Green building design criteria evaluation assessment of berde green building rating system

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH CITY HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY JUSTINE MHARZELINE GONZALES-GUANZON GREEN BUILDING DESIGN CRITERIA EVALUATION: ASSESSMENT OF BERDE GREEN BUILDING RATING SYSTEM ĐÁNH GIÁ TIÊU CHÍ THIẾT KẾ CƠNG TRÌNH XANH: THẨM ĐỊNH HỆ THỐNG XẾP HẠNG CƠNG TRÌNH XANH BERDE Major: Construction Management MAJOR CODE: 8580302 MASTER’S THESIS HO CHI MINH CITY, DECEMBER 2022 i THIS RESEARCH IS COMPLETED AT: HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY – VNU HCM Instructor 1: Dr Nguyen Anh Thu Instructor 2: Ph.D./ Associate Prof Pham Vu Hong Son Examiner 1: Assoc Prof Do Tien Sy Examiner 2: Dr Nguyen Thanh Viet Master’s Thesis is defended at HCMC University of Technology, VNU-HCM on December 07, 2022 The Board of The Master’s Thesis Defense Council includes: President: Assoc Prof Dr Luong Duc Long Secretary: Assoc Prof Tran Duc Hoc Counter-Argument Member: Assoc Prof Do Tien Sy Counter-Argument Member: Dr Nguyen Thanh Viet Council Member: Dr Nguyen Van Tiep Verification of the Chairman of the Master’s Thesis Defense Council and the Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering after the thesis is corrected (If any) CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL DEAN OF FACULTY OF CIVIL _ Assoc Prof Dr Luong Duc Long _ENGINEERING i VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH CITY HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM INDEPENDENCE – FREEDOM – HAPPINESS THE TASK SHEET FOR THE MASTER’S THESIS Full Name: Justine Mharzeline Guanzon Date of Birth: October 16, 1996 Major: Construction Management I II III IV V Student Code: 2070283 Place of Birth: Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines Major Code: 858032 Thesis Topic: Green Building Design Criteria Evaluation: Assessment of BERDE Green Building Rating System Đánh Giá Tiêu Chí Thiết Kế Cơng Trình Xanh: Thẩm Định Hệ Thống Xếp Hạng Cơng Trình Xanh BERDE Tasks and Contents: To address the gaps about the BERDE User Guide Version 4.2.0 Tasks Starting Date: March 2022 Tasks Ending Date: December 2022 Instructors: Dr Nguyen Anh Thu and Ph.D./ Associate Prof Pham Vu Hong Son HCM City, December 2022 INSTRUCTOR Dr Nguyen Anh Thu INSTRUCTOR Ph.D./ Associate Prof Pham Vu Hong Son HEAD OF DEPARTMENTS DEAN OF FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost, I thank the Almighty God for guiding and protecting me in every part of this thesis project Many problems are encountered in this study, but through Him, everything becomes possible, and I can overcome everything Also, I would like to thank and give my sincerest gratitude to the following people for their exemplary contribution to finishing this thesis project: To Dr Nguyen Anh Thu and Ph.D./ Associate Prof Pham Vu Hong Son for believing in my capacity to finish this project, and thus providing me with their support for sharing their knowledge, insights, and over-all expertise in this research work, utmost thanks I want to express my sincerest gratitude for continuously encouraging me through this program To my colleagues and mentors at Hydronet, especially Dr Danilo Jaque, Ms Joan Jaque, and Luzon Team, for their understanding every time I have school activities and programs Everything I learn under your supervision shapes who I am today You defined what mentors are supposed to be for me, communicative and supportive To my closest friends here in Vietnam, John, Eby, and Poe, thank you for cheering me up throughout our thesis Without you three, this will not be possible To my friends, who are always a call away, Ailyn, Terey, Gem, and Bren, you guys make dealing with everything a smile better To my family, Mama, Ate, Andrei, Simone, and Nelzeim, thank you for helping me finish this study in every way possible, financially, physically, and emotionally Thank you for always being at my side throughout my life Thank you for your full support for me to get the best opportunities All my success is not ours To my family and friends for giving their utmost support in everything I do, this is all for you iii SUMMARY OF MASTER’S THESIS The use of the technical term "sustainability" has recently increased As a response to the strengthening inclination towards sustainability, Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE) was named the National Voluntary Green Building Rating Scheme (GBRS) Department of