Sustainability Evaluator
Intended users
For this tool, the primary intended users will be architects, engineers involved in designing and evaluating the building for sustainability. Some secondary users can be building owners, facility managers interested in the environmental performance of their building.
Need you’re trying to provide a solution or support for
Evaluating sustainability of a building requires consideration of various factors such as energy efficiency, water usage, material sustainability, environmental quality, etc. This comprehensive tool will help architects and engineers to asses these factors and provide insights to improve the overall sustainability of the building design.
Inputs
Design Variables:
Building Geometry
Window to wall ratio
HVAC system type
Lighting system type
Material used
Renewable energy systems
Water usage systems
Constants:
Climate
Building Occupancy
Local Building Standards
Underlying logic of the model you’ll implement
This model will assess various sustainability metrics for the building. The key aspects of the logic include:
Energy Efficiency
Calculate the energy consumption based on geometry, HVAC and lighting system
Asses the potential energy saving from renewable energy sources
Water Usafe
Estimate the water consumption based on water usage systems and occupancy
Evaluate the potential water savings from fixture types, possible water harvesting systems
Material Sustainability
Calculate the embodied carbon of materials used in the building
Asses the potential use of sustainable or recycled materials
Indoor Environmental Quality
Evaluate the indoor air quality based on HVAC and material emissions.
Assess natural lighting based on climate, window-to-wall ratio and building orientation
Outputs
Sustainability Scorecard
Energy efficiency score
Water usage score
Material sustainability score
Indoor environmental quality score
Note: Based on the score achieved it can possibly suggest alternatives to improve the score. There can be a chart to visually represent the energy and water consumption, embodied carbon and the indoor environmental quality.