Analysis and comparison of lighting design criteria in green building certification systems — Guidelines for application in Serbian building practice

Abstract

Green building assessment is currently being introduced into Serbian building practice. Since there is no Serbian certification system which could support building assessment, and especially lighting design evaluation, this paper analyzes and compares the lighting design criteria of three international certification systems, LEED, BREEAM and CASBEE. Specific requirements for each considered criterion, as well as the grading structure and stringency of these systems, are also analyzed. Based on the conclusions of these analyses, a new set of criteria, some of which are original, are offered in order to be incorporated into the future Serbian certification system. Taking into account that the structure of the future system is unknown, the basic applied principle was simplicity for application and, therefore, a single requirement is defined for each criterion. Finally, a hierarchy within the new set of criteria is established for both indoor and outdoor lighting. Mandatory criteria are selected first, while the remaining criteria are divided into two groups based on their relevance. Although predominantly intended for the improvement of Serbian building practice, the proposed set of assessment criteria is general and can be used throughout the world.