BUILDING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT LINKS
SoftwareLCADatabases
Energy and building tools
Whole building assessment tools
Embodied Energy and Input Output databases
Indoor Air QualityLCACase Studies
Input Output Databases
Other Building databaseOther documents analysising LCA toolsFurther Links
Australian sites
Recycled material sites
International
LCAid - Tool developed by Department of Public Works and Services in Sydney (AUS)Energy and Building toolsLISA - Tool developed by BHP for LCA of buildings (AUS)
BEES - Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (US)
Boustead - developed by Dr Ian Boustead best known for its extensive database especially for the building industry (UK)
EcoQuantum - Building LCA tool using SimaPro Impact calculation module and IVAM BV data (NL/Europe)
Gabi - developed at the IKP University of Stuttgart in cooperation with PE Product Engineering GmbH and distributed by PE Product Engineering GmbH. (DM)
KCL-ECO - developed by KCL a Limited company owned by the Finnish pulp, paper and board industries (FIN)
LCAit - developed by CIT Ekologic a division on Chalmers in Sweden
PEMS - Pira Environmental Management System (UK / US)
SIB LCA tool - LCA tool developed at the Danish Building Research Institute (SBI). It consists of a database and an inventory tool for the calculation of the potential environmental effects for buildings and building elements. The tool differs from most other LCA tools currently available by the method it uses to handle uncertainty.
SimaPro - Developed by PRe consultants this software in product design orientated (NL)
TEAM - LCA tool from EcoBalance / Ecobilan (FR / US)
Athena - ATHENATM Sustainable Materials Institute world-leading source of data, expertise and tools for designing buildings with the environment in mind (CAN)BUNYIP - Thermal Analysis Software for Commercial Buildings (AUS)
DOE2 - Building energy use and cost analysis software (US)
Envest - Building Research Establishment (UK) design tool for those involved in the concept design of buildings
Optimize - is a Canadian tool for estimating the life cycle energy and impacts for both indoor and Outdoor Air pollutant generation
Firstrate - The FirstRate House Energy Rating Software Package provides a simple method to assess and improve the energy efficiency of house designs and completed homes. The automated hints which provide suggestions for optimising energy efficiency make this an invaluable design tool. (Aus)Whole Building Assessment ToolsOptimize - is a Canadian tool for estimating the life cycle energy and impacts for both indoor and Outdoor Air pollutant generation (Can)
Cheetah - a software package developed by the Advanced Thermal Technologies Laboratory, can be used to assess the effect of changes in a building on indoor temperatures, can be used to calculate building heating and cooling energy requirements, and to assess the performance of new or improved building products, in realistic buildings subjected to realistic weather conditions. (Aus)
NatHers - House Energy Rating software (AUS)
BREGains - software which accounts for metabolic, small power, lighting and catering heat gain. (UK)
US Department of Energy - US site which gives access to 210 international tools to aid in the design and development of energy efficient building including the use of renewable resources. (US)
ECOTECT - Australian tool, it is a conceptual environmental design tool for architects and building designers, with application also to engineers and planners. Designer can assess and control overshadowing, shading device requirements, solar access, natural and artificial lighting levels, prevailing wind exposure, thermal comfort and the acoustic response of their building. In conjunction with this technical data, ECOTECT provides instant access to initial capital outlays, ongoing running costs and life cycle assessment at all stages of the design process. (AUS)Equer - Professional design tool for the Life Cycle Analysis of buildings (FR)
Building Design Advisor 1.0 - The BDA is a Windows computer program that addresses the needs of building decision makers from the initial, schematic phases of building design through the detailed specification of building components and systems (US)
GBTool - The GBTool software has been developed as part of the Green Building Challenge process, an international effort to establish a common language for describing "green buildings", which now includes teams from 20 countries.
