Optimizing Life-Cycle Carbon Emissions for Achieving Concrete Credits in Australia

2017 ◽  
pp. 1077-1087
Author(s):  
Vivian W. Y. Tam ◽  
Khoa N. Le ◽  
Cuong N. N. Tran
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Carbon Emissions

scholarly journals Carbon Emission Estimation of Assembled Composite Concrete Beams during Construction

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 1810
Author(s):  
Kaitong Xu ◽  
Haibo Kang ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Ping Jiang ◽  
Na Li
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Carbon Emission ◽  
Composite Beams ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Construction Process ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Carbon Emission Reduction ◽  
The Government

At present, the issue of carbon emissions from buildings has become a hot topic, and carbon emission reduction is also becoming a political and economic contest for countries. As a result, the government and researchers have gradually begun to attach great importance to the industrialization of low-carbon and energy-saving buildings. The rise of prefabricated buildings has promoted a major transformation of the construction methods in the construction industry, which is conducive to reducing the consumption of resources and energy, and of great significance in promoting the low-carbon emission reduction of industrial buildings. This article mainly studies the calculation model for carbon emissions of the three-stage life cycle of component production, logistics transportation, and on-site installation in the whole construction process of composite beams for prefabricated buildings. The construction of CG-2 composite beams in Fujian province, China, was taken as the example. Based on the life cycle assessment method, carbon emissions from the actual construction process of composite beams were evaluated, and that generated by the composite beam components during the transportation stage by using diesel, gasoline, and electric energy consumption methods were compared in detail. The results show that (1) the carbon emissions generated by composite beams during the production stage were relatively high, accounting for 80.8% of the total carbon emissions, while during the transport stage and installation stage, they only accounted for 7.6% and 11.6%, respectively; and (2) during the transportation stage with three different energy-consuming trucks, the carbon emissions from diesel fuel trucks were higher, reaching 186.05 kg, followed by gasoline trucks, which generated about 115.68 kg; electric trucks produced the lowest, only 12.24 kg.

scholarly journals Mitigating the Energy Consumption and the Carbon Emission in the Building Structures by Optimization of the Construction Processes

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 3287
Author(s):  
Alireza Tabrizikahou ◽  
Piotr Nowotarski
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Structural Optimization ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Carbon Emission ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Building Structures ◽  
Life Cycle Stages ◽  
Reduction Of Energy Consumption

For decades, among other industries, the construction sector has accounted for high energy consumption and emissions. As the energy crisis and climate change have become a growing concern, mitigating energy usage is a significant issue. The operational and end of life phases are all included in the building life cycle stages. Although the operation stage accounts for more energy consumption with higher carbon emissions, the embodied stage occurs in a time-intensive manner. In this paper, an attempt has been made to review the existing methods, aiming to lower the consumption of energy and carbon emission in the construction buildings through optimizing the construction processes, especially with the lean construction approach. First, the energy consumption and emissions for primary construction materials and processes are introduced. It is followed by a review of the structural optimization and lean techniques that seek to improve the construction processes. Then, the influence of these methods on the reduction of energy consumption is discussed. Based on these methods, a general algorithm is proposed with the purpose of improving the construction processes’ performance. It includes structural optimization and lean and life cycle assessments, which are expected to influence the possible reduction of energy consumption and carbon emissions during the execution of construction works.

scholarly journals Research on Carbon Emissions of Electric Vehicles throughout the Life Cycle Assessment Taking into Vehicle Weight and Grid Mix Composition

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 3612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanmei Li ◽  
Ningning Ha ◽  
Tingting Li
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Electric Vehicles ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Weight Class ◽  
Vehicle Weight ◽  
The Impact

To study the impact of the promotion of electric vehicles on carbon emissions in China, the full life carbon emissions of electric vehicles are studied on the basis of considering such factors as vehicle weight and grid mix composition, and fuel vehicles are added for comparison. In this paper, we collect data for 34 domestic electric vehicles, and linear regression analysis is used to model the relationship between vehicle weight and energy consumption. Then, a Hybrid Life Cycle Assessment method is used to establish the life cycle carbon emission calculation model for electric vehicles and fuel vehicles. Finally, the life cycle carbon emissions of electric vehicles and fuel vehicles under different electrical energy structures are discussed using scenario analysis. The results show that under the current grid mix composition in China, the carbon emissions of electric vehicles of the same vehicle weight class are 24% to 31% higher than that of fuel vehicles. As the proportion of clean energy in the grid mix composition increases, the advantages of electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions will gradually emerge.

