Energy use is a widely used measure of the environmental impact of buildings. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of both the operational and embodied energy attributable to buildings over their lifetime. The method of assessing lifetime building energy is known as life-cycle energy analysis. With Kyoto target obligations necessitating the quantification of greenhouse gas emissions at the national level, it seems increasingly probable that analyses of this kind will increase in use. If conducted in primary energy terms, such analyses directly reflect greenhouse gas emissions, except for a few processes which involve significant non-energy related emissions such as cement manufacture. A Life-Cycle Assessment would include these issues, as well as other environmental parameters, though probably with a corresponding decrease in system boundary completeness. This paper briefly explains some of the theoretical issues associated with life-cycle energy analysis and then uses an Australian based case study to demonstrate its use in evaluating alternative design strategies for an energy efficient residential building. For example, it was found that the addition of higher levels of insulation in Australia paid back its initial embodied energy in life-cycle energy terms in around 12 years. However, the saving represented less than 6% of the total embodied energy and operational energy of the building over a lOO-year life cycle. This. indicates that there may be other strategies worth pursuing before additional insulation. Energy efficiency and other environmental strategies should be prioritized on a life-cycle basis.La consommation d'energie est un parametre tres utilise Iorsque I'on veut mesurer l'impact des batiments sur I'environnement. Des etudes conduites recemment ont mis en lumiere I'importance de l' energie operationnelle et celle de I'energie intrinseque degagees par les batiments pendant leur duree de vie. L'analyse energetique des batiments pendant leur cycle de vie est une methode d'evaluation de I'energie d'un batiment pendant sa duree de vie. Pour respecter les objectifs de la Conference de Kyoto, il faut quantifier les emissions de gaz de serre au niveau national; il semble done de plus en plus probable que la pratique de ces analyses va aller en augrnentant. Si elles portent sur I'energie primaire, ces analyses rendront parfaitement compte des emissions de gaz aeffets de serre, sauf pour quelques procedes industriels, comme la fabrication du ciment, au les emissions de ces gaz nesontpas Iiees al'energie. Toutc evaluation du cycle de vie doit tenir compte de ces questions mais IntroductionIt is now well understood that buildings, in their operation, contribute to environmental degradation, particularIy where fossil fuels are used as the primary source of energy (England and Casler, 1995). Carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, for example, contribute to global warming while other emissions (including sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide) degrade water, air and soil. Consequently, re...
Life cycle assessments (LCAs) are used to evaluate the environmental impacts attributable to products and processes. For construction projects, LCAs can be used to assess the pollution associated with the manufacture of building materials for the construction process. Despite the reliability of traditional LCA data, many upstream processes are excluded, which adversely affects overall reliability. Input-output analysis is systemically complete, but is subject to inherent errors when applied to the LCA of specific products. Analysis of an input-output LCA model provides a basis for more informed decision making regarding processes which can be ignored during the collection of traditional LCA data. This paper proposes a hybrid LCA method for construction in which national input-output data fill those 'gaps' not accounted for by traditional LCA data. Regardless of the level of detail at which data are collected, LCAs can now be performed at similar overall levels of framework completeness.Life Cycle Assessment, Input-output Analysis, Hybrid Lca, Construction,
The energy required to operate office buildings has been the focus of much research in the past three decades. There have been limited attempts to quantify the embodied energy consumed in construction. Some embodied energy studies have been relatively detailed. But the energy embodied in fixtures, fittings and furniture which is used by occupiers of buildings is rarely mentioned. The potential significance of the energy embodied in fixtures, fittings and furniture has yet to be established. Aims to establish the likely importance of the energy embodied in fixtures, fittings and furniture relative to other life cycle energy requirements of office buildings in temperate climates. Implementation actions are suggested for the optimisation of the energy embodied in fixtures, fittings and furniture used in buildings. Assists facility managers and businesses with their decision making with respect to the environmental impacts associated with energy use throughout the life cycle of their buildings.
Life cycle energy analysis (LCEA) is used to assign energy values to product ows in each phase of an activity's life cycle.In the case of a residential building, this usually comprises energy embodied in the manufacture of building materials, energy used in the building's operation, and in periodic maintenance. In order to place these amounts of energy in a national context, the energy embodied in other goods and services consumed by householders also needs to be considered. This paper uses LCEA to demonstrate the need for considering not only the life cycle energy of the building but also the life cycle energy attributable to activities being undertaken by actual users of the building. The life cycle energy of an Australian residential building as well as common activities of households are analysed and simulated over a 30 year period using a worked example of a two bedroom, brick-veneer, semi-detached unit. The importance of considering the energy embodied in the initial construction of a residential building as well as the consumption of goods and services by householders is demonstrated as having long-term implications. In order to encourage sustainable living practices it is suggested that architects more closely consider the activities of householders when designing residential buildings, especially in temperate climates. The paper concludes by identifying future areas of research for LCEA in the residential sector.Les e  tudes de cycle de vie ante  rieures a Á la construction ont tendance a Á omettre les phases situe  es apre Á s la de  molition. Si le recyclage n'a pas e  te  pre  vu, il n'est donc pas possible d'en e  valuer les be  ne  ® ces. Une e  tude parame  -trique portant sur une maison individuelle fait le point sur les e  conomies d'e  nergie potentielles apre Á s la de  molition rendues possibles par la re  utilisation des divers mate  riaux de construction. Les re  sultats indiquent qu'il est peut e à tre plus important de concevoir un ba à timent en vue de son recyclage que d'employer des mate  riaux exigeant peu d'e  nergie lors de la fabrication, ce qui fait que la mise au point d'un recyclage ef® cace de  pend de sa prise en compte et de son inte  gration lors de la phase de conception; de cette fac Ë on la re  utilisation et l'adaptation des e  le  ments de base existants sont des composantes importantes de ce recyclage.
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