Integration of Energy and Material Performance of Buildings: I=E+M

A new methodology is proposed to assess integral performance of building with respect to energy and materials requirement over the building life cycle. Because the method builds on existing methods for Energy Performance and Materials Performance of Buildings, as defined by Dutch National Building Code, it provides an easily applicable method that allows optimized building design with respect to environmental impacts. Two case studies, one for building renovation and one for new Near Zero Energy Building show the advantages of integral assessment. Extending this approach for building assessment to other countries seems a logical step as it gives designers a better insight in total building performance.