Open AccessA Review of Housing Certification Standards with a Focus on Energy Efficiency
Author(s) -
Liao Zhang,
Claire Tam
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
iop conference series. earth and environmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1755-1307
pISSN - 1755-1315
DOI - 10.1088/1755-1315/787/1/012168
Subject(s) - certification , efficient energy use , environmental economics , energy conservation , energy consumption , order (exchange) , energy (signal processing) , set (abstract data type) , business , architectural engineering , risk analysis (engineering) , computer science , engineering , economics , finance , statistics , mathematics , management , electrical engineering , programming language
In addition to building codes and regulations, voluntary housing certification standards also play an important role in the energy efficiency of housing. Each of these standards was established in response to a set of specific demands for high performance housing. Consequently, the energy conservation technologies and design approach applicable could be very diverse and dynamic. This paper is aimed to provide a comprehensive review for the state-of-the art housing standards with a focus on energy efficiency. It was observed that these standards normally evaluate energy efficiency based on percentage savings of the design with energy conservation measures compared to a reference case. The net-zero energy balance between energy consumption and on-site energy generation is considered the highest level of performance. This paper examines if this approach is adequate and prompts future research in order to improve the effectiveness of housing standards in defining sustainable housing.