scholarly journals Energy and Greenhouse Gas Savings for LEED-Certified U.S. Office Buildings

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 749
Author(s):  
John H. Scofield ◽  
Susannah Brodnitz ◽  
Jakob Cornell ◽  
Tian Liang ◽  
Thomas Scofield
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Electric Energy ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Office Buildings ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Site Energy ◽  
New Construction

In this work, we present results from the largest study of measured, whole-building energy performance for commercial LEED-certified buildings, using 2016 energy use data that were obtained for 4417 commercial office buildings (114 million m2) from municipal energy benchmarking disclosures for 10 major U.S. cities. The properties included 551 buildings (31 million m2) that we identified as LEED-certified. Annual energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission were compared between LEED and non-LEED offices on a city-by-city basis and in aggregate. In aggregate, LEED offices demonstrated 11% site energy savings but only 7% savings in source energy and GHG emission. LEED offices saved 26% in non-electric energy but demonstrated no significant savings in electric energy. LEED savings in GHG and source energy increased to 10% when compared with newer, non-LEED offices. We also compared the measured energy savings for individual buildings with their projected savings, as determined by LEED points awarded for energy optimization. This analysis uncovered minimal correlation, i.e., an R2 < 1% for New Construction (NC) and Core and Shell (CS), and 8% for Existing Euildings (EB). The total measured site energy savings for LEED-NC and LEED-CS was 11% lower than projected while the total measured source energy savings for LEED-EB was 81% lower than projected. Only LEED offices certified at the gold level demonstrated statistically significant savings in source energy and greenhouse gas emissions as compared with non-LEED offices.

scholarly journals The Mediterranean diet, an environmentally friendly option: evidence from the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) cohort

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 1573-1582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ujué Fresán ◽  
Miguel-Angel Martínez-Gonzalez ◽  
Joan Sabaté ◽  
Maira Bes-Rastrollo
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Mediterranean Diet ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Linear Trend ◽  
University Graduates ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Significant Linear Trend ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Impact

AbstractObjectiveHow food is produced and consumed has consequences for ecosystems, such as resource use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission among others. The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) was proposed as a sustainable dietary model, due to its nutritional, environmental, economic and sociocultural dimensions. However, further evidence is needed. Thus, our objective was to evaluate the impact on resource (land, water and energy) use and GHG emission of better adherence to the MedDiet in a Mediterranean Spanish cohort.DesignWe analysed the dietary pattern of participants through a validated FFQ. The outcomes were land use, water and energy consumption and GHG emission according to MedDiet adherence. The specific environmental footprints of food item production and processing were obtained from different available life-cycle assessments.SettingSpanish university graduates.SubjectsParticipants (n20 363) in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) cohort.ResultsBetter adherence to the MedDiet was associated with lower land use (−0·71 (95 % CI −0·76, −0·66) m2/d), water consumption (−58·88 (95 % CI −90·12, −27·64) litres/d), energy consumption (−0·86 (95 % CI −1·01, −0·70) MJ/d) and GHG emission (−0·73 (95 % CI −0·78, −0·69) kg CO2e/d). A statistically significant linear trend (P<0·05) was observed in all these analyses.ConclusionsIn this Mediterranean cohort, better adherence to the MedDiet was an eco-friendly option according to resource consumption and GHG emission.

On-farm fertilizing materials in organic horticulture: agronomic performance, energy use and GHG emission evaluation

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Alessandro Persiani ◽  
Francesco Montemurro ◽  
Angelo Fiore ◽  
Rosalba Scazzarriello ◽  
Mariangela Diacono
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Agronomic Performance ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Organic Horticulture ◽  
On Farm

A Time-Series Energy Input-Output Analysis for Building an Infrastructure for the Energy and Environment Policy in South Korea

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 875-899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Whan-Sam Chung ◽  
Susumu Tohno
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Energy Input ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Input Output ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Output Analysis ◽  
Energy And Environment ◽  
Environment Policy ◽  
Input Output Analysis

