Techno-Economic Analysis of LEED Certification of Homes in Pakistan /

Abstract

This study systematically investigates all the categories of LEED for Homes rating system, points system, credits, prerequisites, then compare the practices of conventional building and LEED certified home in Pakistan and finally doing the economic analysis of both the homes. For this purpose every measure of LEED Homes rating system which are categorized into integrative process, site sustainability, location and transportation, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, material and resources, indoor air quality, innovation and regional priority have been analyzed if they are implementable in the country or not and finding the costs related to these measures. All the credits and prerequisites of LEED for homes rating system are examined and then compared to conventional homes in Pakistan. Environmental Impact and resilience level are also compared. Awareness level and skills of the stakeholders in the construction industry in the country are accessed by surveys which were conducted in different parts of the country. Simulation is carried out for implementing Green Building features in a typical house of Pakistan to study its feasibility, environmental impact, financial implications, and risk analysis. Pakistan building codes and building energy codes are analyzed. Policies of the development authorities are analyzed in this research work and recommendations to promote Green Building practices in the country are proposed. According to a conservative estimate, buildings consume more than 40% of the electricity in the country. And the demand is increasing at a rate of 14% per annum because of the high rate of urbanization, rapid development projects and increases in the standard of living throughout the country. The significance of this research lies in the fact that by energy conservation measures Pakistan can save up to 1100MW of energy in domestic sector. This research includes a simulation of a retrofitted project a case study in Islamabad region considering its climatic conditions. Different features of Green Buildings like its feasibility, environmental impact, cost implications, risk study, and economic analysis are analyzed. A bank loan for retrofitting the project is taken into consideration to find its payback period and different economic parameters like discount rate, inflation, interest rate, and annual payments. Risk analysis has been done using NPV analysis throughout the lifetime of this project. Environmental impact of the base case and the proposed case has been analyzed and annual GHG emissions are calculated. The objective of this research project is to assess different parameters of green buildings to find out where Pakistan stands if we start implementing these parameters. The technical and economic analysis shows that there is significant gap between local practices and sustainable residential construction. The upfront costs are higher for building green homes but the energy and water savings result in a shorter payback period.