Life cycle energy analysis of buildings: An overview

Buildings demand energy in their life cycle right from its construction to demolition. Studies on the total energy use during the life cycle are desirable to identify phases of largest energy use and to develop strategies for its reduction. In the present paper, a critical review of the life cycle energy analyses of buildings resulting from 73 cases across 13 countries is presented. The study includes both residential and office buildings. Results show that operating (80-90%) and embodied (10-20%) phases of energy use are significant contributors to building's life cycle energy demand. Life cycle energy (primary) requirement of conventional residential buildings falls in the range of 150-400 kWh/m² per year and that of office buildings in the range of 250-550 kWh/m² per year. Building's life cycle energy demand can be reduced by reducing its operating energy significantly through use of passive and active technologies even if it leads to a slight increase in embodied energy. However, an excessive use of passive and active features in a building may be counterproductive. It is observed that low energy buildings perform better than self-sufficient (zero operating energy) buildings in the life cycle context. Since, most of the case studies available in open literature pertain to developed and/or cold countries; hence, energy indicative figures for developing and/or non-cold countries need to be evaluated and compared with the results presented in this paper.     

A performance comparison of passive and low-energy buildings

This paper compares apartments in two residential blocks in Vienna; one passive and the other one low-energy. These blocks were constructed simultaneously in the same location and with comparable building construction features and floor plans. The main difference between the two blocks (other than the higher thermal insulation level in the passive building) lies in the ventilation system: passive buildings deploy controlled ventilation, whereas the low-energy buildings rely mostly on user-operated natural (window) ventilation. We measured indoor environmental conditions (indoor air temperature, relative humidity, and CO₂ concentration) in two units of each block over a period of five months. Additionally, the buildings were compared in view of operation and embodied energy use, CO₂ emissions, and construction costs.     

A comprehensive model for streamlining low-energy building design

Building designers are often limited in their ability to reduce the environmental impact of buildings, due to a lack of information on the environmental performance of building components as well as inconsistencies in the way in which this information is derived. Whilst numerous tools exist to help facilitate the low-energy building design process, these typically require large investments of time and money that are often beyond those available within any particular project. This paper describes an approach for streamlining the design process to reduce building life cycle energy consumption. Building assemblies are ranked based on an assessment of the life cycle energy requirements associated with their use within a building. This facilitates early stage assessment, negating the need for a resolved design before the relative energy requirements of alternate design solutions are known. Previous work assessed the initial and recurring embodied energy as well as the operational energy requirements for heating and cooling associated with the use of a range of building assemblies, using a simplified house model. This paper presents a sensitivity analysis of variations to the floor area, shape and orientation of this model, to test the reliability and applicability of the ranking approach across a broad range of circumstances. It was found that these variations did not influence the ranked order of the assemblies in terms of their life cycle energy requirements. Thus, the ranking of assemblies appears to provide an appropriate approach for streamlining the selection of construction elements during the building design process.     

Indonesian residential high rise buildings: A life cycle energy assessment

This study evaluates the effect of building envelopes on the life cycle energy consumption of high rise residential buildings in Jakarta, Indonesia. For high rise residential buildings, the enclosures contribute 10-50% of the total building cost, 14-17% of the total material mass and 20-30% of the total heat gain. The direct as well as indirect influence of the envelope materials plays an important role in the life cycle energy consumption of buildings. The initial embodied energy of typical double wall and single wall envelopes for high residential buildings is 79.5 GJ and 76.3 GJ, respectively. Over an assumed life span of 40 years, double walls have better energy performance than single walls, 283 GJ versus 480 GJ, respectively. Material selection, which depends not only on embodied energy but also thermal properties, should, therefore, play a crucial role during the design of buildings.     

Life cycle inventory of buildings: A contribution analysis

A companion paper presented the life cycle inventory (LCI) calculation model for buildings as a whole, developed within a global methodology to optimise low energy buildings simultaneously for energy, environmental impact and costs without neglecting the boundary conditions for thermal comfort and indoor air quality. This paper presents the results of a contribution analysis of the life cycle inventory of four typical Belgian residential buildings. The analysis shows the relative small importance of the embodied energy of a building compared to the energy consumption during the usage phase. This conclusion is even more valid when comparing the embodied energy of energy saving measures with the energy savings they realise. In most studied cases, the extra embodied energy for energy saving measures is gained back by the savings in less than 2 years. Only extremely low energy buildings might have a total embodied energy higher than the energy use of the utilisation phase. However, the sum of both remains small and the energy savings realised with these dwellings are large, compared to the energy consumption of average dwellings.     