Energy (DOE), with assistance from the Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC), created BERDE as part of the Philippine Energy Efficiency Program (PEEP) Nevertheless, despite being available to the public for more than ten years, local businesses still prefer to use other GBRS over BERDE This study aims to pinpoint conceptual gaps in the BERDE User Guide Version 4.2.0 The author uses Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to examine whether there is a meaningful relationship between the 30 identified sustainability factors The principles deemed required by many vital stakeholders are suggested to be utilized as the foundation for the next version of the BERDE User Guide when data from the questionnaire is analyzed An in-depth comparative literary analysis is also performed to pinpoint errors and gaps in the current version As per this study’s conclusion, it is also advised to give some sustainability factors more weight over others because it is thought more suitable for projects in the Philippines, as indicated by the present BERDE users According to the study's findings and suggestions, BERDE needs to be revised and evaluated regularly Regular assessment ensures that the changes in sustainability and green building trends can be applied in BERDE It is anticipated that adopting these findings will increase the likelihood that BERDE will become a required process for all new construction projects Improvement in the gaps found in the current User Guide will also be helpful in the next round of the Council’s assessment Keywords: green buildings, policy review and development, sustainability, GBRS iv TÓM TẮT LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ Việc sử dụng thuật ngữ kỹ thuật "bền vững" gần trở nên phổ biến Để đáp ứng xu hướng ngày tăng tính bền vững, Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE) đặt tên Hệ thống xếp hạng cơng trình xanh tự nguyện quốc gia (GBRS) Bộ Năng lượng (DOE), với hỗ trợ Hội đồng Công trình Xanh Philippine (PHILGBC), thành lập BERDE phần Chương trình Hiệu Năng lượng Philippine (PEEP) (BERDE) Tuy nhiên, mắt mười năm, doanh nghiệp địa phương chủ trương sử dụng phương pháp GBRS BERDE Nghiên cứu nhằm mục đích xác định lỗ hổng khái niệm Hướng dẫn sử dụng BERDE Phiên 4.2.0 Tác giả sử dụng EFA SEM để kiểm tra xem có mối quan hệ ý nghĩa 30 yếu tố bền vững xác định hay không Các nguyên tắc coi yêu cầu nhiều bên liên quan quan trọng đề xuất sử dụng làm tảng cho phiên Hướng dẫn sử dụng BERDE liệu từ bảng câu hỏi phân tích Một phân tích so sánh chuyên sâu thực để xác định lỗi lỗ hổng phiên Theo kết luận nghiên cứu này, người ta khuyên nên coi trọng số yếu tố bền vững yếu tố khác cho phù hợp cho dự án Philippines, người dùng BERDE Theo phát đề xuất nghiên cứu, BERDE cần sửa đổi đánh giá thường xuyên Đánh giá thường xuyên đảm bảo thay đổi tính bền vững xu hướng xây dựng xanh áp dụng BERDE Người ta dự đoán việc áp dụng phát làm tăng khả BERDE trở thành quy trình bắt buộc tất dự án xây dựng Việc cải thiện lỗ hổng tìm thấy v Hướng dẫn sử dụng hữu ích vòng đánh giá Hội đồng Từ khóa: cơng trình xanh, rà sốt phát triển sách, tính bền vững, GBRS vi AUTHOR’S COMMITMENT The undersigned below: Name: Justine Mharzeline Gonzales-Guanzon Student ID: 2070283 Place and Date of Birth: Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines, October 16, 1996 Address: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam With this declaring that this Master’s Thesis entitled “Green Building Design Criteria Evaluation: Assessment of BERDE Green Building Rating System” was done by the author under the supervision of the supervisors, all works, ideas, and materials that were captured from other references have been cited accurately Ho Chi Minh City, December 2022 Justine Mharzeline Gonzales-Guanzon vii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER INTRODUCTION .1 1.1 Background of the Study .1 1.2 Problem Statement 1.3 Research Objectives 1.4 Scope and Limitations of the Study 1.5 Significance of the Study 1.6 Contribution to Academic and Practical Fields 1.6.1 Academe 1.6.2 Practical Fields (Design and Construction) CHAPTER REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 2.1 Green Building Rating Systems 11 2.2 Green Buildings in the Philippines 13 2.3 Philippine Green Building Code 13 2.4 Philippine Green Building Council .14 2.5 Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE) 15 2.6 Core Framework of BERDE .19 2.6.1 Management 21 2.6.2 Use of