Management Practice to Achieve Energy Efficiency Performance: Green versus Conventional Office Building in Malaysia

Abstract

There is growing concern in Malaysia over the need to reduce energy consumption; however, locally relevant planning and management tools, i.e., energy management frameworks for green buildings, are in their infancy. A total of 10 energy management strategies for commercial office buildings were identified in the Malaysian Green Building Index (GBI) with six measurements considered as relevant to the planning phase and four considered relevant during the operational reviewing and monitoring phase. In comparison to energy management strategies in the international literature, the GBI tool shows room for improvement to achieve optimum energy efficiency performance. Based on the international literature, further improvement is introduced to the current energy management strategies. A total of nine additional energy management strategies were identified to develop a more comprehensive energy management framework. These strategies were tested using three case studies, i.e., certified green building, noncertified green building, and conventional building, to examine the extent to which facilities management has implemented these measures. Findings from these case studies show that energy indexes alone are insufficient to determine energy efficiency and that the proposed energy management framework can assist operators to improve energy efficiency performance. This paper also reports on green technologies that did not work properly during the operational phase. It was also found that measures to engage occupants in energy conservation goals were not effective. Future research is necessary to investigate the occupants’ behavior and perceptions of energy efficiency to provide a more effective energy management framework.