Taiwan's green building certification was developed based on the country's subtropical climate with high temperatures and humidity. This certification aims to sufficiently meet the need for ecology, energy saving, waste reduction and health, abbreviated as "EEWH," from which the certification system was named. The EEWH green building certification system was established in September 1999, making it the second certification system in the world, right after Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in the US.
The green building certification consists of the following two parts:
- The "Green Building Label" for completed buildings (including new and refurbished ones)
- The "Green Building Candidate Certificate" for building projects according to their planning and design documentation
The candidate certificate is aimed at providing an opportunity to see in advance the possible inadequacies in the design so that high-cost improvements after completion may be effectively avoided.
The minimum requirement for the green building certification is to pass four indicators, which include two prerequisites (i.e., daily energy conservation and water conservation) and two more optional indicators from among the other seven. In an average life span of 40 years, a green building is estimated to do the following:
- Save 20% in electricity and 30% in water
- Reduce resource consumption
- Provide a better living environment with health and amenity
The label is valid for three years and renewable. As of January 2024, a total of 12,585 buildings or projects had already been certified as green buildings or candidates for green buildings.
The original system comprised seven evaluation indicators, which are as follows:
- Greenery (vegetation planting)
- Water infiltration and retention
- Daily energy conservation
- Water conservation
- CO2 emission reduction
- Construction waste reduction
- Sewage and waste disposal facility improvement
In 2003, two additional indicators — biodiversity and indoor environment quality — were introduced in the system.
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Category |
Contents |
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Indicator |
Evaluation items |
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Ecology |
1. Biodiversity |
Ecological network, biological habitat, plant diversity, soil ecosystem |
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2. Greenery |
CO2 absorption (kg-CO2/(m2.40yr)) |
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3. Water content of the site |
Water infiltration and retention, storm water runoff management |
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Energy saving |
4. Daily energy conservation (prerequisite) |
Building envelope design ENVLOAD (20% higher than building regulation) and other techniques (including the HVAC system, lighting, management system) |
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Waste reduction |
5. CO2 emission reduction |
CO2 emission of building materials (kg-CO2/m2) |
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6. Construction waste reduction |
Waste of soil, construction, destruction, utilization of recycled materials |
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Health |
7. Indoor environment |
Acoustics, illumination and ventilation, interior finishing building materials |
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8. Water conservation (prerequisite) |
Water usage (L/person), hygienic instrument with water saving, grey water reuse |
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9. Sewage and waste disposal facility improvement |
Sewer plumbing, sanitary conditions for garbage gathering, compost |
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In addition to the indicators, a scoring and rating system defining five classes of green building design was launched in 2007. These classes are as follows:
- Qualified (30% of the accepted cases)
- Bronze (30%)
- Silver (20%)
- Gold (15%)
- Diamond (top 5%)
Meanwhile, for the green building materials recognized in the "Design Technical Regulations for Green Building Materials," a Green Building Material Label conferred by the Ministry of the Interior and a Green Mark verified by the Environmental Protection Agency as environmentally preferable products will be granted. Examples of environmentally preferable products are recycled plastics and rubbers, heat insulation materials for buildings, water-based paints, recyclable bricks, and recycled building materials.