An increasing number of jurisdictions require green features in new buildings. However, in most cases these buildings are judged on their “greenness” at the time of their design, and there has been little follow-up to determine whether post-occupancy performance meets expectations. While there have been numerous isolated case studies and anecdotes, scientific studies have been limited by small samples and narrow scopes. Given the paucity of objective data, Canada’s National Research Council (NRC) set out to collect comprehensive field study data with a sample size and variety of outcomes not previously undertaken. The goal was to directly compare green and otherwise similar conventional buildings in arguably the two most important green performance categories: indoor environment quality and energy efficiency.

Via Canadian Journal of Green Building & Design