scholarly journals Retrofitting Buildings: Embodied & Operational Energy Use in English Housing Stock

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (15) ◽  
pp. 1135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adnan Hossain ◽  
Monjur Mourshed
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Housing Stock ◽  
Mineral Wool ◽  
Energy Model ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Insulation Materials ◽  
Operational Energy ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Sheep Wool

This study is aimed at assessing the impact of the insulation refurbishment of the English housing stock on the embodied energy needed for the various refurbishment scenarios and their corresponding operational energy use reductions. An embodied energy model comprising 22 million homes has been constructed, enabling the assessment and comparison of operational and embodied energy use due to the insulation refurbishment of various applicable building elements. Results indicate that mineral wool, sheep wool and expanded polystyrene (EPS) are the optimum insulation materials for cavity walls, cold pitch roofs and warm pitched roofs, respectively.

scholarly journals Strategies to Improve the Energy Performance of Buildings: A Review of Their Life Cycle Impact

Buildings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia MIRABELLA ◽  
Martin RÖCK ◽  
Marcella Ruschi Mendes SAADE ◽  
Carolin SPIRINCKX ◽  
Marc BOSMANS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Operational Energy

Globally, the building sector is responsible for more than 40% of energy use and it contributes approximately 30% of the global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. This high contribution stimulates research and policies to reduce the operational energy use and related GHG emissions of buildings. However, the environmental impacts of buildings can extend wide beyond the operational phase, and the portion of impacts related to the embodied energy of the building becomes relatively more important in low energy buildings. Therefore, the goal of the research is gaining insights into the environmental impacts of various building strategies for energy efficiency requirements compared to the life cycle environmental impacts of the whole building. The goal is to detect and investigate existing trade-offs in current approaches and solutions proposed by the research community. A literature review is driven by six fundamental and specific research questions (RQs), and performed based on two main tasks: (i) selection of literature studies, and (ii) critical analysis of the selected studies in line with the RQs. A final sample of 59 papers and 178 case studies has been collected, and key criteria are systematically analysed in a matrix. The study reveals that the high heterogeneity of the case studies makes it difficult to compare these in a straightforward way, but it allows to provide an overview of current methodological challenges and research gaps. Furthermore, the most complete studies provide valuable insights in the environmental benefits of the identified energy performance strategies over the building life cycle, but also shows the risk of burden shifting if only operational energy use is focused on, or when a limited number of environmental impact categories are assessed.

CITIES, ENERGY AND CLIMATE: SEVEN REASONS TO QUESTION THE DENSE HIGH-RISE CITY

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-214
Author(s):  
Chris Butters ◽  
Ali Cheshmehzangi ◽  
Paola Sassi
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Energy Supply ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Heat Island ◽  
Medium Density ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Operational Energy

ABSTRACT Dense high-rise cities offer some advantages in terms of sustainability but have considerable downsides. Low-dense and medium-rise typologies have been shown to offer good social qualities; their potential energy and carbon advantages have received less attention. As the energy consumption, emissions of cities and heat island effects increase; we question whether dense, high-rise cities offer optimal sustainability. We discuss seven areas where medium density and lower rise typologies offer advantages in terms of energy and climate including: land use/density; microclimate/green space; energy supply; transports; operational energy/carbon; embodied energy/carbon; and resilience. The aim is to discuss the cumulative importance of these areas in the context of sustainable energy use and climate emissions. These areas are subject to ongoing research and are only discussed briefly, since the overarching synthesis perspective for urban planning is our focus. The picture that emerges when these points are seen together, suggests that medium density and lower rise options—like traditional European typologies—may offer, in addition to social qualities, very significant advantages in terms of energy, carbon and climate emissions.

scholarly journals A Complementary Approach to Traditional Energy Balances for Assessing Energy Efficiency Measures in Final Uses: The Case of Space Heating and Cooling in Argentina

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6563
Author(s):  
Roque G Stagnitta ◽  
Matteo V Rocco ◽  
Emanuela Colombo
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Space Heating ◽  
Output Analysis ◽  
Final Energy ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Energy Balances ◽  
The Impact

