GREEN BUILDING DESIGN

WHAT IS
Green building is the practice of adopting measures that
promote resource management efficiency and site sustainability
while minimizing the negative impact of buildings on human
health and the environment. This practice complements the
conventional building design concerns of economy, durability,
serviceability and comfort.
 The Philippine Green Building Code seeks to improve the efficiency of building
performance through a framework of acceptable set of standards that will enhance sound
environmental and resource management:

ENERGY SOLID WASTE

EFFICIENCY MANAGEMENT

WATER SITE
EFFICIENCY SUSTAINABILITY
INDOOR
MATERIAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
SUSTAINABILITY QUALITY
 ENERGY Requires the adoption of efficient practices, designs,
methods and technologies that reduce energy consumption
EFFICIENCY resulting in cost savings.

Air Tightness & Moisture Protection

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

BUILDING Glass Properties Natural Ventilation

ENVELOPE Building Envelope Color Roof Insulation

Air Conditioning System Water Heating System
MECHANICAL
Variable Speed Drives & High Efficiency Motors
SYSTEMS
Enthalpy Recovery of Exhaust Air

ELECTRICAL Daylight Provision Daylight Controlled Lighting System

SYSTEMS Lighting Powered Density Occupancy Sensors

Elevators/Escalators/Walkways Transformer

Overhead or Elevated Water Storage

 Unwanted infiltration and humidity ingress into the
Air Tightness &
01 Moisture Protection
spaces which causes additional load on the air
conditioning system and a detrimental impact on air
quality. Buildings must be planned and designed
with specific details to ensure that air tightness is
maximized.
Requirements:
Buildings shall be planned and designed with:
i. Complete gaskets, weather-stripping, door bottom
sweeps and seals within and around window and
door assemblies
ii. Moisture protection on the surface of the external
façade to reduce vapor or moisture migration from
external spaces

Exceptions:
Buildings and spaces without provisions for air
conditioning systems are exempt.
 Compared to wall assemblies, glazing
transfers more heat and hence, it is ideal to Glass Properties 02
reduce the amount of glazing with respect to
the wall in order to reduce internal heat gains.

Requirement:
WWR1 shall be balanced with SHGC2 to
maintain flexibility in design. To further
describe, the higher the designed building
WWR, the lower the required SHGC in glass
windows shall be and vice versa.
1 WWR - Window to Wall Ratio
2 SHGC - Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, the

amount of solar heat admitted through the

glass divided by the total solar radiation
incident on the glass
 For each WWR value, the VLT shall be
in accordance with Table 1.
Maximum Minimum Sun breaker plays a very
WWR1
SHGC2 VLT3
important role in reducing
10 0.80 0.80
solar heat gain as it stops
20 0.70 0.70 the solar radiation before it
enters the building and
30 0.60 0.70
doing so reduces the
40 0.45 0.60 cooling loads considerably.
50 0.44 0.55

60 0.37 0.50 External shading has the

additional positive effect of
70 0.31 0.45
improving the internal
80 0.27 0.40 comfort cutting part of the
90 0.24 0.35
direct radiation on
occupants. This must be
1 WWR - Window to Wall Ratio
2 SHGC - Solar Heat Gain Coefficient
applied only to windows that
3 VLT - Visible light Transmittance, the amount are shaded.
of light transmitted through the glass
 Natural This measure will give building occupants the
03 Ventilation
flexibility and opportunity to use natural
ventilation for free cooling and fresh air in
regularly occupied spaces. This measure will
limit the tendency to create glass-sealed box
type buildings.
Requirements:
i. Operable windows or balcony door shall be provided
in regularly occupied spaces. The size of the opening
shall be equal to at least ten percent (10%) of the
floor area of regularly occupied spaces.

ii. All operable windows shall be provided with safety

features for protection against strong winds, water
penetration and protection for building occupants
including child safety and security.
 Light-colored building envelope,
especially the roof areas which are Building Envelope Color 04
the most vulnerable, can reduce heat
transfer from the outside to the Table 2. SRI Values of Basic Colored Coatings
inside of the building by having METAL SURFACE SRI
surfaces with high Solar Reflectance Reflective white 86 to 92
Index (SRI). Basic white 80 to 88
Beige / Tan 74 to 80
Light to medium brown 45 to 56
Requirement: Light to medium grey 39 to 63
Building metal roof surfaces shall Terracotta red 38 to 40
either be colored white or have a Light to medium blue 35 to 38
minimum SRI of 70. Light to medium green 30 to 48
Red 28 to 36
Green 25 to 32
Blue 23 to 30
Dark grey 0 to 41
Dark brown 0 to 33
 Table 3. R-Value of Common Roof Insulation

