Analysing the interdependencies between the criteria of sustainable building rating systems

Various building rating systems have been developed to assess the 'green' or sustainable performance of buildings. Most systems make use of hierarchical criteria systems to evaluate the buildings with respect to the different aspects of sustainability. Often, these criteria show complex interdependencies between each other. Taking the German building rating system as an example, the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method is used to analyse such interdependencies and to characterize the criteria. Users of the rating system might benefit from this information, e.g. when focusing on cause criteria counting on that an improvement there will also result in improvements of dependent criteria. Rating system developers might remove strongly related criteria and correct the criteria weighting for identified interdependencies.