Green Building Advisor - Green Building Advisor is a software program that helps you identify actions to reduce the environmental impacts of a building project, while ensuring healthy and productive indoor spaces. It's a revolutionary way of learning about green design and the cutting edge techniques and technologies to accomplish it. (US)
BREEAM - The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) it is a tool that allows the owners, users and designers of buildings to review and improve environmental performance throughout the life of a building. (UK)
LEED - LEED is a self assessing system designed for rating new and existing commercial, institutional, and high-rise residential buildings. It evaluates environmental performance from a "whole building" perspective over a building's life cycle, providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a "green building." From the US Green Building Council. (US)
EcoQuantum - Dutch / European building industry (NL)Input Output material databasesIVAM - The IVAM database contains environmental data of more than 250 processes relating to the production of building materials and components. (NL/EU)
SimaPro - Beton - Dutch concrete industry database of concrete products (NL)
Athena - Canadians building products database (CAN)
SIB LCA tool - Danish tool with a database of Building materials and elements.(SE)
Boustead - UK based data general and building specific, has been used and adapted to Australia by DPWS in LCAid
LCA Data Stores and software
SPINE - Sustainable Product Information Network for the Environment a Swiss
These use the financial data and flows of a market to determine energy, emissions and other related impacts.Other building databasesEIOLCA - Economic Input/Output LCA data from Carnegie Melon University
NIRM - Japan Science and Technology Agency National Research Institute EcoMaterials Database from 4000 Social Stocks
Advanced building technologies - A US database of building related, environmentally appropriate technologies. Extensive descriptive and contact information for products in several categories, including indoor air quality, day lighting, non-toxic materials, waste management, electricity production, water conservation, energy efficiency, and recycled materials.Indoor Air QualityThe Harris Directory - Extensive US database of recycled content building products and materials, now available on the Web. $25/month, $50 for three months, $150/year.
High Performance Building Guidelines Designed to bring awareness of green design to NYC's building procurement process, but an excellent resource for anyone working to incorporate environmental principles into commercial buildings. Great use of graphics to provide multiple layers of information. Now available free in Adobe Portable Document Format.
Oikos - Extensive Web site features the REDI building materials database, archives from the no longer published Energy
Source Builder newsletter, and the Iris Catalog, with online ordering of many green building resources.Data for the construction and operation of houses built with different materials - data for the construction and operation of houses built with different materials. It shows estimates of energy embodied in the walls of a house of standard size in terms of the initial energy required for the construction, and the total energy after allowing for subsequent maintenance over a 40 year life.
Energy Audit - Energy Performance of Simple Building - table of embodied energy and operational energy for Sydney and Townsville for various construction types
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) State of Minnesota Guidelines for Managing Indoor Air QualityCASE STUDIESIndoor Air Quality Guidelines for Pennsylvania Schools
Guidelines for good indoor air quality in offices premises - Singapore
enCompass - enCompass Web site contains two integrated components: a virtual tour of 33 building projects using recycled content materials; and useful information about these materials in graphically attractive profiles.
OTHERLISA case studies - over 15 case studies showing how LISA was applied to various building. The software can be downloaded also, it will allow you to interactively edit the case studies.
Stadium Australia - this case study outlines how LCA was applied and shows some of the results.
EcoBilan - LCA of concrete vs Steel buildings
Life Cycle Analysis Of A Residential Home In Michigan - The goal for undertaking the project was to determine the relationship between material production/construction (pre-use) phase energy, and use phase energy, as energy efficiency strategies are applied to various home systems.
Other reports looking at LCA tools
European tool evaluation - Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costs (LCC), building services systems, ISO 14040, optimisation methods. This report presents life cycle assessment (LCA) as an objective process to evaluate the environmental burdens associated with a product, system, process or activity. OPET Finland assigned the expert (P.E.Nilson) to produce an overview of existing methods in Europe concerning LCA and life cycle costs for buildings and their services systems.Australian sites of interestLCARC - Korean LCA Reserach centre have some interesting papers on LCA, construction and the use of the Input output methodology
DPWS - env. department main driver of green LCA related building analysis for Olympics - see under Environmental ProfillingRecycled material linksonSITE - a Web site totally dedicated to Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste minimisation, onSITE provides an efficient and effective way to access authoritative information on waste avoidance and resource recovery related to construction and demolition.