05 Roof Insulation Insulation

Polyisocyanurate
R-Value / inch (25.4 mm)
5.6 to 8.0
Polyurethane 5.6 to 6.5
Closed cell spray foam 5.5 to 6.0
Insulation can help reduce heat gain in Phenolic foam 4.8
Urea formaldehyde foam 4.6
a building thus improving thermal Plastic fiber 4.3
comfort, acoustic quality and reducing Mineral fiber 4.2 to 4.5
the load on the air conditioning system. Cementitious foam 3.9
Polystyrene 3.8 to 5.0
Fiberglass/Rockwool 3.7
Requirement: Rigid foam 3.6 to 6.7
Buildings shall be provided with roof Cellulose 3.6 to 3.8
Open cell spray foam 3.6
insulation so that the average thermal Sheep’s wool/Hemp 3.5
resistance value (R-Value) of the roof Cotton 3.4
is at least R-8. Loose cellulose 3.0 to 3.7
Mineral wool 2.8 to 3.7
Straw 2.4 to 3.0
Vermiculite / Perlite 2.4
Reflective bubble foil 1 to 1.1
 06 Air Conditioning System Water Heating System 07
Air conditioning typically accounts for more The use of energy-efficient water heating
than 50% of total electricity costs in a centrally systems in buildings, by observing minimum
air-conditioned building. Hence, the efficiency of powerperformance requirements, will help
an air conditioning system is of prime reduce energy consumption.
importance.
Applicable buildings shall comply with the
The heart of the air conditioning system is the minimum performance requirements for
cooling system, typically chillers in large water heating in the 2010 PSVARE* Standards.
buildings and is important to procure an
*Philippine Society of Ventilation, Air-conditioning and
efficient cooling system. Refrigeration Engineers
 Variable Speed Drives & Enthalpy Recovery of
08 High Efficiency Motors Exhaust Air
09
Variable Speed Drive (VSD) describes the When buildings have outside air or fresh air
equipment used to control the speed of supply and extract system through
machinery by changing the frequency of the mechanical means, using heat exchangers
motor that is being operated. can use the air extracted from the building
areas to pre-condition the incoming outdoor
Requirements: air.
i. All motors for mechanical equipment over five
(5) kW shall be provided with variable speed This process exploits the fact that the extract
drive and high efficiency motors. air is usually already conditioned and
therefore colder and drier.
ii. All motors of cooling towers shall be
provided with variable speed drive and high Requirements:
efficiency motors. All buildings with centralized air supply
system shall use enthalpy recovery wheels
iii. All motors for domestic pumps shall have with efficiency of at least sixty percent (60%)
high efficiency motors. of ninety percent (90%) exhaust air.
 Buildings should be planned and designed to
10 Daylight Provision maximize the use of natural light so to reduce
the use of artificial illumination.

Requirements:

All regularly occupied spaces inside the building shall

have a view of any combination of the following features
that can allow daylight:
i. Window iv. Skylight
ii. Light shelf v. Light Monitor/light scoop
iii. Clerestory vi. Other devices that can allow daylight
inside

Exceptions:
Spaces where daylight access hinders its intended
function are exempt from this provision with justification
for exemption.
Sub-optimal design and operation of the building results
Daylight Controlled
in use of artificial lighting. Photoelectric sensors
connected to luminaires help in dimming or switching off Lighting System
11
lamps that do not require to be operated due to
presence of adequate daylight.

Requirements:
i. Lighting fixtures within the daylight zone shall be
controlled with photoelectric sensors with an auto
on-off basis or continual dimming. The photoelectric
sensor shall be located approximately at half (1/2)
the depth of daylight zone.

ii. If occupancy sensors are installed in the daylight

zone, the occupancy sensor shall override the
photoelectric sensor during non-occupancy period.
 Table 4. Maximum Allowed LPD
Lighting Powered
12 Density (LPD)
USE/OCCUPANCY
CLASSIFICATION
Building Average LPD
(W/m2)
Residential Dwelling:
10.8
Condominium
Limitation of LPD will help design the
Hotel / Resort 10.8
lighting system in the most efficient
Educational: School 12.9
way and reduce the lighting and
Institutional: Hospital 12.9
cooling in the building. Business: Office 10.8
16.1 (excluding accent
Requirements: Mercantile: Mall
lighting)
All applicable building types
Table 5. Maximum Allowed LPD for parking/exterior
shall comply with the LPD limits in the Average LPD
2010 PSVARE Standards, as shown in Other Uses
(W/m2)
Table 4. Covered parking 3.2
Open and outdoor parking 1.6
For parking and exterior lighting Exterior Façade 2.15
requirements, see Table 5. Active entrance 98.4
Inactive entrance 65.6
 Occupancy sensors linked to lighting
Occupancy Sensors for
shall be installed in areas with variable
Lighting Control
13
occupancy.
Requirements:
Applicable buildings shall comply with the following:

i. In order to limit the use of electricity in unoccupied

areas of buildings, occupancy sensors linked to lighting
(except for emergency and security lighting) shall be
installed in the following areas:
- Corridors - Meeting rooms
- Private offices - Stairways
- Storage rooms - Other similar areas
- Common toilets

ii. For covered car parks: minimum of sixty percent

(60%) of the lighting must be controlled by the
occupancy sensors.
 Elevators/Escalators
14 Moving Ramps/Walkways

