Developed based on established building physics science and adapted to the conditions, climate, and regulations of the Vietnam construction sector, LOTUS provides a holistic assessment of environmental performance over the life cycle of buildings. It provides an integrated approach for evaluating buildings in terms of energy consumption, water use and waste management as well as indoor environmental quality. It serves as an objective rating system that can be used by any stakeholder in the construction process – developers, designers, contractors and owners alike – for decision-making purposes.

Since the first LOTUS pilot program was released in 2010, the rating system has undergone several updates and revisions. The latest version is LOTUS New Construction (NC) v3, released in April 2019. LOTUS now cover almost all building types and project scopes, including:

Green Materials & Products in LOTUS

LOTUS encourages the selection of materials and products that have mitigated environmental impact, enhance the quality of indoor spaces, and also contribute towards better energy performance. The design team should carefully consider the sustainability criteria along with usual factors in material selection, like durability, budget and aesthetic. If feasible, the general contractor should be consulted regarding the availability and costs associated with procurement of such materials.

No.	Products and Materials with Green features	Examples	Credits in LOTUS NC v3
1	Reused Materials	Salvaged brick, pavers, lumber	MR-2
2	Materials with Recycled Content	Steel, gypsum ceilings/boards, carpet, insulation	MR-2
3	Regionally sourced Materials	Harvested, extracted and/or manufactured within 150 km of project site (from 14/10/2024)	MR-2
4	Rapidly Renewable Materials	Cotton insulation, bamboo flooring, linoleum flooring, straw board	MR-2
5	Timber from sustainable sources	Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) certified wood Vietnam Forest Certification Scheme (VFCS) certified wood	MR-2
6	Materials with third-party certification based on whole lifecycle analysis (LCA)	Global GreenTag LCARate, Cradle to Cradle, NSF Sustainability Assessment	MR-2
7	Materials with third-party verifications	Environmental claims third-party verified through claim verification or through certification under third-party ecolabels	MR-2
8	Non-baked Materials	Concrete bricks, gypsum panels, pre-cast concrete panels, AAC blocks	MR-3
9	Low-Emitting Materials	Low or no VOC paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants Low or no formaldehyde composite wood products	H-PR-2 and H-2
10	High Efficiency Water Fixtures	High efficiency or dual flush toilets, waterless urinals, low flow faucets	W-PR-1, W-1
11	Efficient Irrigation Systems	Drip irrigation, irrigation system with soil moisture sensor	W-2
12	Stormwater Control Products	Rainwater harvesting systems, permeable and pervious materials, open-grid pavements	SE-4
13	Environment-friendly refrigerants	Low-impact alternatives to refrigerants commonly used in building refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump systems	SE-6
14	High Reflectance Materials	Paving and roofing surface materials with high solar reflectance index (SRI)	H-6, SE-5, E-PR-3, E-2, E-3
15	Efficient Building Envelope Components	Energy-efficient glazing with low SHGC and U-values, thermal insulation materials with low thermal conductivity (XPS foam, PU foam, rockwool, etc.), AAC blocks	H-6, E-PR-1, E-PR-3, E-2, E-3
16	Efficient ventilation and air-conditioning equipment	Air-conditioning systems with high CSPF values (for non-ducted units) and high COP values, systems with variable controls (inverter, VSD/VFD).	E-PR-1, E-PR-3, E-2, E-3, E-4
17	Efficient lighting equipment	Energy-efficient lighting fixtures (with high lumen efficacy lm/W), lighting controls and sensors	E-PR-1, E-PR-3, E-2, E-5
18	Renewable Energy Equipment	Solar panels, wind energy, geothermal	E-2, E-8
19	Materials for acoustic comfort	Materials with good noise insulation, sound-absorbing materials	H-7
20	Products reducing concrete usage	Pre-stressed slabs, voided slabs, pre-stressed beams and columns	MR-1
21	Energy and water monitoring products	Energy and water meters, power monitoring system, building management system (BMS)	E-6, W-3
22	Energy-efficient lifts	Lifts with energy efficiency class A following the certification guideline VDI 4707 Part 1, lifts equipped with: VVVF drives, regenerative drive, efficient lighting.	E-7

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