Land and Ecology .22 2.6.3 Energy 22 2.6.4 Water 23 2.6.5 Waste 23 2.6.6 Materials .24 2.6.7 Transportation .25 2.6.8 Health and Well-being 25 2.6.9 Emissions 26 2.6.10 Community Engagement 26 2.6.11 Economic Opportunity 27 2.7 Minimum System Requirements (MSR) .27 viii 2.8 Previous Literature about BERDE 31 CHAPTER RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 34 3.1 Research Framework 34 3.2 Questionnaire Design 35 3.2.1 Part II: Description of a GBRS .35 3.2.2 Part III and IV: Sustainability Factors 38 3.3 Data Collection 43 3.3.1 Part I: Demographics 44 3.3.2 Part II: Baseline Descriptions of BERDE 44 3.3.3 Part III: Sustainability Factors of BERDE 45 3.3.4 Part IV: Level of Importance of Each Concept of Sustainability .45 3.4 Qualitative Analysis 45 3.4.1 Analysis of Likert Items .45 3.4.2 Relative Importance Index 46 3.4.3 Exploratory Factor Analysis 47 3.4.4 Structural Equation Model: Outer Measurement Model Assessment 47 3.4.5 Structural Equation Model: Path Model .48 CHAPTER RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .49 4.1 Analysis of Part I: Respondents' Socio-Demographics .49 4.2 Analysis of Part II: Baseline Descriptions of BERDE 51 4.3 Research Hypotheses 56 4.4 Analysis of Part III and Part IV: Ranking of the Concepts 56 4.5 Analysis of Part IV: Descriptive Analysis 60 4.6 Analysis of Part IV: Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) 62 4.7 Analysis of Part IV: Outer Measurement Model Assessment 65 4.8 Analysis of Part IV: SEM Path Model 66 4.9 Confirmation of Hypotheses .69 4.10 Comparative Literature Analysis 70 4.10.1 Adaptation to the Philippines' Local Green Building Culture 70 4.10.2 Relativity to Green Construction and Sustainability 71 4.10.3 Relevancy of Content and Requirements .71 157 Core Frameworks and Sub-core Frameworks • The compliance notes for EM-02 mentioned the project's commissioning plan for the HVAC and Refrigeration system Similarly, commissioning requires an additional financial budget 10.Community Engagement • The goal of Community Engagement as a core framework is to address socioeconomic needs and improve community resilience However, as there are only two sub-categories under this core framework, community facility and Filipino art, fulfilling this goal is difficult to foresee 10.1 CE-01 Community Facility • The culture in the Philippines is very much rooted in social support Therefore, adding community engagement is very suitable in the Philippine Context • CE-01 continuously used the terms “beneficiary community” and “partner community organizations.” However, there are no exact definitions within CE-01 Adding the BERDE’s definitions of these terms will help the developers to find the exact type of communities the PHILGBC envisions to be supported by the developers • The acronym “TGFA” was used in the Requirements Section for Stage Although engineers and architects know this is equivalent to the Total Gross Floor Area, not defining 158 Core Frameworks and Sub-core Frameworks it in the document is not good As this is not a commonly used term, TGFA should be defined clearly on its first usage in the document, which is in CE-01 • The phrase “0.5% or more of the TGFA of the project but must be at least 50 m floor area” is used in the Requirement Section of Stage Instead of using this phrase, it will be more apparent to the users of the User Guide if it is rephrased to “must be more than or equal to 0.5% or more of the TGFA of the project or at least 50 m2 floor area, whichever is minimum” • There are no specifications in CE-01 that mention the community facility's desired design and qualities BERDE should provide the specifications for the community facility, as this will help the developers design the community facility in their project • There is dangling conjunction – and, in the second bulleted point in the Purpose and Intent Section of CE-02 This must be removed • The word “procure” is used in the requirements section of Stage However, the bullet 10.2 CE-02 points under the first requirement: “Procure artworks crafted by local Filipino artist,” Filipino Art mentions that it should be permanently installed Note that this is written under the Design Stage, meaning all of this will only be plans and recommendations Therefore, instead of using the phrase “The artwork must be:” it should be rephrased to “The artwork must have plans for the artwork to be:” 159 Core Frameworks and Sub-core Frameworks • Although Stage is not part of this study, it