Environmental performance of green building systems

ADI conducted parameterized life‑cycle assessments of major green building assessment systems using hybrid life‑cycle inventory methods and EPA TRACI impact categories. The analysis explicitly modeled construction materials, energy use, and system boundaries to compare LEED, ASHRAE, and IgCC pathways against a baseline commercial building. Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses were used to isolate which building features most strongly influence environmental outcomes.

The client

Trade association

The situation

Policymakers lacked consistent, quantitative evidence on how green building standards translate into environmental performance.

ADI’s contributions

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Hybrid lifecycle modeling

Applied hybrid LCI methods to capture both process‑level and economy‑wide impacts.

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Standards comparison

Modeled LEED, ASHRAE, and IgCC requirements against a common reference building.

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Sensitivity analysis

Tested uncertainty in materials, energy use, and system boundaries to identify dominant drivers.

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Policy‑relevant reporting

Translated technical LCA results into insights usable for standards development and regulation.

Key outcomes

  • Provided a defensible basis to compare green building systems and identify features with the largest lifecycle impact.
Client Results
ADI helped us quantify our target market size in a very methodical manner. They got up to speed very quickly on what we do, spending time with our team, technology, and markets to perform a thorough evaluation themselves.
Doug Moorehead President, FlexGen Power Systems

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