(a) Escalators / Moving Ramps / Walkways (b) Elevators

Ø Fitted with automated controls to reduce to a Elevators shall be provided with controls to
slower speed when no activity has been reduce the energy demand:
detected for a maximum period of 1½ minutes
Ø Use of Alternating Current (AC) Variable
Ø Automatically be put on a standby mode when Voltage and Variable Frequency (VVVF) drives
no activity has been detected for a maximum on non-hydraulic elevators
period of 5 minutes
Ø Lighting shall switch off after the elevator has
Ø Designed with energy efficient soft start been inactive for a maximum period of 5
technology. Activation of reduced speed, minutes
power off and power on modes shall be done
through sensors installed in the top or bottom Ø The elevators shall operate in a stand-by
landing areas. condition during off-peak periods.
 The transformer shall be tested in accordance with
relevant Philippine National Standards (PNS) at test
15 Transformer conditions of full load, free of harmonics and at unity
power factor.

Requirements:
Transformers that are part of the building
electrical system shall have efficiencies not lower
than 98% as prescribed in the DOE Guidelines on
Energy Conserving Design of Buildings.

To reduce dependence on motorized systems to

Overhead or Elevated
16 Water Storage
supply and distribute potable or non-potable water
within the building, overhead or elevated water
storage systems are used, provided there’s a twenty
percent (20%) fire reserve over and above the
average daily demand supply.

The system relies mostly on elevation and gravity to

distribute water within the building.
 WATER Requires the adoption of efficient practices, plan, design,
materials, fixtures, equipment and methods that reduce
EFFICIENCY water consumption resulting in cost savings.

WATER EFFICIENCY

Water Fixtures
Rainwater
WATER Harvesting
MANAGEMENT
Water Recycling
 Efficient water fixtures include faucets, shower heads and
water closets that use less water in order to perform the
17 Water Fixtures same function of cleaning as effectively as standard
models.

Types of Fixtures Maximum Flow Rate

Dual Flush ≦ 6 full
liters/flushing cycle
Water Closet 3 low
Single Flush
4.9 liters/flushing cycle
Water Closet
liters / min at 551.6
Shower ≦ 9 (80 PSi)
kPa
Urinal ≦1 liter/flushing cycle
liters / min at 417.7
Lavatory taps ≦ 4.8 (60PSi)
kPa
liters / min at 417.7
Kitchen faucets ≦ 4.8 (60PSi)
kPa
liters / min at 417.7
Handheld bidet sprays ≦ 4.8 (60PSi)
kPa
 Rainwater Requirements:
18 Harvesting 1) Minimum storage tanks
size (in cu.m) shall be
calculated by dividing the
Rainwater is one of the purest
bldg footprint area by 75.
sources of water available.
2) Collected water shall
Re-use of rainwater reduces be used for non-potable
use of potable water and purposes such as toilet
slows down stormwater flushing, irrigation and
surface run-off cooling towers.

Water
19 Recycling

Recycled water from Sewage

Treatment Plants (STP) shall
be reused for non-potable
purposes.
 MATERIAL Governs all matters related to resource efficiency and
material selection and use with the least impact on the
SUSTAINABILITY environment.

Refer to building materials without hazardous or toxic

Non-Toxic
20 Materials
chemicals that could cause Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)
and eventually lead to Building Related Illness (BRI).

Requirements:
• Paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants used indoors or
non-ventilated areas shall not contain Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOC) or should be within levels tolerable to
humans.

• All other materials containing chemicals used in construction

shall not compromise and be deleterious to the health and
safety of the workers and occupants of the building.
 SOLID WASTE Efficient waste management requires the adoption of
efficient waste management practices and use of eco-
MANAGEMENT friendly materials.

Material Recovery Facility (MRF) shall

Material Recovery
21 Facility
be provided for the collection and
segregation of solid waste materials.
Requirements: Use Minimum Daily Storage Space
• Solid waste containers shall be provided for 1.0 sqm per 2,500 sqm TGFA +
Residential
at least four (4) types of wastes: 50% circulation space
a. compostable (biodegradable); 1.0 sqm per 2,500 sqm TGFA +
Hotel / Resort
b. non-recyclable (disposed in landfills); 50% circulation space
1.0 sqm per 300 sqm TGFA +
c. recyclable (paper, metal, wood, etc.) Educational
50% circulation space
d. special waste 1.0 sqm per 1,250 sqm TGFA +
• For hospitals, isolated bins for hazardous Hospital
50% circulation space
wastes shall be provided to avoid 1.0 sqm per 1,400 sqm TGFA +
contamination. Office
50% circulation space
 SITE Requires the adoption of planning, design, construction
and operation practices that minimize the adverse impact
SUSTA NABILITY of buildings on ecosystems and water resources.

