A comparison of green building assessment systems

Abstract

Construction is one of industries that have negative impacts on the environment. Relevant organizations both in Thailand and other countries have been trying to minimize these impacts. Developing green building assessment systems is one of efforts in reducing environmental impacts and using natural resources efficiently. Currently, there are many green building assessment systems with different objectives and assessment scopes in some details. This could cause some confusion in selecting the suitable system for the project in accordance with its environmental, social and economical contexts. This study was aimed to compare and provide overview and components of these systems. The comparison results can be used as a guideline for further development of green building assessment systems. It is found that most major green building assessment systems still concern only environmental issues while newly developed systems have included social and economic issues in their criteria. Furthermore, the system which is developed in one environment could not be used with full capabilities in another. This will lead to more research in developing the assessment system that is more comprehensive and adaptable enough to be used effectively in various environment.