Buildings already account for 25% of China’s primary energy consumption, and this share will grow over the coming decades as China continues to urbanize and building energy use intensity increases. Green building presents an enormous opportunity to limit China's green house gas emissions, but to slow and eventually reduce building energy consumption requires the objective study and certification of what “green” really means. Two rating systems, China’s 3-Star system, and the United States Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED system, are helping to ensure the promise of green building is more than just hype. By providing an objective and trusted seal of approval these rating system help create accountability -- transforming the building marketplace so that environmental performance metrics become part of the economic equation. The growth and popularity of these programs is an encouraging sign, but how effective are these rating systems in reducing energy consumption in practice? This presentation analyzes the factors behind the continuing increases in building energy consumption in China, compare LEED and the 3-Star system, and present preliminary findings into whether or not green building rating systems are truly living up to their promise.

1. James Connelly LEED ap
Fulbright Research Fellow
Tsinghua University Dept. of
Building Science
The Promise of
Green Building
in China
The growth of building
energy consumption and
the potential of green
building rating systems.
Shanghai Green Energy Research
Center ★★★

2. Outline
› China Building Energy Current Situation
› Factors Behind Building Energy Growth
› Green Building Rating Systems
› LEED
› 3-Star
› Conclusion

3. Current Situation
Current Situation
Building energy consumption per unit floor area
80
UK
英国, 227 加拿大, 155
UK Canada
单位面积建筑能耗: kgce/(m2.a)
60
JP
日本, 245
韩国, 81 荷兰, 37
40 希腊, 27 美国, 1431
澳大利亚, 24
法国, 132
USA
德国, 143
China
20 urban 中国城镇, 453
中国农村, 204
0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
人均建筑能耗: kgce/(ca.a)
Building energy consumption per capita
Source: Tsinghua University Building Energy Annual Report 2010

4. Building Energy Growth
› As countries develop building energy usage intensity increases
› China Is at the same level as Japan in the 1960, US in the 1950’s.
Source: Tsinghua University Lectures, Professor Jiang Yi

5. Why do developed countries
buildings consume so much energy?
› Chinese building on average have:
› Less stringent building codes
› Less insulation, leakier windows and doors
› Less advanced heating and cooling systems
› Yet, they still only consume less than half of the
energy of American buildings!
› Why? The answer lies in two interrelated factors:
› Lifestyle and Culture
› System Design and Operation

6. Culture and Lifestyle
› Chinese buildings have:
› Less appliances, particularly clothes dryers
› Less penetration of hot water
› Greater range of acceptable indoor
temperature
› Example my office in Beijing, Jiuzhaigou in the
Winter
› Utility bills are a greater proportion of income
=>
› Culture of energy and water savings

7. System Design and Operation
› China: › US:
Part-time Part-Space Full-Time Full- Space
› Part-Time Lighting › Full-TimeLighting
› Small Volumes › Large Volumes
› Operable Windows › Sealed Buildings
› Decentralized Systems › Centralized Systems
› Individual Control › Centralized Control
› Split Unit Air Conditioners › Centralized HVAC VAV
› Point Source Heating Systems
Source: Tsinghua University Lectures, Professor Jiang Yi, 2011

8. Case study: space heating in China
Heating in North V South China
沈阳
银川
北京
苏州
武汉 上海
温州
调研城市
Source: Tsinghua University Lectures, Professor Jiang Yi, 2011

9. North V South China
› South: › North:
› Individual units relatively › District Heating relatively
inefficient, yet… efficient, yet…
Part-Time Part-Space Full-Time Full-Space
› Intermittent Operation › 24 hour Operation
› Fee By Sq Meter › Fee by usage
› Lower indoor temp › Higher indoor temp
(14-16C) (20C)
› Heat Energy: 5-10 Kwh/m2 › Heat Energy: 90 Kwh/m2
› Much Less than developed › Similar to developed
Countries w/ similar climate Countries w/ similar
(40-60 kwh/m2) climates
Source: Comparative analysis of energy use in China Building Sector: current status, existing problems and solutions,
Energy Power and Engineering China, Shengyuan Zhang, Xiu Yan, Yi Jiang, Qingpeng Wei, 2010

10. Split Unit AC saves energy
› Unit itself is relatively inefficient, but…
› Unit can controlled individually (decentralized)
› When is comfortable, or unoccupied, unit is shut off
(intermittent operation)
› Occupants actively control system to minimize
energy consumption