From net energy to zero energy buildings: Defining life cycle zero energy buildings (LC-ZEB)

There are various definitions of ‘zero energy’ and ‘net-zero’ energy building. In most cases, the definitions refer only to the energy that is used in the operation of the building, ignoring the aspects of energy use related to the construction and delivery of the building and its components. On the other hand the concept of ‘net energy’ as used in the field of ecological economics, which does take into account the energy used during the production process of a commodity, is widely applied in fields such as renewable energy assessment. In this paper the concept of ‘net energy’ is introduced and applied within the built environment, based on a methodology accounting for the embodied energy of building components together with energy use in operation. A definition of life cycle zero energy buildings (LC-ZEB) is proposed, as well as the use of the net energy ratio (NER) as a factor to aid in building design with a life cycle perspective.     

Life cycle inventory of buildings: A calculation method

Traditionally, life cycle assessment (LCA) is mostly concerned with product design and hardly considers large systems, such as buildings, as a whole. Though, by limiting LCA to building materials or building components, boundary conditions, such as thermal comfort and indoor air quality, cannot be taken into account. The life cycle inventory (LCI) model presented in this paper forms part of a global methodology that combines advanced optimisation techniques, LCI and cost-benefit assessment to optimise low energy buildings simultaneously for energy, environmental impact and costs without neglecting the boundary conditions for thermal comfort, indoor air quality and legal requirements for energy performance. This paper first outlines the goal and scope of the LCI. Then, the partial inventory models as well as the overall building inventory model are presented. Finally, the LCI results are shown and discussed for one reference dwelling for the context of Belgium.     

A matrix in life cycle perspective for selecting sustainable materials for buildings in Sri Lanka

This paper presents a matrix to select sustainable materials for buildings in Sri Lanka, taking into consideration environmental, economic and social assessments of materials in a life cycle perspective. Five building elements, viz., foundations, roofs, ceilings, doors and windows, and floors are analyzed based on materials used for these elements. Environmental burdens associated with these elements are analyzed in terms of embodied energy and environmental impacts such as global warming, acidification and nutrient enrichment. Economic analysis is based on market prices and affordability of materials. Social factors that are taken into account are thermal comfort, interior (aesthetics), ability to construct quickly, strength and durability. By compiling the results of analyses, two building types with minimum and maximum impacts are identified. These two cases along with existing buildings are compared in a matrix of environmental, economic and social scores. Analysis of the results also indicates need for higher consideration of environmental parameters in decision-making over social and economic factors, as social and economic scores do not vary much between cases. Hence, this matrix helps decision-makers to select sustainable materials for buildings, meaningfully, and thus helps to move towards a more sustainable buildings and construction sector.     

Life cycle energy assessment of a typical office building in Thailand

A typical office building in Thailand was analyzed using the life cycle energy analysis (LCEA) method to illustrate the argument. Results indicate that although life cycle energy (LCE) distribution is concentrated at the operating phase, the embodied energy of buildings is a non-negligible fraction of the LCE balance. Energy (electricity) used for lighting and HVAC systems in the operation phase and; the manufacture of concrete and steel were the most significant elements in the buildings life cycle. Application of a combination of energy saving measures, showed that 40-50% of energy (electricity) used in a typical office building in Thailand can be saved. Preliminary analysis indicated that recycling building materials can also contribute additional energy savings (about 8.9%) to a buildings LCE profile. Therefore reducing energy consumption should be a priority for not only the operation but also other life cycle phases. It is suggested that both embodied and operating energy should be accounted for within the context of energy efficiency through the incorporation of LCEA into the existing Thai building energy code.     

Building energy-efficiency standards in a life cycle primary energy perspective

In this study we analyze the life cycle primary energy use of a wood-frame apartment building designed to meet the current Swedish building code, the Swedish building code of 1994 or the passive house standard, and heated with district heat or electric resistance heating. The analysis includes the primary energy use during the production, operation and end-of-life phases. We find that an electric heated building built to the current building code has greater life cycle primary energy use relative to a district heated building, although the standard for electric heating is more stringent. Also, the primary energy use for an electric heated building constructed to meet the passive house standard is substantially higher than for a district heated building built to the Swedish building code of 1994. The primary energy for material production constitutes 5% of the primary energy for production and space heating and ventilation of an electric heated building built to meet the 1994 code. The share of production energy increases as the energy-efficiency standard of the building improves and when efficient energy supply is used, and reaches 30% for a district heated passive house. This study shows the significance of a life cycle primary energy perspective and the choice of heating system in reducing energy use in the built environment.     

