LEED-NC certified buildings in Turkey in 2009 Evaluation of Energy and Atmosphere Credits

Abstract

LEED green building certification system, which is developed by Green Building Certification Council (USGBC) is one the most commonly used certification systems in the world. Being the frequently preferred certification system in Turkey, it encourages and rates sustainable practices including energy efficiency in construction projects with different credit categories. Buildings are certified at different levels based on earned. Energy and atmosphere credits share the largest portion of all achievable points in LEED for new construction projects. The objectives of the credits are improving energy efficiency, monitoring energy consumption to control if there is any gap between designed and actual values during operation, encouraging renewable energy consumption and using technologies to reduce carbon emissions. In this study, the performance of LEED-certified green buildings in Turkey is evaluated in energy and atmosphere credits by analyzing earned points in this category. The level of practices in Turkish green building projects is investigated, considering the fact that the system is developed based on U.S. construction sector. Additionally, successful construction applications, problems, barriers and challenges in such projects are presented as examples for further studies and practices.