Energy balances have been historically conceived based on a supply-side perspective, providing neither detailed information about energy conversion into useful services nor the effects that may be induced by the application of policies in other sectors to energy consumption. This article proposes an approach to a thorough assessment of the impact of efficiency policies on final energy uses, focusing on residential space heating and cooling, and capable of: (1) quantifying final useful services provided and (2) accounting for the global impact of efficiency policies on final energy use, taking advantage of Input–Output analysis. This approach is applied in five cities of Argentina. Firstly, the quantity of energy service provided (i.e., level of thermal comfort) for each city is evaluated and compared with the defined target. It is found out that heating comfort is guaranteed approximately as established, whereas in the cooling case the provision is twice the established level. Secondly, primary energy consumption of heating and cooling services is evaluated before and after different efficiency improvement policies. The results show that the major primary energy saving (52%) is obtained from the upgrading appliances scenario and reflect the importance of accounting for embodied energy in goods and services involved in interventions.

scholarly journals Technical Performance Overview of Bio-Based Insulation Materials Compared to Expanded Polystyrene

Buildings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Cassandra Lafond ◽  
Pierre Blanchet
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Natural Fibers ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Lower Amount ◽  
Vapor Permeability ◽  
Insulation Material ◽  
Insulation Materials ◽  
Technical Performance

The energy efficiency of buildings is well documented. However, to improve standards of energy efficiency, the embodied energy of materials included in the envelope is also increasing. Natural fibers like wood and hemp are used to make low environmental impact insulation products. Technical characterizations of five bio-based materials are described and compared to a common, traditional, synthetic-based insulation material, i.e., expanded polystyrene. The study tests the thermal conductivity and the vapor transmission performance, as well as the combustibility of the material. Achieving densities below 60 kg/m3, wood and hemp batt insulation products show thermal conductivity in the same range as expanded polystyrene (0.036 kW/mK). The vapor permeability depends on the geometry of the internal structure of the material. With long fibers are intertwined with interstices, vapor can diffuse and flow through the natural insulation up to three times more than with cellular synthetic (polymer) -based insulation. Having a short ignition times, natural insulation materials are highly combustible. On the other hand, they release a significantly lower amount of smoke and heat during combustion, making them safer than the expanded polystyrene. The behavior of a bio-based building envelopes needs to be assessed to understand the hygrothermal characteristics of these nontraditional materials which are currently being used in building systems.

scholarly journals Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Marine Insulation Materials

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1099
Author(s):  
Hayoung Jang ◽  
Yoonwon Jang ◽  
Byongug Jeong ◽  
Nak-Kyun Cho
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Polyurethane Foam ◽  
Mineral Wool ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Human Toxicity ◽  
Insulation Materials ◽  
Marine Vessels

This study aimed to reduce the holistic environmental impacts of insulation materials proposed for the accommodation of a marine cargo ship, and suggest the optimal option for cleaner ship production, using life cycle assessment. With a commercial bulk carrier as a case ship, three major insulations were assessed, which were wool-based material (mineral wool or glass wool), expanded polystyrene, and polyurethane foam. The analysis was scoped based on ‘from cradle to grave’, while focusing on the following five representative environmental indicators: global warming potential100years, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, ozone depletion potential, and human toxicity potential. The assessment was performed in the platform of the GaBi software. The results showed that polyurethane foam would have the greatest impacts, especially in regard to global warming, eutrophication, and human toxicity. On the other hand, expanded polystyrene and wool-based material showed better environmental performance than polyurethane foam. For example, wool-based insulation was found, in terms of GWP and HTP, to produce 2.1 × 104 kg CO2-eq and 760.1 kg DCB-eq, respectively, and expanded polystyrene had similar results with respect to GWP, AP, and EP as 2.1 × 104 kg CO2-eq, 23.3 kg SO2-eq, and 2.7 kg Phosphate-eq, respectively. In fact, the research findings point out the shortcomings of current design practices in selecting insulation materials for marine vessels, while providing meaningful insights into the importance of the selection of appropriate insulation materials for marine vessels for cleaner shipping. Therefore, it is believed that this paper will make a sound contribution to enhancing future design practice and regulatory frameworks in response to environmental issues in the marine industry.

