Consideration of the use phase in certification programs for residential green building

Abstract

The building industry is associated with several environmental impacts. In considering the total building lifecycle, the use phase has a strong influence on the level of impact. According to the literature, the use phase of residential buildings represents up to 92% of energy consumption, constitutes 95% of water consumption (indoor and outdoor), accounts for 45% of the weight of materials used, and produces 50% of the waste (maintenance, repair, and renovation). Green building and certification programs used in North America, such as BOMA-BESt®, LEED®, and Living Building Challenge™, aim to reduce the environmental footprint of housing. However, while these certifications provide a useful framework for practices related to buildings and their systems, a documentary analysis shows that they do not adequately take into account the use phase of residential buildings. The purpose of this paper is to show that consideration of the use phase is inconsistent with the impacts associated with it.