Comparison Analysis of Construction Costs according to LEED and non-LEED Certified Educational Buildings

Abstract

The efforts for sustainable development in building construction are widely applied by global organizations, governments, etc. However, according to the researchers, if the green rating systems on the building, it is reported that construction costs and durations are increased compared to conventional buildings. In this respect, the objective of this study is to identify the construction costs between LEED and non-LEED buildings. The scope of this study is limited in 21 university buildings of Canada. The methodology is as follows: First, the data of LEED and non-LEED buildings are collected in every university building. Second, the average construction costs per square meter are collected and a normality check is conducted. Third, to identify statistical significance, the difference of average construction costs is analyzed by using a T-test. As a result, it is concluded that the construction costs of LEED buildings are increased by approximately 3.8% more than non-LEED buildings. In the future, the results of this study can be applied to analyzing the additional costs according to the LEED grade in educational buildings.