Site/Ground Preparation
22 and Earthworks
Open Space Utilization 23
Site clearing, grading and excavation The inclusion of green areas or
shall be planned at the start of landscaped areas for indigenous or
construction to mitigate pollution adaptable species of grass, shrubs
caused by erosion and sedimentation. and trees will help in providing more
permeable surface for the building
All existing utilities and water bodies, development’s open space.
shall be protected and shall not be
disturbed.
 INDOOR Requires the adoption of efficient design and operation
practices that take into consideration the building
ENVIRONMENTAL environment to improve occupant health, productivity and
QUALITY safety

The building indoor environment can contain more

Minimum Fresh
24 Air Rates
contaminants many times over than the outside.

The introduction and application of minimum fresh air

rates will maintain acceptable indoor air quality thru the
constant replacement of indoor air in buildings.

Buildings should comply to the minimum fresh air rates

provided in the latest Philippine Society of Ventilating,
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineers (PSVARE)
Standards.
 Environmental Tobacco Smoke is one of the leading
Designated
25 Smoking Area
causes of respiratory illnesses in building occupants.
Tobacco Regulations Act (RA 9211) restricts tobacco
smoking in public spaces and the prescription of
designated smoking areas inside buildings.

“NO SMOKING” signs in compliance with the RA 9514 (Fire Code of the
Philippines 2008), shall be posted in conspicuous areas of the building and
property premises to remind building occupants of the policy.

Designated smoking areas shall be naturally ventilated,

outside of the building shell and away from building entrances,
windows and outside supply air intakes by at least ten meters.

Designated smoking areas shall be partitioned from the

rest of the indoor areas. Enclosed smoking areas shall
be equipped with adequate exhaust system and directly
vent out to the outside of the building and away from
any building openings or air intakes.
 EXERCISE: Clash of Cards
1. All students will be asked to prepare six pieces of paper of any kind.
2. On each placard, the students must write the following:
EE for Energy Efficiency
WE for Water Efficiency
MS for Material Sustainability
SWM for Solid Waste Management
SS for Site Sustainability
IEQ for Indoor Environmental Quality
3. The reporters will then read the instructions and will proceed to the
exercise proper.
4. The students will be given ample time to think about their answer and the
reporter shall give a go signal on when the placards will be raised.
The following statements describe a specific performance standard that is
being required in the Philippine Green Building Code of 2016:

1. The roofs of a green building have an average thermal resistance value

EE of at least R-8 providing enough insulation which reduces the load of air
conditioning system.

EE 2. Green buildings minimize the use of artificial light because of its well-
planned design that makes use of natural light.

3. Green Buildings provide solid waste containers inside its premises for
SWM each of the following type of waste: compostable, non-recyclable,
recyclable and special waste.

EE 4. Green buildings have a control to reduce speed or stop escalators,

moving ramps, and walkways if no traffic is detected.

WE 5. Green Buildings make use of recycled water for non-potable uses

which were derived from Sewage Treatment Plants (STP).
The following statements describe a specific performance standard that is
being required in the Philippine Green Building Code of 2016:

EE 6. Green buildings have a light-colored building envelope which reduces

heat transfer from the outside to the inside of the building.

IEQ 7. Green buildings that allow smoking in outdoor places have designated
smoking areas that are naturally ventilated.
8. Green buildings have efficient water fixtures which includes faucets,
WE shower heads and water closets that use less water but still performs as
effectively as standard models.
9. Green buildings are equipped with complete gaskets, weather-stripping,
EE door bottom sweeps and seals in order to maximize air tightness that will
lessen the load of the air conditioning system.
10. Green buildings have operable windows and balcony doors in regularly
EE occupied spaces to make use of natural ventilation for free cooling and
fresh air.
The following statements describe a specific performance standard that is
being required in the Philippine Green Building Code of 2016:

EE 11. Green buildings have energy-efficient water heating systems which

reduces energy consumption.

MS 12. During the construction of green buildings, only non-toxic building

materials were used in order to avoid Building-Related Illnesses (BRI).

WE 13. Green Buildings have rainwater harvesting system that collects

rainwater for non-potable uses.

EE 14. Green buildings have a balance of Window to Wall Ratio (WWR) and
daylight coming though a glazed area which reduces internal heat gains.

15. At the start of the construction of green buildings, site clearing,

SS grading and excavation are already properly planned in order to mitigate
pollution.