A taxonomy for Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment (WBLCA)

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-205
Author(s):  
Barbara X. Rodriguez ◽  
Kathrina Simonen ◽  
Monica Huang ◽  
Catherine De Wolf
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Building Life Cycle ◽  
Global Carbon ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Goal And Scope

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of common parameters in existing tools that provide guidance to carry out Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment (WBLCA) and proposes a new taxonomy, a catalogue of parameters, for the definition of the goal and scope (G&S) in WBLCA. Design/methodology/approach A content analysis approach is used to identify, code and analyze parameters in existing WBLCA tools. Finally, a catalogue of parameters is organized into a new taxonomy. Findings In total, 650 distinct parameter names related to the definition of G&S from 16 WBLCAs tools available in North America, Europe and Australia are identified. Building on the analysis of existing taxonomies, a new taxonomy of 54 parameters is proposed in order to describe the G&S of WBLCA. Research limitations/implications The analysis of parameters in WBLCA tools does not include Green Building Rating Systems and is only limited to tools available in English. Practical implications This research is crucial in life cycle assessment (LCA) method harmonization and to serve as a stepping stone to the identification and categorization of parameters that could contribute to WBLCA comparison necessary to meet current global carbon goals. Social implications The proposed taxonomy enables architecture, engineering and construction practitioners to contribute to current WBLCA practice. Originality/value A study of common parameters in existing tools contributes to identifying the type of data that is required to describe buildings and contribute to build a standardized framework for LCA reporting, which would facilitate consistency across future studies and can serve as a checklist for practitioners when conducting the G&S stage of WBLCA.

scholarly journals Importance of building services in ecological building assessments

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 03061 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaela Lambertz ◽  
Sebastian Theißen ◽  
Jannick Höper ◽  
Reinhard Wimmer
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Simplified Approach ◽  
Ecological Requirements ◽  
Building Information ◽  
Building Life Cycle

The new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) 2018 and the GebäudeEnergieGesetz (GEG) tightened the requirements for energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources in buildings at EU and national levels. Environmental impacts from manufacturing, dismantling and recycling of buildings are not taken into account. Green Building Certification Systems, such as the DGNB or BNB systems, are therefore the only ones that (voluntarily) set holistic, ecological requirements for buildings. Based on a Whole-Building Life Cycle Assessment, the entire building life cycle and its environmental effects are evaluated. While building services in this context are usually only included in such a simplified approach, the full scope of the produced environmental impacts are underestimated and misjudged for the reduction of emissions and other environmental impacts. This publication uses the results of a life cycle assessment of a typical office building (in Germany) to show the amount of influence building services have on environmental impacts of buildings. Furthermore the study shows an approach how the very high pro-curement and calculation effort of LCA can be reduced by linking the Building Information Modelling (BIM) Method and LCA models to enable a significantly more efficient and easier calculation process, es-pecially for building services.

scholarly journals Exploring the current challenges and emerging approaches in whole building life cycle assessment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haibo Feng ◽  
Kasun KN Hewage ◽  
Rehan Sadiq
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Structure Complexity ◽  
Building Life Cycle ◽  
Significant Attention ◽  
Critical Literature ◽  
Goal And Scope ◽  
Goal And Scope Definition

The environmental impacts of building stock has received significant attention as buildings release one third of total greenhouse gas emissions. Whole-building life cycle assessment (WBLCA) has become a trend to address this limitation by ensuring best environmental performance of a building However, the current WBLCA development faces many challenges which makes it hard to create reliable and comparable results. The study aims to conduct a critical literature review to summarize the current challenges on WBLCA applications, and the emerging approaches that might address these challenges. Three main challenges are listed: variances on goal and scope definition, building structure complexity, and varieties on LCA database and methods. Emerging approaches are also presented to address these challenges including integration of BIM into WBLCA and EPD applications in impact assessments. Findings of this study could support researchers and decision makers with the most popular approaches to conduct WBLCA and achieve reliable outputs.

scholarly journals Integrating Life Cycle Assessment with Green Building and Product Rating Systems: North American Perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 118 ◽  
pp. 662-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.O. Collinge ◽  
C.L. Thiel ◽  
N.A. Campion ◽  
S.G. Al-Ghamdi ◽  
C.L. Woloschin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
North American ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
American Perspective ◽  
Product Rating ◽  
North American Perspective