Life cycle assessment: A case study of a dwelling home in Scotland

The article provides a life cycle assessment (LCA) of a 3-bed room semi detached house in Scotland. Detailed LCA of five main construction materials i.e. wood, aluminium, glass, concrete and ceramic tiles have been provided to determine their respective embodied energy and associated environmental impacts. Embodied energy of various construction materials involved has been estimated to be equal to 227.4 GJ. It is found that concrete, timber and ceramic tiles are the three major energy expensive materials involved. It as been calculated that concrete alone consumes 65% of the total embodied energy of the home while its share of environmental impacts is even more crucial.     

Life cycle primary energy analysis of residential buildings

The space heating demand of residential buildings can be decreased by improved insulation, reduced air leakage and by heat recovery from ventilation air. However, these measures result in an increased use of materials. As the energy for building operation decreases, the relative importance of the energy used in the production phase increases and influences optimization aimed at minimizing the life cycle energy use. The life cycle primary energy use of buildings also depends on the energy supply systems. In this work we analyse primary energy use and CO₂ emission for the production and operation of conventional and low-energy residential buildings. Different types of energy supply systems are included in the analysis. We show that for a conventional and a low-energy building the primary energy use for production can be up to 45% and 60%, respectively, of the total, depending on the energy supply system, and with larger variations for conventional buildings. The primary energy used and the CO₂ emission resulting from production are lower for wood-framed constructions than for concrete-framed constructions. The primary energy use and the CO₂ emission depend strongly on the energy supply, for both conventional and low-energy buildings. For example, a single-family house from the 1970s heated with biomass-based district heating with cogeneration has 70% lower operational primary energy use than if heated with fuel-based electricity. The specific primary energy use with district heating was 40% lower than that of an electrically heated passive row house.     

Energy use, CO2 emissions and waste throughout the life cycle of a sample of hotels in the Balearic Islands

Tourism is the most developed economic sector in the Balearic Islands. The great rise in construction activities within the last 50 years, the increase in energy use, in CO₂ emissions and in waste production due to tourism, as well as an electrical energy production system mainly based on coal and fossil fuels is not an environmentally sustainable scenario. The aim of this study is to identify the processes that have had the greatest impact on the life cycle of a tourist building. In order to do this, the energy uses, CO₂ emissions and waste materials generated have been estimated, assuming a life cycle of 50 years, within a sample of hotels from the Balearic Islands. The results show that the operating phase, which represents between 70% and 80% of the total energy use, is the one with the greatest impact; that the energy use due to the manufacture of materials represents a fifth of the total and that electric consumption is the main cause of CO₂ emissions because of the regional energy system.     

Performance assessment of low-energy buildings in central Argentina

This paper summarizes the results obtained from the energy and thermal performance assessment of residential and non-residential low-energy buildings that were designed to minimize fossil energy use. They are located in the province of La Pampa, central Argentina, in a temperate continental climate that shows extreme hot and cold records during the summer and winter seasons, respectively. The common applied technologies for saving energy were passive solar heating, natural ventilation for cooling and daylighting. The glazing area in the principal functional spaces facing to the North oscillates between 11 and 17% of the building useful areas. All the studied buildings are massive, with the exception of an auditorium that was designed with a lightweight insulated technology. The mean thermal transmittance of the envelope is 0.45 W/(m² K). Double glazing and hermetic carpentry were used to reduce thermal losses (U-value = 2.8 W/(m² K)). The volumetric heat loss coefficient (G-value) oscillates between 0.90 and 1.00 W/(m³ K). During the design and thermal simulation convective-radiative heat transfer coefficients were estimated through a dimensional equation (h = 5.7 + 3.8 ws, wind speed). On internal surfaces, convective-radiative heat transfer coefficients of 8 and 6 W/(m² °C) (for surfaces with and without solar gain, respectively) were applied. The monitoring process provided information on the energy and thermal behaviour under use and non-use conditions. The measured value of energy consumption was similar to the expected value that was used during the pre-design stage. Building technologies work well during the winter season, allowing 50–80% of energy savings. However, overheating is still an unresolved problem during the summer. Interviews with occupants revealed that they need both, information about functional details, and good-practice guidance to manage thermal issues of the building. In most cases, the annual consumption of energy was lower than those established by the Low Energy Housing German Standards and the Minirgie Switzerland Certificate. Despite their relative cost increase during the last years, the use of insulation technology and the application of passive solar devices involved an extra cost of only 3% in our works. Provided the expected depletion of natural gas production in the coming decade, the importance of applying energy-efficiency guidelines will increase very soon in Argentina in order to match the requirements of a new national energy matrix.     

