LEED Certification of Campus Buildings: A Cost-Benefit Approach

Hopkins, Erin A.

doi:10.1080/10835547.2015.12091877

Cited by 15 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Direct costs associated with pursuing LEED certification have been extraordinarily varied, with some studies finding an average additional cost increase of less than 2% (Kats, 2003;Mapp et al, 2011), at 4.1% (Nyikos et al, 2012), while others only noted a large variability (from À0.4% to 21%) in the range of values (Dwaikat and Ali, 2016). When focusing on educational institutes, the cost-effective nature of LEED schools was further called into question, with LEED platinum schools being identified as the most expensive type of green buildings on a per square meter basis (AlAwam and Alshamrani, 2021) and with most schools being unable to provide a payback period considered to be financially sensible (Hopkins, 2015). Even identifying trends in LEED-certified schools proved to be difficult as no correlations were identified between the level of LEED certification and either an increased cost or additional energy savings per square foot per year (Hopkins, 2015).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When focusing on educational institutes, the cost-effective nature of LEED schools was further called into question, with LEED platinum schools being identified as the most expensive type of green buildings on a per square meter basis (AlAwam and Alshamrani, 2021) and with most schools being unable to provide a payback period considered to be financially sensible (Hopkins, 2015). Even identifying trends in LEED-certified schools proved to be difficult as no correlations were identified between the level of LEED certification and either an increased cost or additional energy savings per square foot per year (Hopkins, 2015). This inability to produce consistent savings in operational costs was further revealed in other studies where LEED buildings were not found to produce significant savings versus their counterparts (Sadatsafavi and Shepley, 2016), though other studies did manage to identify significant energy savings (Nyikos et al, 2012;U gur and Leblebici, 2018).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tradeoff between well-being of students and cost of greening schools in arid regions

Elkhapery

Kianmehr²,

Doczy³

2023

MEQ

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PurposeSchools should be adequately built and operated to protect students' health. Green building rating systems, including Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), assist the construction industry in improving both the resource efficiency and indoor environmental quality of its buildings. Construction professionals may waive some green modifications and available optional credits due to their high costs or construction complexities. This study investigates whether cost-effective green modifications can adequately address the student health.Design/methodology/approachIn an effort to identify how school projects in Dubai, UAE prioritized LEED credits related to occupant well-being, the study identified eight LEED credits (called “Health and wellbeing” credits). Cost data from a sample of nine Dubai schools were used to develop an indicator, named the Feasibility Index Score (FIS), to quantify the attractiveness of LEED credits based on their cost and implementation complexity. Physical measurements taken from the sample schools give a window into current indoor environmental quality (IEQ) conditions of schools in the local region, while FIS provides insight into potential financial barriers towards improving these conditions.FindingsThe authors identified eight “Health and wellbeing” credits, which may net up to 14 points or 13% of all possible LEED points. Despite this, assessments of the sample schools revealed that six of the “Health and wellbeing” credits exhibited relatively low FIS values. This may cause these credits to be waived when lower tiers of LEED certifications are desired.Research limitations/implicationsA sample of nine schools was chosen for this research; further investigation using a greater sample size is recommended.Practical implicationsThe paper's IEQ assessment indicates the importance of health-related credits and suggests implementing them regardless of their FIS.Originality/valueThis paper recognizes the importance of providing more weight to credits that directly impact the health of occupants, particularly when upgrading existing structures.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tradeoff between well-being of students and cost of greening schools in arid regions

Elkhapery

Kianmehr²,

Doczy³

2023

MEQ

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“…A building life cycle cost-benefit analysis is one way to incorporate the green building bottom line. While many studies have shown that green buildings cost more upfront to build (D'Antonio, 2007;Hopkins, 2015;Kats et al, 2010;Kats, 2006;Kats et al, 2003;Livaich, 2010;Nyikos et al, 2012;Stegall and Dzombak, 2004), the operating financial metrics should also be analyzed to account for a more holistic view of the building lifecycle. When taking into account both the cost to build a green building and its financial operating metrics, multiple researchers have found an overall positive financial picture in many cases (Hopkins, 2015;Kats et al, 2010;Kats, 2006;Kats et al, 2003;Livaich, 2010).…”

Section: The Green Bottom Linementioning

confidence: 99%

An exploration of ecolabels and operating financial metrics

Hopkins

Mullekom

2019

IJHMA

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Purpose As the green economic bottom line is a strong motivating force when deciding to build, manage and/or operate green, this study aims to examine the financial impacts of green certifications on multifamily rental communities. Design/methodology/approach Using a multiple regression methodology, operating financial variables are examined. Findings Multifamily rental green buildings garner not only higher rental collections but also higher total expenses. When applying these higher rates to properties, the overall increase in rents outweighs the increases in total expenses. Originality/value While multiple studies have focused on the office sector, this study begins to fill the literature gap within the multifamily rental sector regarding the economic impacts of green-certified buildings. The outcomes of this study have positive implications for the multifamily real estate industry by providing developers, owners, managers and related parties with a better understanding of the financial impacts of multifamily rental green buildings; however, more research is needed.

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“…Horhota et al (2014) demonstrates constituents across campus are concerned about the upfront financial cost for green products. Hopkins (2015) examines if the perceived upfront cost barrier is valid by reviewing campus buildings across the USA. The results validate this perceived upfront cost barrier by uncovering a median upfront cost premium of $5.41 per square foot for green buildings.…”

Section: Common Barriers To Adoptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Barriers to adoption of campus green building policies

Hopkins

2016

SASBE

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Purpose The focus of this paper is on environmental protection, specifically within the context of green building at institutions of higher education (IHEs). One major reason why many IHEs are not undertaking sustainable building policies is the barriers to adoption. The lack of efficiency caused by these barriers to adoption of campus green building will be examined. The purpose of this paper is to identify the common barriers to adoption of green building initiatives at IHEs from multiple stakeholder perspectives and propose possible solutions. Design/methodology/approach The manuscript provides a general review of the lack of efficiency caused by the barriers to adoption of sustainable building policies at tertiary education institutions. Findings Campus sustainable building policies face various barriers to adoption of green building policies. Campus sustainable building policies face various barriers to adoption. These include lack of awareness among many stakeholders, incentives, champions, understanding of financial considerations, and occupant satisfaction. These barriers can be addressed through review of student perceptions, encouraging knowledge gains at larger wealthier IHEs, campus planning, offering financial motivations, employing a campus sustainability officer, and marketing green campus building initiatives. However, every stakeholder needs to be part of the collaboration and incentivized in order to reduce these barriers. Practical implications This manuscript should be helpful to campus community members as they are involved in crafting, implementing, and managing green building policies. As green building development is a contemporary issue among the higher education sector, this research should prove helpful to decision makers as it identifies barriers and solutions to these barriers. Furthermore, this research can assist practitioners when attempting to implement green building policies at their respective IHEs by helping them understand the barriers as well as potential solutions for these barriers to campus green building. Originality/value This general review uncovers barriers to green building in the higher education sector; a sector which historically is dearth on green building research. Furthermore, solutions are offered to address and overcome these barriers from multiple stakeholder perspectives within this sector.

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LEED Certification of Campus Buildings: A Cost-Benefit Approach

Cited by 15 publications

References 4 publications

Tradeoff between well-being of students and cost of greening schools in arid regions

Tradeoff between well-being of students and cost of greening schools in arid regions

An exploration of ecolabels and operating financial metrics

Barriers to adoption of campus green building policies

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