Building energy efficiency assessment with integration criteria decision making for energy reduction in campus building

Abstract

Issue revolving around energy in campus buildings has become a global concern upon realising the impact of its activities and operations on energy. Hence, understanding energy use in university campuses as an individual educational building is integral as a prerequisite to identifying energy efficiency (EE) conditions. Having that said, this study lists the criteria initiative for EE based on Building Energy Intensity (BEI) diagnoses in a case study building. The approach comprised three phases, namely (a) a Preliminary Survey, (b) In-situ Energy Audit, and (c) an investigation of criteria during the decision of implementing energy efficient measures. The case study was conducted in an educational building located at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor. The In-situ Energy Audit phase enabled the assessment of BEI, which was essential to identify energy-consuming equipment, machinery, and electrical appliances. The BEI value for the scheduled room was 3.24 kWh/m2/mth while 4.97 kWh/m2/mth for the unscheduled room with lighting and air-conditioning that served as energy-consuming equipment. The recorded BEI value was considered energy-efficient usage due to its annual use below the recommended value for the Building Energy Index (BEI) in Malaysia at 136 kWh/m2/y based on the Malaysian Standard (MS1525). Based on this premise, the criteria identified for the implementation of energy-efficient lighting were piloted in the case study building. The findings may facilitate educational institutions and organisations in managing electricity use, reducing energy consumption, and making effective decisions.