is essential to bring up this notice Figure 0-17 Requirement of On-loan artworks for Stage (Top) and Stage (Bottom), CE-02 It is not entirely clear why there should be a difference in the years for these two stages The length of years must be reviewed and checked if the difference matters 11.Economic Opportunity 11.1 EO-01 Green Jobs • There is no exact definition of what is considered green jobs in EO-01 As this section's purpose and intent are to create green employment opportunities, it should be clarified what these opportunities will be 160 Core Frameworks and Sub-core Frameworks • LEED is still not offering this criterion with its latest version of GBRS However, BERDE already includes it As green building and sustainability are not yet fully internalized in the local construction industry, a double take about its inclusion must be done • This sub-category also requires hiring a qualified professional who is competent in the field Hiring a new professional will require an additional financial budget for the developer Also, with green employment opportunities becoming a trend, employing individuals knowledgeable in this field will require a higher salary than regular job opportunities • There is dangling conjunction – and, in the second bulleted point in the Purpose and Intent Section of EO-02 This must be removed • This sub-category also requires hiring a qualified professional who is competent in the field Hiring a new professional will require an additional financial budget for the 11.2 EO-02 Local Labor developer • Under the Requirements Section of the EO-01, it is mentioned that the local labor program must include labor support from “the resident of the city or municipality where the city is located.” Given the geographical area of many cities and municipalities in the Philippines where green construction is concentrated, there will be a limited labor force—considering what local employment might be more effective if neighboring cities and municipalities 161 Core Frameworks and Sub-core Frameworks can also be considered This kind of sub-category can also invite migration, mainly daylight migration Migration, although sometimes helpful, immediate implementation can disturb the local situation • As there are no definite boundaries about sustainability in terms of employment, the inclusion of Local Employment as a factor for sustainability and the green quality of a building must be reviewed Although it is acknowledged that this provides socio-economic comfort to the community, its impact (both negative and positive) should be analyzed accordingly • Similar to EO-02, the inclusion of women empowerment as a factor for sustainability and the green quality of a building must be reviewed as there is no direct correlation Aside from the socioeconomic responsibility to gender empowerment, it might be more inclusive 11.3 EO-03 Women Empowerment if this is focused on Gender Empowerment • There is an existing Law in the Philippines, Republic Act No 9710 This law is also known as the Magna Carta of Women This law recognizes the economic, political, and sociocultural realities that affect women’s current condition The State affirms the role of women in nation-building and ensures the substantive equality of women and men In response to this law, there should be mentions of this law in the context of E0-03 162 12 QUESTIONNAIRE Good day! I am a Master's Student from Vietnam National University - the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (VNU-HCMUT) who is currently conducting an extensive study about the Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE) The main objective of this project is to assess BERDE as a GBRS based on your feedback as the primary users and stakeholders A four-part questionnaire is shown in the following sections Please read all of the statements carefully and answer all of them If you have difficulty answering the questionnaire, please not hesitate to contact me The results of this survey will be used SOLELY for research purposes Thank you for participating in this questionnaire 163 PART I D EMOGR AP HIC S Name -This section is optional -Name Affiliation E-mail Address From this part onwards, each section is required to be ACCOMPLISHED For the demographics survey, kindly check the box that applies to you and your experience Role Student Researcher Policy Developer Engineer Architect Professor Level of Education       Occupation Research Institution GBRS Professionals Consultant