Life cycle energy of single landed houses in Indonesia

Building enclosures contribute 10–50% of the total building cost and 14–17% of the total material mass. The direct as well as indirect influence of the enclosure materials plays an important role in the building life cycle energy. Single landed houses, the typical houses in Indonesia, have been chosen for this study. The life cycle energy of the house enclosures and energy consumed during their life spans shows intriguing results. The initial embodied energy of typical brick and clay roof enclosures is 45 GJ compared to the other typical walls and roof material (cement based) which is 46 GJ. However, over the 40 years life span of the houses, the clay based ones have a better energy performance than the cement based ones, 692 GJ versus 733 GJ, respectively. The material selection during the design phase is thus crucial since the buildings have at least 40–50 years’ life span.     

A new life cycle impact assessment approach for buildings

This study examines factors resulting in an environment burden (local EB) in the region where a building is located, and suggests a method for assessing it. The environmental burden (attached EB) caused by the expansion of infrastructures, such as, roads and parking lots for supporting buildings is also considered. An integrated life cycle impact assessment approach is proposed for buildings based on social cost account, called a region-type life cycle impact assessment (R-LCIA) here, which can give not only the total environment burden on a global scale but also the environment burden in a region scale and the attached EB. Furthermore, as an example of the R-LCIA, the environmental impact of a store building is assessed, and the effects of its location, structural type, and energy system are discussed.     

Investigation of energy performance of newly built low-energy buildings in Sweden

Energy use in the built environment represents a large part of total energy use in Sweden and is one important sector where energy conservation needs to be significantly improved in order to meet the national implementation of the European goals. One key question that needs to be investigated in relation to these goals is the performance and implementation of passive or low-energy houses. This paper presents results and an evaluation of a newly built house in an area with passive houses in Linköping, Sweden. Nine passive houses were built with the aim to be energy efficient, with an annual space heating demand of 21 kWh/m², and at the same time to have the same visual appearance as any other building in the surrounding area.This study evaluates the energy performance of a residential area with low-energy buildings based on Building Energy Simulation (BES) (IDA ICE 4), and measurements from the real object. Both annual and hourly validation is performed using room by room modeling and internal heat gains. A novel approach to internal heat gain modeling is presented using time-use data (TUD). The results show possible improvements in the design, the building envelope and in the heating control.     

A new design of configurable solar awning for managing cooling and heating loads

A new design of a configurable scrollable awning is presented. It is intended to provide a new tool for managing snow and heating and cooling demands for air conditioning. This awning design could fit the unsolved need for a mechanically simple foldable awning that present designs have not provided. Its performance was numerically simulated, and significant energy savings were found in all seasons. This device was applied to the Skytherm roof, showing good possibilities for improving this system. The potential of this new awning that could be applied universally onto every roof was discussed. This way, this proposal can help us to change present paradigms of low-energy buildings with a new one intended for the most configurable buildings.     

Identification of parameters for embodied energy measurement: A literature review

The building construction industry consumes a large amount of resources and energy and, owing to current global population growth trends, this situation is projected to deteriorate in the near future. Buildings consume approximately 40 percent of total global energy: during the construction phase in the form of embodied energy and during the operation phase as operating energy. Embodied energy is expended in the processes of building material production (mining and manufacture), on-site delivery, construction and assembly on-site, renovation and final demolition. Recent studies have considered the significance of embodied energy inherent in building materials, with a specific focus on this fraction of sequestered energy. Current interpretations of embodied energy are quite unclear and vary greatly, and embodied energy databases suffer from problems of variation and incomparability. Furthermore, there is no reliable template, standard or protocol regarding embodied energy computations that could address these problems in embodied energy inventories. This paper focuses on the analysis of existing literature in order to identify differing parameters so that development of a consistent and comparable database can be facilitated.     

Energy and environmental comparison of three variants of a family house during its whole life span

The aim of this study is to analyse and compare three variants of a family house in order to evaluate the total environmental impacts produced during the whole building life cycle. The first variant corresponds to the standard in force in Switzerland, the second alternative to the requirements of a quality control label for houses with low energy consumption and the third case is a very low energy consumption building. The three variants have the same architectural aspect but different insulation thicknesses and types, different energy production systems and the use of different renewable energies. The calculation of the environmental impacts is carried out by means of a life cycle analysis, which includes not only the impact related to the energy consumption during the occupancy stage, but also the materials manufacture, transport, replacement and elimination at the end of the building lifetime. The results are expressed with the Swiss and the UCTE (Union for the Co-ordination of Transmission of Electricity) electricity mix to analyse how they influence the building impact.