Green building performance evaluation for existing commercial buildings

Abstract

Existing commercial buildings are performing poorly relative to the demands of the decarbonising agenda. The result is not only excess carbon emissions, but working environments that are sub-optimal for occupants. This thesis covers the development and trial of the Green Performance Evaluation Tool (GPET) which identifies five key elements impacting holistic building performance. The GPET shows interlinked and interdependent weaknesses across the five elements and proposes a new concept called ‘Conscious Building’.