PNNL

Abstract

Green building rating systems and market demands for environmentally friendly buildings have created a need for incorporating sustainable design concepts in new building designs. Architects and engineers are often looking for information on sustainable building materials, tools to evaluate the life-cycle environmental impact and tools to obtain green building rating. An earlier article last month provided an overview of the green building rating systems and discussed the various aspects of sustainable design. The current article discusses the desktop information sources and software tools available to help designers throughout the design process. Examples of knowledge bases for sustainable design technologies, software tools for feasibility study and performance evaluation, and green building rating tools are presented.