Table 2. Comprehensive synthesis of EE... | Emerald Publishing

Table 2.

Comprehensive synthesis of EE literature

Study	Region	Building type/scale	Primary focus	Key findings	Identified limitations
Hafez et al. (2023)	International	Mixed	EE pathways and sustainability	EE is the dominant sustainability lever across technologies, policies and rating systems	IEQ and social dimensions are under-represented
Clay, Severnini and Sun (2023)	USA	Federal commercial	LEED certification and energy outcomes	LEED certification alone does not guarantee energy savings; higher energy-credit scores show better performance	Point-based certification allows trade-offs
Seo Yoo et al. (2024)	Korea	Certified non-residential	Design-stage vs operational energy	Significant and persistent performance gaps across all certification levels	Design models do not capture operational behaviour
Jain et al. (2019)	UK	Educational	Integrated EE–IEQ performance	EE-driven design can lead to IEQ issues (overheating, IAQ, acoustics)	Single-building post-occupancy study
Doan et al. (2021)	New Zealand	Non-residential	Green building drivers and barriers	EE adoption is limited to basic measures; green star uptake remains slow	Weak policy support, cost perceptions and skill gaps
Cielo and Subiantoro (2021)	New Zealand	National grid/buildings	Low-carbon electricity context	Renewable grid reduces emissions but masks building inefficiencies	Demand-side EE undervalued

Study	Region	Building type/scale	Primary focus	Key findings	Identified limitations
Hafez et al. (2023)	International	Mixed	EE pathways and sustainability	EE is the dominant sustainability lever across technologies, policies and rating systems	IEQ and social dimensions are under-represented
Clay, Severnini and Sun (2023)	USA	Federal commercial	LEED certification and energy outcomes	LEED certification alone does not guarantee energy savings; higher energy-credit scores show better performance	Point-based certification allows trade-offs
Seo Yoo et al. (2024)	Korea	Certified non-residential	Design-stage vs operational energy	Significant and persistent performance gaps across all certification levels	Design models do not capture operational behaviour
Jain et al. (2019)	UK	Educational	Integrated EE–IEQ performance	EE-driven design can lead to IEQ issues (overheating, IAQ, acoustics)	Single-building post-occupancy study
Doan et al. (2021)	New Zealand	Non-residential	Green building drivers and barriers	EE adoption is limited to basic measures; green star uptake remains slow	Weak policy support, cost perceptions and skill gaps
Cielo and Subiantoro (2021)	New Zealand	National grid/buildings	Low-carbon electricity context	Renewable grid reduces emissions but masks building inefficiencies	Demand-side EE undervalued