Feasibility Analysis of Distributed Generation System for Large University Campus

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Allen ◽  
Moncef Krarti
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Distributed Generation ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
College Campuses ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Generation System ◽  
Energy Efficiency Measures ◽  
Efficiency Measures

Distributed electric generation systems are increasingly considered to offset energy costs and carbon emissions of large building complexes. College campuses, with their physical compactness, and diversity in building loads, present a common application for distributed generation systems. This paper presents the analysis approach and the main results of a feasibility study of a distributed generation system to supply electric and thermal energy for a large university campus, incorporating energy efficiency measures, to reduce carbon emissions at minimal life cycle cost. The presented study uses a load profile developed based on calibrated detailed simulation energy models for prototypical campus buildings. The calibration analysis is carried out using measured energy consumption data, at the individual building level, and the whole-campus level. Several combinations of distributed generation options are evaluated, using an hourly optimization analysis tool, to meet the entire campus hourly electrical and thermal loads. Proposed efficiency measures and distributed generation options are evaluated using different indicators, including life cycle cost and carbon emissions. The analysis results indicate that implementing energy efficiency measures to reduce electrical and thermal loads before implementing distributed generation options is the most cost-effective approach to reducing the campus’s energy-related carbon emissions. The results of the study are summarized to guide college campuses and managers of other urban districts as they adapt to a changing energy landscape.

scholarly journals Sustainable Reuse of Military Facilities with a Carbon Inventory: Kinmen, Taiwan

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1810
Author(s):  
Hua-Yueh Liu
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Cell System ◽  
Military Government ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Water Shortages ◽  
Military Facilities ◽  
Construction Operation

Military government was lifted from Kinmen in 1992. The opening-up of cross-strait relations transformed the island into a tourist destination. This transformation led to electricity and water shortages in Kinmen. With the reduction in the number of troops, military facilities fell into disuse and are now being released for local government use. The aim of this project was to monitor the carbon footprint of a reused military facility during renovation of the facility. The LCBA-Neuma system, a local carbon survey software developed by the Low Carbon Building Alliance (LCBA) and National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, was used in this project. The system analyzes the carbon footprint of the various phases of the building life cycle (LC) during renovation and carbon compensation strategies were employed to achieve the low carbon target. This project has pioneered the transformation of a disused military facility using this approach. The carbon footprint of energy uses during post-construction operation (CFeu) accounted for the majority of carbon emissions among all stages, at 1,088,632.19 kgCO2e/60y, while the carbon footprint of the new building materials (CFm) was the second highest, at 214,983.66 kgCO2e/60y. Installation of a solar cell system of 25.2 kWp on the rooftop as a carbon offset measure compensated for an estimated 66.1% of the total life-cycle carbon emissions. The findings of this study show that the process of reusing old military facilities can achieve the ultimate goal of zero carbon construction and sustainable development.

scholarly journals Comparative Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment of Energy Saving and Carbon Reduction Performance of Reinforced Concrete and Timber Stadiums—A Case Study in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Dong ◽  
Tongyu Qin ◽  
Siyuan Zhou ◽  
Lu Huang ◽  
Rui Bo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Reinforced Concrete ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Rc Buildings ◽  
Carbon Reduction ◽  
The Government

Many stadiums will be built in China in the next few decades due to increasing public interest in physical exercise and the incentive policies issued by the government under its National Fitness Program. This paper investigates the energy saving and carbon reduction performance of timber stadiums in China in comparison with stadiums constructed using conventional building materials, based on both life cycle energy assessment (LCEA) and life cycle carbon assessment (LCCA). The authors select five representative cities in five climate zones in China as the simulation environment, simulate energy use in the operation phase of stadiums constructed from reinforced concrete (RC) and timber, and compare the RC and timber stadiums in terms of their life cycle energy consumption and carbon emissions. The LCEA results reveal that the energy saving potential afforded by timber stadiums is 11.05%, 12.14%, 8.15%, 4.61% and 4.62% lower than those of RC buildings in “severely cold,” “cold,” “hot summer, cold winter,” “hot summer, warm winter,” and “temperate” regions, respectively. The LCCA results demonstrate that the carbon emissions of timber stadiums are 15.85%, 15.86%, 18.88%, 19.22% and 22.47% lower than those of RC buildings for the regions above, respectively. This demonstrates that in China, timber stadiums have better energy conservation and carbon reduction potential than RC stadiums, based on life cycle assessment. Thus, policy makers are advised to encourage the promotion of timber stadiums in China to achieve the goal of sustainable energy development for public buildings.

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