Development and Demonstration of the Operational Sustainability Index (OPSi): A Multidimensional Metric for Building Performance Evaluation
In promoting sustainable cities and societies, accelerating the shift from sustainable building design to sustainable building operations is essential. A persistent challenge lies in the absence of a unified, multidimensional metric that enables meaningful performance comparisons across buildings of...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/12/2111 |
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| author | Oluwafemi Awolesi Margaret Reams |
| author_facet | Oluwafemi Awolesi Margaret Reams |
| author_sort | Oluwafemi Awolesi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In promoting sustainable cities and societies, accelerating the shift from sustainable building design to sustainable building operations is essential. A persistent challenge lies in the absence of a unified, multidimensional metric that enables meaningful performance comparisons across buildings of similar types and functions, both regionally and globally. This study develops and demonstrates the operational sustainability index (OPSi)—a novel metric grounded in case study research that integrates indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and energy utility quality (EUQ). OPSi is applied to six buildings in three comparative cases: (1) LEED-certified and non-certified dormitories, (2) LEED-certified and non-certified event buildings, and (3) male- and female-occupied multifamily housing units. Results show that the LEED-certified dormitory underperformed in two of five OPSi variants compared to its non-certified counterpart despite achieving up to 18% higher objective IEQ performance. The LEED-certified event building outperformed its non-certified counterpart across all OPSi metrics, with up to 88% higher objective IEQ scores. Findings also include higher energy performance in male-occupied housing units than in female-occupied ones, highlighting behavioral differences worthy of future study. This research addresses longstanding criticisms of green certification systems—particularly their limited capacity to holistically measure post-certification operational performance—by offering a practical and scalable evaluation framework. OPSi aligns with global sustainability goals, including SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and supports smart, data-driven decision-making. Future applications may extend OPSi to include carbon life cycle assessment and maintenance metrics to further strengthen building sustainability in urban contexts. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f77e673f1fe34c47bf7ece026c470a80 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj-art-f77e673f1fe34c47bf7ece026c470a802025-08-20T02:24:33ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-06-011512211110.3390/buildings15122111Development and Demonstration of the Operational Sustainability Index (OPSi): A Multidimensional Metric for Building Performance EvaluationOluwafemi Awolesi0Margaret Reams1Bert S. Turner Department of Construction Management, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USADepartment of Environmental Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USAIn promoting sustainable cities and societies, accelerating the shift from sustainable building design to sustainable building operations is essential. A persistent challenge lies in the absence of a unified, multidimensional metric that enables meaningful performance comparisons across buildings of similar types and functions, both regionally and globally. This study develops and demonstrates the operational sustainability index (OPSi)—a novel metric grounded in case study research that integrates indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and energy utility quality (EUQ). OPSi is applied to six buildings in three comparative cases: (1) LEED-certified and non-certified dormitories, (2) LEED-certified and non-certified event buildings, and (3) male- and female-occupied multifamily housing units. Results show that the LEED-certified dormitory underperformed in two of five OPSi variants compared to its non-certified counterpart despite achieving up to 18% higher objective IEQ performance. The LEED-certified event building outperformed its non-certified counterpart across all OPSi metrics, with up to 88% higher objective IEQ scores. Findings also include higher energy performance in male-occupied housing units than in female-occupied ones, highlighting behavioral differences worthy of future study. This research addresses longstanding criticisms of green certification systems—particularly their limited capacity to holistically measure post-certification operational performance—by offering a practical and scalable evaluation framework. OPSi aligns with global sustainability goals, including SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and supports smart, data-driven decision-making. Future applications may extend OPSi to include carbon life cycle assessment and maintenance metrics to further strengthen building sustainability in urban contexts.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/12/2111sustainable citiesgreen building policyoperational performanceurban developmentsustainable buildings |
| spellingShingle | Oluwafemi Awolesi Margaret Reams Development and Demonstration of the Operational Sustainability Index (OPSi): A Multidimensional Metric for Building Performance Evaluation Buildings sustainable cities green building policy operational performance urban development sustainable buildings |
| title | Development and Demonstration of the Operational Sustainability Index (OPSi): A Multidimensional Metric for Building Performance Evaluation |
| title_full | Development and Demonstration of the Operational Sustainability Index (OPSi): A Multidimensional Metric for Building Performance Evaluation |
| title_fullStr | Development and Demonstration of the Operational Sustainability Index (OPSi): A Multidimensional Metric for Building Performance Evaluation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development and Demonstration of the Operational Sustainability Index (OPSi): A Multidimensional Metric for Building Performance Evaluation |
| title_short | Development and Demonstration of the Operational Sustainability Index (OPSi): A Multidimensional Metric for Building Performance Evaluation |
| title_sort | development and demonstration of the operational sustainability index opsi a multidimensional metric for building performance evaluation |
| topic | sustainable cities green building policy operational performance urban development sustainable buildings |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/12/2111 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT oluwafemiawolesi developmentanddemonstrationoftheoperationalsustainabilityindexopsiamultidimensionalmetricforbuildingperformanceevaluation AT margaretreams developmentanddemonstrationoftheoperationalsustainabilityindexopsiamultidimensionalmetricforbuildingperformanceevaluation |