11. Centralized HVAC VAV systems
waste energy costs the most cooling & heating energy
Re-heat through reheating
AHU, typical state in October
!!"℃
#$℃ !#℃ #%℃ !&℃
'(()*+,"'(*)
-.-"/(0"1*23
456357258
› Cold air is provided at low set temp to each room
› Fresh air must be provide to meet min req. (US 15cfm)
› If the room is too cold => reheated at the terminal
› Upenn Case Study: 50-70% of energy is used to Reheat
› Reheating not technically allowed under Chinese codes
Source: Tsinghua University Lectures, Professor Xia Jianjun, 2011

12. Split Unit V Centralized AC
AC energy for residential units in Beijing
Average of AC energy during summer for each
building: kWh/m2.a
20
18 kWh/m2.a
16 A，split unit
14
12
10 2006
8 2007
6
4
2 B：split unit
0
A B C D E
D E
V Centralized
R
V AC
C：split unit
Source: Tsinghua University Lectures, Professor Jiang Yi, 2011

13. Lifestyle and System Design
are Interrelated
› System design effects occupants ability to actively
reduce energy consumption.
› You can’t open the windows in a sealed office building.
› You can’t turn on the AC in only one room when you
have a centralized system.
› You can’t save energy by turning up the thermostat when
your HVAC VAV terminal just reheats the air.
› As countries develop => adopt developed country standard
heating and cooling technology => lifestyle changes and
energy usage intensity increases
› Slowing and preventing this transition is critical to reducing
building energy consumption in China

14. China’s 2 Modes of Development
› Modern Western › Standardconcrete
style office towers housing and office
in central business blocks surrounding
districts and in the suburbs

15. Profile of Energy Consumption
› Low Energy cluster around 30-40 Kw/m2
› High Energy cluster around 120-150 Kw/m2
Source: Tsinghua University Lectures, Professor Jianjun Xia, 2011

16. Are Green Building Rating
Systems (GBRS) the answer?
2011 China Green Building Action Plan proposed a 75 RMB
subsidy per sq. meter to developers seeking to achieve 3-Star.
Source: USGBC project Directory, MOHURD (does not included 3-Star data for November & December 2011)

17. Similarities: LEED and 3 Star
› Bothchecklist rating systems
› Break green building into categories:
› Land Saving, Energy Saving, Water Saving,
Material Saving, Indoor Environment
› 3- Star has one additional category, Operation
› Pre-requisites(or Control items) in each category
› Different levels of achievement (1,2,3 star)
› Comparison to a theoretical “baseline” design

18. LEED uses a developed
country baseline
China
“Large
Public
Building”
Average:
36
Source:
New Building Institute, Energy Performance of LEED® for New Construction Buildings, March 4, 2008,
Tsinghua University Building Energy Annual Report 2010

19. LEED Uses Energy Models for
Certification
Current Energy
Models are not an
accurate predictor
of building energy
consumption.
New Building Institute, Energy Performance of LEED® for New Construction Buildings, March 4, 2008

20. Is 3-Star Better?
› Chinese standards and codes
› Pre-certification, 1 year post occupancy
evaluation, 3 Year follow up
› More pre-requisites, minimum
achievement in each category
› Focus on on simpler and cheaper solutions,
less on advanced technology

21. 3-Star Performance
Energy
Building Area Energy Consumption Energy Consumption
Project Name (m2) Savings Rating
(kwh/m2a) (kbtu/ft2a)
(%)
Shandong Transportation College
15837 40.0 12.7 50 ★★
Library
Shanghai Building Technology Institute
1994 38.0 12.1 65 ★★★
Green Engineering Research Center
Shanghai Expo Center 142000 146.4 46.5 62.65 ★★★
Shanghai Power Plant and Chimney
31088 164.6 52.2 62.6 ★★★
Renovation (City Hall)
Shangai Eco-Home World Expo Best
3147 45.7 14.5 61 ★★★
Practices Area
US CBEC Survey: On Average US Commercial Buildings
Consumed 91 (kbtu/ft2a) or 287 (KWh/m2a)
Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Green Label Management Office

22. Different But Complementary
Philosophies
› LEED is an industry run organization
› => greater focus on market transformation
› 3-Star is run by government and universities
› => greater focus on energy policy goals

23. Different Market Segments
LEED: Class A Office, Luxury 3-star: Government, Public,
Residential High-End Residential
Raffles City Chengdu | LEED CS Vanke Gardens Shenzhen | ★★

24. Conclusions
› GBRS must consider a country’s state of
development and energy baseline.
› Attention must be paid to the relationship
between system design, lifestyle, and
consumption.
› LEED and 3-star are complementary.
› Green building represents an enormous
market opportunity.

25. Xizhuang Integrated Building Shanghai
★★★
Thank You
James Connelly
seamus.con@gmail.com
ChinaBuildsGreen.com
EcoCityNotes.com