Design Team Construction Team Project Management Team Involved Highly Involved Master's Degree Doctoral Degree Post-Doctoral Degree              Years of Experience 0-3 years 3-5 years Involvement in Sustainable Building Barely Involved Bachelor's Degree 5-10 years More than ten years     Type of Employment Public Private NGO    Field of Specialty Policy Development Design and Innovation Construction and Post-Evaluation    164 P A R T II B A S E L I N E D E S C R I P T I O N S O F B E R D E Part II: Please choose one out of five options (from = "Strongly Disagree" to = "Strongly Agree") to decide whether you agree with the following statements about BERDE Put a check on the box provided for each statement Refer to the sample answered survey below as a guide on how to answer this questionnaire Rating Scale Instructions: Scale Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Sample: Likert Scale N Statements The explanation of the purpose and intent is very detailed     ✓ QUESTIONNAIRE N Statements Likert Scale The explanation of the purpose and intent is very detailed      The adaptation of eleven core frameworks is valid                     The eleven categories are important parameters for green construction and sustainability The compliance requirements for credit distribution support the purpose and intent of all BERDE's core frameworks The compliance requirements can be attained at a considerable cost 165 N 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Statements The compliance requirements ensure that the project also follows national and local policies, laws, and regulations The compliance requirements are adequate to provide a good assessment and feedback regarding the building's green building initiatives The compliance requirements are manageable for the project team to obtain The compliance requirements are updated and are still effective during the conduct of this study Simultaneous acquisition of the compliance requirements is manageable The compliance requirements for BERDE can be complied with by all local contractors (small, medium, and big) The documents linked in the BERDE User Guide (V 4.2.0) are useful in assuring compliance The details, content, and requirements are explained well in the BERDE User Guide V 4.2.0 Following the BERDE User Guide, V 4.2.0 can ensure the compliance of the building under the eleven core frameworks Continuity can be observed between Stage and Stage as shown in BERDE User Guide V.4.2.0 Stages and are designed to adapt well to the local green building industry Stages and are updated with the current green building and sustainability trends The Credit Distribution, the credit score, and corresponding requirements are justified The compliance requirements and their corresponding credit score are correlatively matched Likert Scale                                                                       20 Getting credit scores for BERDE is manageable      21 The minimum requirements, requirements, and compliance notes are relevant documents needed to prove the building's compliance with sustainability      166 N 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Statements The credit score for each core framework is justified and well-distributed The economic costs needed for the compliance requirements are justified The presentation of modals and auxiliary models is welldefined and does not cause any inconsistency or vagueness BERDE provides positive brand recognition The core framework used by BERDE covers all important green building and sustainability concepts BERDE User Guide V 4.2.0 provides an adequate explanation for the award acquisition Payment and fees for the processing and assessment are justified BERDE Program supports the development programs of the National Government BERDE Program works hand-in-hand with Policy Development and Programs toward sustainability in the Construction Industry BERDE applies and encourages the current best practices in the green building industry BERDE User Guide V 4.2.0 makes it possible to perform a good assessment of the building The Star, Scores, and Assessment is a good scale for BERDE award certification Likert Scale                                                             34 BERDE is a reliable GBRS for the Philippines      35 BERDE Award Certification builds trust and confidence among project stakeholders      36 BERDE Certification Award is a marketing tool      37 BERDE project allows you to showcase your