Cloud-based Sustainability Assessment (CSA) System for Automating the Sustainability Decision-Making Process of Built Assets

Olawumi, Timothy O.; Chan, Daniel W.M.

Abstract

Digital tools help facilitate the implementation of sustainability practices in the built environment in the era of rapid urban developments. However, the extant literature revealed salient gaps in the use of cloud-based systems and digital tools to evaluate buildings' sustainability performance. Consequently, the current study aims to develop and implement a cloud-based sustainability assessment (CSA) system to evaluate and compare the sustainability performance of buildings based on the Building Sustainability Assessment Method (BSAM) scheme green rating system. A design science research (DSR) approach was adopted in designing, developing, and validating the CSA system. The developed CSA system is based on the SaaS model of cloud computing. The methods evaluation validation of the CSA system when compared with other systems revealed that the developed CSA system would result in higher time and learning efficiency for the users. The findings from the case study validation of the CSA system, using four building projects, indicate that the developed artefact offers a better secured, automated, reliable, and value-adding tool for the building sustainability assessment process. It also eases the automated process of updating data, evaluating, and comparing building projects towards improving the overall building sustainability profile. More so, the CSA system has a great potential to assist stakeholders in their buildings’ sustainability decision-making process and enhancing sustainable development.

Citation

Olawumi, T. O., & Chan, D. W. (2022). Cloud-based Sustainability Assessment (CSA) System for Automating the Sustainability Decision-Making Process of Built Assets. Expert Systems with Applications, 188, Article 116020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2021.116020

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 1, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Oct 9, 2021
• Publication Date: 2022-02
• Deposit Date: Oct 14, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 10, 2022
• Journal: Expert Systems with Applications
• Print ISSN: 0957-4174
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 188
• Article Number: 116020
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2021.116020
• Keywords: BSAM scheme, Cloud-based system, Design science research, Digital tool, Green building, Sustainability assessment
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2812774