A Framework for the Integration of System Engineering and Functional Analysis Techniques to the Goal and Scope of Life Cycle Assessment

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Esterman ◽  
Maria E. Fumagalli ◽  
Brian Thorn ◽  
Callie Babbitt
Keyword(s):  
Functional Analysis ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Functional Unit ◽  
System Engineering ◽  
Identification System ◽  
Boundary Definition ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Goal And Scope

With the increased concern over the impact that product and processes have on the environment several tools for environmental impact assessment have been developed. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is perhaps the most broadly known and used. The use of LCA is common in industry and there is a growing interest to improve the approach since several unresolved problems have been identified with its use. One important issue to resolve is the proper definition of the functional unit. The stated primary goal of the functional unit in LCA is to ensure comparability of LCA results; however, when reviewing the literature, LCA practitioners remark that comparing LCA studies is a very difficult task. The attributed reasons for this problem are the lack of standardized assumptions and practices, including the definition of the functional unit. Even though several unresolved problems present in LCA have had solutions proposed, a clear and actionable solution to the specific problem of functional unit definition is still not available. This paper will introduce system engineering and functional analysis concepts to the goal and scope definition phase of LCA in order to provide a framework for system definition, system boundary definition, and reference flows identification. System engineering principles and functional analysis have been extensively used to aid the design process, yet these approaches have not been effectively applied to the LCA domain. The benefits associated with the proposed framework include improved comparability of LCAs, dynamic updating of LCAs, and the integration of LCA into early stage product development.

Economic sustainability of buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domingos António Ribas ◽  
Paulo Cachim
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Economic Performance ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Economic Sustainability ◽  
Construction Costs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Index ◽  
Use Phase ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Building Life Cycle

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an innovative approach for the development of a methodology to systematically assess the economic performance and for the assessment of the economic sustainability of a building, through the calculation of an economic sustainability index, within the sustainability framework according to the rules defined in EN 16627. Design/methodology/approach The methodology follows the principle of modularity, where aspects and impacts that influence the economic performance of the building during the phases of its life cycle are assigned to levels. It presents a model based on the construction costs of the building. The methodology in centered in the before use phase and restricted to residential buildings. Findings Definition of a model for assessing the economic performance and calculation of an economic sustainability index. Research limitations/implications The methodology is focused only in the before use phase of the buildings, assuming they have the same functional equivalent. It can be expanded to include the other phases of the building life cycle. Practical implications The developed methodology will allow the selection of construction procedures, based on economic sustainability, contributing to more rational and support decisions. Social implications Contributing to a more sustainable society. Originality/value The European framework of EN 15643 and EN 16627 for the assessment of building sustainability is new and, as such, not implemented in most practical tools. Also, economic sustainability is not usually considered in detail in existing models. This paper presents a methodology following the framework and, simultaneously, possible to integrate in existing approaches.

scholarly journals Green building for office interiors: challenges and opportunities

Facilities ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 614-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhonghua Gou
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Air Conditioning Systems ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to examine the concept and practice of green building for office interiors: whether the green intent can be effectively implemented in an interior retrofitting project. Design/methodology/approach Reviewing green building rating systems for interiors, examining certified interior projects and interviewing occupants working in certified green offices. Findings The green building credits for interiors fall into three relational layers: the urban context, the host building and interior fit-outs. Most projects under study performed well on credits for interior fit-outs (e.g. low emitting materials, energy efficient equipment and appliances, etc.), while underperformed on credits for its host building (e.g. air-conditioning systems, ventilation, etc.). The latter might more significantly affect working experience. The other important green aspects, such as daylight availability, facilities accessibility, might be subject to its location and urban context. Research limitations/implications This article presents a multi-examination of green interiors. The data came from second-hand Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design scorecards and qualitative interviews. More quantitative surveys are expected to be conducted. Practical implications Green interior retrofitting should go beyond selecting environmental-friendly finishes and furniture or resource-efficient fixtures and appliances. It should proactively start from assessing the environmental performance of the host building and its urban context. Originality/value Most research looked at green building as a whole. Green interiors are actually more practical for tenants who intend to reduce their corporate environmental impacts, whereas they do not have control over whole building design and operations. This article highlights the importance of green interior retrofitting and provides guidance.

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