjust the chimneys to maintain a particular temperature, and “about 67% of residents said they cannot control the temperature of the heating adequately” (Peabody Trust, 2004). The IB rating methods should help designers and users to figure this problem out at the design stage.Recommendation for ImprovementThese principles of intelligent and green buildings are combined effective and reasonable to give the BedZed housing a comfortable and convenient circumstance what appreciate the performance and value. And IB assessment rating methods can achieve expected and improved expectation of building performance from design stage to occupancy stage. Although intelligent and green buildings have the different focus, it shows that they have more advanced characters than current buildings, because they can provide more benefits to the built environment. They have the same essentials in improving the environmental situation and energy consumptions what contribute primarily to the environment pollution which can be presented in IB assessment criteria. However, there are some prospective visions only on future projects, because many intelligent and green concepts and technologies in existing buildings are expensive and unpractical. They are still costly, but the costs are decreasing. Moreover, these utilizations of new information technologies will be considered then assessed in IB assessment rating methods. In the progress of assessment, it is found that some process of recycling may take more energy consumptions, some systems’ alternative may increase the significant energy using which result in the higher cost of energy. Totally, the efficient use of resources and minimum the waste of product through out the whole life of the building can increase value of buildings which should be presented in building assessment criteria.Every method has its particular benefits and advantages. However, there is no method can cover every factors of an intelligent architecture, and achieve the perfect performance of assessment, because exist some disadvantages inevitably. Many current IB assessment rating methods also have several limitations evidently which may constrain the effectiveness and correction of the evaluation process. Although these systems have different criteria or features in terms of assessment criteria and scoring approaches, rating method is generally adopted. Indeed many of these building assessment rating methods are developed for assessing green buildings in specific situation and environment, and most of them are different in definition, significance and assessment procedure. To obtain the correct and reliable evaluation result, developers and designers should have the abilities to choose the appropriate method for specific intelligent buildings and stakeholders’ requirements.CONCLUSIONSSustainability has the characteristics in a respect of the natural environment and the placement of high values on quality of human life, and should be a rising trend in the future. Enhanced sustainable design will contribute significantly to the quality of human life and Earth’s environment. IB assessment rating methods not only tell the building developer whether or not a project will be cheaper to heat and ventilate, maintain, repair and that the indoor climate is good for occupants, but also can make developers of buildings to accept a social responsibility for Earth’s environment over a long time. IB assessment rating methods cangive people some ways to recognize the importance and key factors of green policy, then develop and design environment friendly project based on the green policy that benefits both building indoor and outdoor environment. Quite small changes of environmental impact in exist buildings could be enough to bring a sustainable future (Clement-Croome, 2004). The intelligent concept should be implemented uncompromisingly and seriously. However, at present only fewer projects tend to require an environment impact statement, but eventually,all building proposals, perhaps, be required to assess their environmental impact.Green and intelligent buildings have abilities and potentials to provide human beings, who spend their most time of life in buildings, more healthy and responsible workplace environments, meanwhile reducing the harmful impact on our planet, reducing energy consumptions and wastes. Accompanied by the increasing number of people concerning with our environment and energy consumption, the IB can be developed quickly and healthily. It is critical to develop and promote IB assessment rating methods in construction industry. Existing green/intelligent building rating methods provide a roadmap on how to build intelligent then assesses how well the goal has been achieved. IB assessment rating methods can ensure that a building was constructed as designed and will perform as expected, and thatwill benefit us all.REFERENCESBRE (2008), BREEAM Office Assessor Training Courses. Available from: [Accessed 24 April 2008].BREEAM (2007), BREEAM fact file [online]. Available from: /filelibrary/breeam_Fact_File_V5_-_Oct_2007.pdf [Accessed 30 January 2007].Clements-Croome, D.J ed. (2004), Intelligent Buildings: Design, Management & Operation.London: Thomas Telford.Clements-Croome, D.J et al. (2006), Creating the Productive Workplace. London: Taylor & Francis.Cole, R. J., (1998), Emerging trends in building environmental assessment methods, Building Research & Information, 26:1, 3-16, [online]. Available from: /smpp/title~content=t713694730 [Accessed 12 February 2008].European Intelligent Building Group, 1982.Gann, D. (1992), Intelligent Buildings: Producers and Users, pp. 1-9. Science Policy Research Unit.Peabody T. (2004), BedZED resident survey results, Report for Property Standards Panel – April 2004.USGBC (2008), LEED Rating Systems, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Washington, USA. Available from: [Accessed 12 February 2008].Woolley, T., Kimmins, S., Harrison, P., & Harrison, R. (1997), Green Building Hand Book: A guide to building products and their impact on the environment. London: E & FN Spon.。