scholarly journals The Impact of Construction Labour Productivity on the Renovation Wave

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Soren Wandahl ◽  
Christina T. Pérez ◽  
Stephanie Salling ◽  
Hasse H. Neve ◽  
Jon Lerche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Labour Productivity ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Operational Energy ◽  
Lean Tools ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Tools And Methods

The European Green Deal's Renovation Wave aims to renovate 35 million energy-inefficient buildings to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by at least 55% by 2030. Historically, efforts to reduce CO2 emissions focused on Operational Energy (OE) of the finished buildings. However, in recent years the Embodied Energy (EE) of the building’s construction process has gained attention because of its essential role in construction renovations projects. In this context, construction efficiency, and more precisely, workers’ efficiency, is a vital catalyst to achieve the European Union (EU) targets. To identify the impact of Construction Labour Productivity (CLP) on the renovation wave an exploratory case study was adopted as a research strategy. Data from four domestic housing renovation projects were gathered. Three specific research goals are outlined. The first is to demonstrate the effect of the adoption of Lean tools and methods to increase CLP. The second is to quantify the correlation between improved productivity and the EE emissions saved during the construction phase. The third goal is to estimate the effect the higher productivity has on OE emissions. The results show that the adoption of several Lean tools and methods has a potential to improve CLP to 45%.  This rate of improvement for the 35 million housing units to be renovated could save 6.9 million tonnes CO2e from EE and 386 million tonnes CO2e from OE. This novelty link between process improvements and reduced energy consumption and emissions can support politicians and infrastructural developers in decision-making for a more sustainable construction industry.

scholarly journals The importance of embodied energy in carbon footprint assessment

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaid Alwan ◽  
Paul Jones
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Design Team ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Operational Energy ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Whole Life Cycle

Purpose – The construction industry has focused on operational and embodied energy of buildings as a way of becoming more sustainable, however, with more emphasis on the former. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the impact that embodied energy of construction materials can have on the decision making when designing buildings, and ultimately on the environment. This is an important aspect that has often been overlooked when calculating a building's carbon footprint; and its inclusion this approach presents a more holistic life cycle assessment. Design/methodology/approach – A building project was chosen that is currently being designed; the design team for the project have been tasked by the client to make the facility exemplary in terms of its sustainability. This building has a limited construction palette; therefore the embodied energy component can be accurately calculated. The authors of this paper are also part of the design team for the building so they have full access to Building Information Modelling (BIM) models and production information. An inventory of materials was obtained for the building and embodied energy coefficients applied to assess the key building components. The total operational energy was identified using benchmarking to produce a carbon footprint for the facility. Findings – The results indicate that while operational energy is more significant over the long term, the embodied energy of key materials should not be ignored, and is likely to be a bigger proportion of the total carbon in a low carbon building. The components with high embodied energy have also been identified. The design team have responded to this by altering the design to significantly reduce the embodied energy within these key components – and thus make the building far more sustainable in this regard. Research limitations/implications – It may be is a challenge to create components inventories for whole buildings or for refurbishments. However, a potential future approach for is application may be to use a BIM model to simplify this process by imbedding embodied energy inventories within the software, as part of the BIM menus. Originality/value – This case study identifies the importance of considering carbon use during the whole-life cycle of buildings, as well as highlighting the use of carbon offsetting. The paper presents an original approach to the research by using a “live” building as a case study with a focus on the embodied energy of each component of the scheme. The operational energy is also being calculated, the combined data are currently informing the design approach for the building. As part of the analysis, the building was modelled in BIM software.

scholarly journals Environmental Impact Assessment of Renovated Multi-Apartment Building Using LCA Approach: Case Study from Lithuania

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1542
Author(s):  
Vidhyalakshmi Chandrasekaran ◽  
Jolanta Dvarioniene ◽  
Ausrine Vitkute ◽  
Giedrius Gecevicius
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Environment Impact ◽  
Total Energy Consumption ◽  
Operational Energy ◽  
Modernization Process ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Current Energy

