Energy Sustainability of Bio-Based Building Materials in the Cold and Severe Cold Regions of China—A Case Study of Residential Buildings

Abstract

The aim of this research is to investigate the energy sustainability of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and straw residential buildings in the Cold and Severe Cold Regions of China. In the study, three building materials, namely reinforced concrete (RC), CLT, and straw bale, are used separately to design the building envelope in reference residential buildings in different climate zones. The energy consumption during the operation phase of these buildings is then simulated using Integrated Environmental Solutions—Virtual Environment software (IES-VE). The results show that both CLT and straw buildings are more efficient than reinforced concrete with a reduction in energy consumption during the operational phase. Overall, the calculated heating energy-saving ratios for CLT buildings in Hailar, Harbin, Urumchi, Lanzhou, and Beijing are 3.04%, 7.39%, 7.43%, 12.69%, and 13.41%, respectively, when compared with RC. The calculated energy-saving ratios for heating in straw buildings in comparison with RC in these cities are 8.04%, 22.09%, 22.17%, 33.02%, and 34.28%, respectively. The results also reveal that a south orientation of the main building facade results in approximately 5% to 7% energy reduction in comparison with east or west orientations, and as the building height increases, energy consumption decreases gradually. Although RC is the most frequently used building material in Cold and Severe Cold regions in China, as bio-based building materials, there is great potential to promote CLT and straw bale construction in view of the energy sustainability features.

Life cycle assessment of cross laminated timber: a systematic literature review

“…Although previous discussions have focused on the energy efficiency of buildings, that is, in the operational use phase of the building, the efficiency or performance of materials, whether in terms of the impact of primary energy consumption, manufacturing, or end-of-life, has achieved greater attention from the sector (Hafner and Schäfer, 2017). Some of the selected studies focus only on the energy analysis of the CLT life cycle in different scopes (Chiniforush et al, 2019;Dodoo, Gustavsson, Sathre, 2014b;Dong et al, 2019;Guo et al, 2020;Tettey, Dodoo, Gustavsson, 2019). Chiniforush et al (2019) provide a detailed analysis of the energy life cycle of two types of slab: a composition of steel and CLT and another of steel and concrete.…”

“…These authors report that the CLT system consumes much less heating energy than the reinforced concrete system, on the other hand, it consumes more cooling energy, indicating that overheating may occur in buildings with this system due to its thermal mass. Guo et al (2020) also comparatively analyzes structural systems for severe cold regions in China, comparing CLT with reinforced concrete and a straw bale system. These authors conclude that bio-based materials (CLT and straw) are more energy efficient than reinforced concrete and represent potential energy savings for these regions.…”

“…Another issue to consider was the need for deeper studies regarding the carbonation of concrete in order to include the values of incorporated carbon throughout the life cycle for a fairer comparison in relation to woody materials (Guo et al, 2020;Lolli, Ffua, Wiik, 2019, Skullestad, Bohne, Lohne, 2016.…”

Locally Based Architectural Construction Strategies in Rural China: Textual Analysis of Architects’ Design Thinking

“…Utilizing agricultural by-products such as straw and corn husks in construction not only reduces environmental pollution caused by farmers burning straw, but also harnesses local materials for energy efficiency purposes. Many studies [15,99] exploring the utilization of agricultural by-products as insulation materials have recognized the advantages of this strategy. However, when compared to certain cases in type E, disparities between the perspectives of researchers and architects become evident.…”

Energy Sustainability of Rural Residential Buildings with Bio-Based Building Fabric in Northeast China

“…This increases the quantity of CO 2 sequestered from the environment [44]. These materials have a lower environmental impact on life cycle assessments (LCAs) [45]. Thirdly, straw-bale wall construction has excellent thermal insulation properties.…”