An Iterative Assessment Concept for Building Design Based on the Eco-factor

Problems in office buildings are often related to the design and control of the indoor environment and of the building as an energy system. The often interconnected nature of the above two issues is important to take into account, since, for instance, internal and external heat loads, temperatures, and air change rates affect both energy use and indoor comfort. Thus, to avoid the indoor climate problems, it is essential that energy optimisation is integrated with assessment of indoor climate. An assessment concept based on the so‐called Eco‐factor has been developed; it can assist building designers in creating solutions of these problems. The assessment concept is meant to be an integral part of new design guidelines for office buildings, which aim to achieve energy efficient buildings with a good indoor comfort and low environmental impact. The building designers have different needs at different stages of the design process. For this reason, the assessment concept makes use of the Eco‐factor tool, which is defined so input can be based on both simple and advanced calculations in early and later phases of design, respectively, while still delivering the same output.