From an average annual growth rate point of view, it might be concluded that the government's efforts in reducing Korea's GHG emission have been making progress; the growth rate of South Korea's GHG emission (4.8%) was less than that of its primary energy consumption (6.2%) during 1990–2000. To cope with a more strict protocol worldwide, South Korea should avoid the usual political rhetoric or declaration of principles and it should launch an effective action. Such a transition from a policy perspective would begin by the analysis of the interrelations among economic activities, energy use, and GHG emissions. The application of an input-output approach, which incorporates a material flow analysis, could be a very useful tool for such an analysis. In this study, four sequential 96 × 96 hybrid units energy IO tables from 1985 to 2000 were generated. Using these four sequential matrices, the energy intensities and the GHG emission intensities, caused by energy use, were estimated for each sector. It was revealed that even though the energy consumption and GHG emissions have increased, the intensities have gradually improved in Korea. The estimated values were compared to national statistics and the differences were found to be acceptable. It was found that the energy input-output analysis can supply useful data for energy and environment policy makers. Some recommendations were made to improve this model.

scholarly journals Energy Budgeting, Data Envelopment Analysis and Greenhouse Gas Emission from Rice Production System: A Case Study from Puddled Transplanted Rice and Direct-Seeded Rice System of Karnataka, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kariyaiah Basavalingaiah ◽  
Y. M. Ramesha ◽  
Venkatesh Paramesh ◽  
G. A. Rajanna ◽  
Shankar Lal Jat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Data Envelopment Analysis ◽  
Production System ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Rice Production ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Energy Inputs ◽  
Direct Seeded

The energy consumption pattern and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission of any rice production system is important to know the sustainability of varied cultivation and establishment technique. This study was conducted to determine the energy use pattern, GHG emission and efficiency of rice farms in puddled transplanted (PTR, rainfed) and direct-seeded rice (DSR, irrigated) production systems in Karnataka, India. The energy indices and GHG emission of different input and output in a rice production system were assessed by using energy and carbon equivalence. The efficiency of PTR and DSR farms were identified using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and energy optimization was ascertained. The key finding was excessive use of non-renewable energy inputs was observed for the PTR (92.4%) compare to DSR (60.3%) methods. The higher energy use efficiency (7.3), energy productivity (0.3 kg MJ−1) and energy profitability (6.3) were mainly attributed to the large decrease in energy inputs under DSR. The DEA showed efficiency for 26 PTR farms in comparison for 87 DSR farms. The mean technical efficiency value highlighted the scope for saving energy by 6% and 2% in PTR and DSR, respectively and showed an economic reduction of $405.5/ha with PTR versus $163.3/ha with the DSR method if these inefficient farms perform efficiently. The GHG emissions revealed that the total emissions for PTR versus DSR production caused by on-farm emissions were 86% and 65%, respectively. The DSR method also had a higher carbon efficiency ratio and carbon sustainability index (10.1 and 9.1, respectively). Thus, adoption of DSR method is imperative for reduction of energy consumption and GHG emissions to achieve the carbon sustainability.

Estimation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and energy use efficiency (EUE) analysis in rainfed canola production (case study: Golestan province, Iran)

Energy ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 116 ◽  
pp. 694-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossein Kazemi ◽  
Saeid Hassanpour Bourkheili ◽  
Behnam Kamkar ◽  
Afshin Soltani ◽  
Kambiz Gharanjic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Energy Use Efficiency ◽  
Golestan Province ◽  
Use Efficiency

scholarly journals Energy use pattern and greenhouse gas emission in systems for greenhouse vegetable production

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 240-246
Author(s):  
A. Nourani ◽  
A. Bencheikh
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Greenhouse Vegetable ◽  
Use Pattern ◽  
Results Management ◽  
Greenhouse Vegetable Production

Abstract. Algeria has experienced a notable agricultural development driven by a prosperity in market gardening in plastic greenhouses due of the favorable climatic conditions and the government’s policy. For that, a survey has been conducted in order to determine the energy use pattern for greenhouse vegetable production, also to estimate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission for this system of production in Biskra province, Algeria. The results revealed that the total energy required for vegetable protected production is 119.68 GJ per hectare where the infrastructure was the highest energy consumer followed by the electricity and fertilizers with a share of 22%, 20% and 19%, respectively. The energy use efficiency (energy ratio) was calculated as 0.82, showing the inefficiency use of energy in the protected vegetable production. The inputs of farmyard manure, followed by infrastructure and electricity in greenhouse vegetable production generated the highest proportion of gas emissions with values 35%, 33% and 23%, respectively. According to these results, management of electricity and diesel fuel consumption are possible using solar energy to decrease total GHG emission in greenhouse vegetable production in Biskra province.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document