Sustainable Energy Authority Victoria - The Sustainable Energy Authority is a Victorian Government agency established to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases, and support and facilitate the development and use of sustainable energy options to achieve environmental and economic benefits for the Victorian community.
EcoRecycle Victoria - database of recycled materialsInternationalEcoSpecifier: Sourcing environmentally preferable materials - includes recycled materials
Selector.com - This web site has, data, specs, photos, information and links you to manufactures for all building products including those which are recycled
ATHENA - The ATHENA Sustainable Materials Institute is finding answers to critical questions about the environmental impact of buildings and building products. The not-for-profit Institute is a world-leading source of data, expertise and tools for designing buildings with the environment in mind.Web pages which lead to further linksBEPAC - Is a UK based club which supports its members in improving the environmental performance of buildings
BRE - Building Research Establishment BRE is the UK's leading centre for construction and fire expertise, providing consultancy and information services to customers world-wide. They have an env. specific centre called the Centre for Sustainable construction.
ECO TOOLS MANUAL - A comprehensive review of Design for Environment tools. Nils de Caluwe. DFE/TR33. July 1997
IEA - BCS - Annex 31 - energy related environmental impacts of building
EU application of LCA to buildings. The 1997 European Union report on European methodology for the evaluation of Environmental impact of buildings specifically for Life cycle assessment. This report looks at the application of the Life Cycle Analysis to buildings.
European Charter on Sustainable Design & Construction
Evaluation Of Life Cycle Assessment Tools. Environment Canada/Environment Canada. By Dean M. Menke, Bruce W. Vigon and Gary A. Davis (1996) EU 1997. European methodology for the evaluation
Green Building Challenge - A multi-year international assessment process of green buildings culminating in an joint international conference in October 2000 in Maastricht, Netherlands, and sponsored by CANMET Energy Technology Centre and other Canadian and international agencies.
Green Building Information Council - This Web site is brought to you by the Green Building Information Council, a Canadian non-profit organisation whose mission is to disseminate information about energy and environmental issues in the building sector. This site has excellent links.
LCARC - Korean LCA Reserach centre have some interesting papers on LCA, construction and the use of the Input output methodology
LCA software round robin - Held in Sweden in 1998
The LCA Software Guide 1997 - Market Survey, Portraits and Checklist of 40. Programs for Life Cycle Assessment and Corporate Environmental Controlling 2. Edition, Adliswil 1997
ACF - Australian Conservation foundation - a link site related to information they used to inform their involvement in the 60L projectBEPAC - mainly UK links though some international sites
EcoSustainable HUB - A very interesting and thorough Australian site with lots of great links, projects and resources.
Environmental Design Library - Nice general directory of green design resources
European Directory of Sustainable and Energy Efficient Building 1999 - A collection of articles on topics ranging from material choices to solar applications to low energy cooling, followed by a directory of over 3,000 companies active in these fields. The directory is also available online.
G.E.O. - Global Environmental Options - The GEO Network is the best collection of sustainability and buildings Internet links we know of, a good book list with a direct ordering arrangement through Amazon.com, listings of green designers and other green building professionals, and much more. Their Green Design Network includes a searchable database of 600 green building resources.
Green Design Network - A terrific resource on green building books, Web sites, and practitioners
University Newcastle - very interesting links page, some great articles
Sustainable Architecture, Building and Culture - A wealth of resources relating to green building, organized in logical categories with lots of links to other sites.
Whole Building Design Guide - An effort by the U.S. government to consolidate design guidelines in one easily updateable reference. Currently inconsistent in depth of content and quality, but contains some good material, especially on energy.
For more information contact Tim Grant at the Centre for Design at RMIT.