In Europe, more than 75% of buildings are energy inefficient according to current energy standards. These buildings account for 40% of total energy consumption. Therefore, addressing the energy efficiency of existing buildings through various renovation measures remains of critical importance. In this study, two differently renovated multi-apartment buildings were selected to evaluate its environment impact using life cycle assessment. The buildings were built during the early 1980s, which did not meet the current energy efficiency standards. In recent times, these buildings were revised by Governmental agencies through the modernization process. The aim of the assessment is to study the environmental impacts associated with different renovation measures that has been carried out. This assessment covers the impact of new materials added, and the operational energy use. The study reveals that renovation stage accounts for 19% CO2 emission. The renovated buildings with renewable measures have a significant impact over climate change than the conventional renovation measures. Moreover, the potential savings in thermal energy used for space heating and domestic hot water preparation are 25% and 40% after conventional and renewable measures renovation, respectively. It was concluded that the total climate change potential could be reduced from 12% and 48% by retrofitting combined with renewable energy measures.

scholarly journals Environmental burdens of External Thermal Insulation Systems. Expanded Polystyrene vs. Mineral Wool: Case Study from Poland

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacek Michalak ◽  
Sebastian Czernik ◽  
Marta Marcinek ◽  
Bartosz Michałowski
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Mineral Wool ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Manufacturing Plants ◽  
Insulation Systems ◽  
Negative Environmental Impact ◽  
The Impact

The external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) improves the energy efficiency of buildings, and nowadays, this method is the most popular to insulate buildings in many European Union (EU) countries. The article presents the impact of producing ETICS with expanded polystyrene (EPS) or mineral wool (MW) on the natural environment using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method. The data used in the calculations, related to 2017 real production, were obtained from the externally verified inventory from five manufacturing plants located in different regions of Poland. The LCA of the examined products covered modules from A1 to A3 (cradle-to-gate), according to EN 15804 standard. The study determines and analyses the values of basic indicators related to environmental impacts and environmental aspects of resource use. It comprises indicators calculated for 1 m2 ETICS for five thicknesses of the mentioned thermal insulation materials. Results show that for all environmental indicators, MW systems are characterized by a more negative environmental impact than the equivalent systems with EPS. The study aims to highlight knowledge about ETICS sustainability. The data presented in work are essential for assessment in terms of the sustainable development of ETICS. Such an evaluation is not just a need for the future but a necessity for the present.

scholarly journals ENERGY EMBODIED IN, AND TRANSMITTED THROUGH, WALLS OF DIFFERENT TYPES WHEN ACCOUNTING FOR THE DYNAMIC EFFECTS OF THERMAL MASS

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 43-66
Author(s):  
Aidan Reilly ◽  
Oliver Kinnane ◽  
Richard O’Hegarty
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flow ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Solid Wall ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Ratio Method ◽  
Thermal Mass ◽  
Energy Current ◽  
Operational Energy ◽  
Flow Through

ABSTRACT Embodied energy is a measure of the energy used in producing, transporting and assembling the materials for a building. Operational energy is the energy used to moderate the indoor environment to make it functional or comfortable—primarily, to heat or cool the building. For many building geometries, the walls make the most significant contribution to the embodied energy of the building, and they are also the path of greatest heat loss or gain through the fabric, as they often have a greater surface area than the roof or floor. Adding insulation reduces the heat flow through the wall, reducing the energy used during operation, but this adds to the embodied energy. The operational energy is not only a function of the wall buildup, but also depends on the climate, occupancy pattern, and heating strategy, making an optimisation for minimum overall energy use non-trivial. This study presents a comparison of typical wall construction types and heating strategies in a temperate maritime climate. The transient energy ratio method is a means to abstract the heat flow through the walls (operational energy for heating), allowing assessment of the influence of walls in isolation (i.e. in a general sense, without being restricted to particular building geometries). Three retrofit scenarios for a solid wall are considered. At very low U-values, overall energy use can increase as the embodied energy can exceed the operational energy; current best practice walls coupled with low building lifetimes mean that this point may be reached in the near future. Substantial uncertainty is present in existing embodied energy data, and given its contribution to total energy use, this is a topic of urgent concern.

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