leadership in sustainability through unbiased, balanced, and impartial assessment and certification of your building performance      167 PART S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y III F A C T O R S O F B E R D E Part III: Please choose one out of five options (from = "Strongly Disagree" to = "Strongly Agree") to decide whether these concepts were included, discussed, highlighted, and elaborated under BERDE User Guide Version 4.2.0 Use the Likert Scale as a guide for an agreement if each concept of sustainability is highly encouraged in the latest format of BERDE GBRS (Version 4.2.0) (e.g., Proper Gas Emissions are highly encouraged by the BERDE GBRS.)* Put a check for each empty box Refer to the sample answered survey below as a guide on how to answer this questionnaire Rating Scale Instructions: Likert Scale Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Sample: Number Category Gas Emissions (Carbon Dioxide) Likert Scale    ✓  QUESTIONNAIRE N Concepts of Sustainability* Gas Emissions (Carbon Dioxide) Environmental Protection of Adjacent Communities Use of Sustainable Materials Interior Design / Indoor Environment Outdoor Environment (Amenities and Facilities) Likert Scale                          168 N 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Concepts of Sustainability* Visual Comfort Corporate Social Responsibility Human Comfort / Occupant's Behavior and Feedback Health, Well-being, and Safety Transportation Management and Movement History and Heritage Conservation and Promotion Olfactory Comfort Economic Viability Economic Contribution of the Project Use of Smart Technology Building Performance (Operation and Management) Disaster Proofing and Resiliency Life Cycle and Assessment Sustainable Innovations Integrative Design Process Thermal Comfort Climate Considerations Location and Linkages Land Use Pre-construction Condition of the Construction Site Energy Efficiency and Conservation Material Efficiency Waste Reduction and Management Water Conservation, Efficiency, and Management Wastewater Management Likert Scale                                                                                                                              169 P A R T IV LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE OF EACH CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABILITY Part IV: Please choose one out of five options (from = "Not at all Important" to = "Very Important") to identify the Level of Importance you consider these basic concepts of sustainability are, as one of the key users and stakeholders of BERDE GBRS Put a check for each empty box Refer to the sample answered survey below as a guide on how to answer this questionnaire Rating Scale Instructions: Importance Scale Not at all Important Slightly Important Important Fairly Important Very Important Sample: Number Category Gas Emissions (Carbon Dioxide) Level of Importance    ✓   QUESTIONNAIRE N Category Gas Emissions (Carbon Dioxide) Environmental Protection of Adjacent Communities Use of Sustainable Materials Interior Design / Indoor Environment Outdoor Environment (Amenities and Facilities) Visual Comfort Corporate Social Responsibility Human Comfort / Occupant's Behavior and Feedback Level of Importance                                         170 N Category Health, Well-being, and Safety Transportation Management and Movement History and Heritage Conservation and Promotion Olfactory Comfort Economic Viability Economic Contribution of the Project Use of Smart Technology Building Performance (Operation and Management) Disaster Proofing and Resiliency Life Cycle and Assessment Sustainable Innovations Integrative Design Process Thermal Comfort Climate Considerations Location and Linkages Land Use Pre-construction Condition of the Construction Site Energy Efficiency and Conservation Material Efficiency Waste Reduction and Management Water Conservation, Efficiency, and Management Wastewater Management 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 E N D O F Level of Importance                                                                                                               Q U E S T I O N N A I R E 171 PROFILE Fullname: Justine Mharzeline Gonzales - Guanzon Place and Date of Birth: Malolos, Bulacan, October 16, 1996 Student ID: 2070283 Major: Construction Management Faculty: Civil Engineering Address: Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam Studying Period: September 2020 – December 2022