Building Sustainability Analysis: Analytical Hierarchy Process to Analyze Cost, Leed Credits, and Carbon Neutrality

Abstract

<jats:p>For building owners, there are several factors that must be considered when considering whether or not a building has achieved its goals. One such problem building owners facing during a project’s design phase is the creation of a proper balance between reducing immediate costs and increasing the sustainability of a building. Due to the implications these decisions will have on buildings’ owners and occupants, owners need to have decision support tools to be able to assist them in determining how well a building will meet their goals and preferences. The model described by this paper utilizes the Analytical Hierarchy Process and Multiple Attribute Utility Theorem to compare a project’s competing alternatives in terms of their ability to meet the project’s LEED, carbon neutral/Net-Zero, and cost/benefit goals. Utilizing a combination of user preferences and data on an alternative’s anticipated costs and level of sustainability, a score will be generated that allows the user to determine how well the alternative comes to meeting the project’s overall goal. This process will be applied for a case study library building to determine the alternative that best meets the project’s overall goal. The model’s results and validity are discussed.</jats:p>