Embodied, operation, and commuting emissions: A case study comparing the carbon hotspots of an educational building

Fenner, Andriel Evandro; Kibert, Charles J.; Li, Jiaxuan; Razkenari, Mohamad; Hakim, Hamed; Lü, Xiaoshu; Kouhirostami, Maryam; Sam, Mahya

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122081

Cited by 52 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Low energy consumption and low carbon building design can be achieved by finding the optimal objective [17,27,75]. However, this refers more to the carbon emissions of operational energy consumption [28], which are not enough to indicate the actual carbon emission reduction [76]. Life cycle carbon emissions should be considered in low carbon building design [77].…”

Section: The Status Of Low Carbon Building Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges and Future Development Paths of Low Carbon Building Design: A Review

Cao

2022

Buildings

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Excessive carbon emissions are causing the problems of global warming and the greenhouse effect, which urgently need to be controlled worldwide. It is crucial to reduce the carbon emissions of the construction industry as it is one of the main sources. Carbon is generated at all phases of the building life cycle, including in material production, building design, and building operation and maintenance. Notably, building design has various extents of influence on carbon emissions at each phase, for which a low carbon method urgently needs to be explored. This paper aims to summarize the current status of building design through literature review considering standard systems, carbon emission calculations, and building design optimization. The challenges of building design are as follows: lack of (1) a comprehensive standard system considering different factors, (2) lack of a carbon emission calculation method for the design phase, and a (3) no real-time optimization model aiming at carbon reduction. The path of “standard−calculation−prediction−optimization” (SCPO) for future building design is proposed to address these challenges. It takes standard system as the framework, the carbon calculation method as the foundation, the prediction model as the theory, and the low carbon building as the objective. This paper can provide theoretical guidance for low carbon building design.

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Section: The Status Of Low Carbon Building Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges and Future Development Paths of Low Carbon Building Design: A Review

Cao

2022

Buildings

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“…Studies have quantified the footprint of transport and the election of means of transport in the carbon footprint of university students for commuting [31,32]. Others studies around the world include university building performance as well as mobility [33]. However, some researches have been found considering the whole footprint of students of different levels of education considering the consumption of goods for teaching and learning based on participatory methods for data collection [32,34].…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low-Carbon Economy in Schools: Environmental Footprint and Associated Externalities of Five Schools in Southwestern Europe

et al. 2021

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This study provides an in-depth assessment of the environmental performance of five public schools in the transition towards a low-carbon economy and a more sustainable model of society. Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is used to conduct the study. The school system includes several activities and processes clustered in three subsystems: management of the school building, training and learning activities (T&L) and mobility and transport (M&T). A detailed primary data inventory of energy and resources consumption was collected in five schools located in Spain and Portugal. Findings on climate change (CC), water depletion (WD), particular matter (PM), acidification (Ac), and human health (HH), as well as associated external cost (EC), are reported per student in one school year as reference unit, allowing the schools’ individual performance comparison and identify the potential improvements. Considering the sample of schools, findings reveal that peculiarities of the schools, such as location, specialization, and level of education, are crucial for the environmental performance. Buildings are a relevant contributor to CC as well as heating and electricity needs, although their relevance is dependent on multiple factors. The M&T subsystem also has relevant weight on the metrics evaluated. Educational activities have a lower impact in absolute terms but, in some schools, it becomes the main contributor to HH due to paper and electricity consumption and manufacturing of equipment. External costs results are in the range of 11 to 38 EUR/student·year mainly caused by heating, electricity and wastes from the building subsystem, and the M&T subsystem.

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“…Energy efficiency solutions are also achieved through the appropriate choice of envelope insulation parameters (external and internal) and thickness based on relevant knowledge, specialist research, and analysis. Many researchers [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] agreed that to reduce the negative impact of buildings on excessive energy consumption and the environment, the implementation of efficient and already proven technologies, including those that use renewable energy sources, should be pursued through the careful development of detailed technical documentation [13,14]. Rey-Hernández et al [15] analysed strategies for achieving nearly zero energy buildings (NZEB) in Spain and showed that the primary energy rate, renewable energy generation, and the renewable energy rate can be useful tools for the analysis of the energy of NZEB as required by European regulations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The new, environmentally friendly approach is geared toward optimal forest management aimed at mitigating the effects of global climate change, including through appropriate stand regulation. Furthermore, the green economy increasingly emphasises the non-productive role of forests and the advantages of wood products in terms of carbon footprint [7][8][9][10][11][12]. Wood is one of the few building materials that is CO 2 positive, which means that during its growth phase, wood absorbs more CO 2 than is released during its preparation and use in actual construction processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Old and Modern Wooden Buildings in the Context of Sustainable Development

2021

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Construction is a powerful industry that is not indifferent to the environment. Neither the maintenance of buildings in a proper technical condition nor their eventual demolition is indifferent to the environment. The main threats to the environment are still the inefficient use of construction materials and energy needed for their production and installation, as well as the emission of harmful substances to the environment at the stage of operation of buildings and their demolition. This article discusses the importance of wood as a renewable material in terms of its physical and mechanical properties. The restoration of forest areas is of great importance to the global ecosystem and the sustainable development system, reducing the threat of global warming and the greenhouse effect by reducing CO2 levels. In addition, demolition wood can be reused in construction, can be safely recycled as it quickly decomposes, or can be used as a source of renewable energy. The preservation of existing timber-framed buildings in good condition contributes to a lower consumption of this raw material for repair, which already significantly reduces the energy required for their manufacture, transport, and assembly. This also reduces the amount of waste that would have to be disposed of in various ways. Both at the stage of design, execution, and then exploitation, one forgets about the physical processes taking place inside the partitions and about the external climatic influences of the environment (precipitation, water vapor, and temperature) on which the type, intensity, and extent of chemical and biological corrosion depend to a very high degree. This paper presents examples of the influence of such impacts on the operational safety of three selected objects: a feed storehouse and an officer casino building from the second half of the nineteenth century and an 18th century rural homestead building. The research carried out on wooden structures of the above-mentioned objects “in situ” was verified by means of simulation models, which presented their initial and current technical conditions in relation to the type and amount of impact they should safely absorb. Moreover, within the framework of this paper, artificial intelligence methods have been implemented to predict the biological corrosion of the structures studied. The aim of the paper was to draw attention to the timber already built into buildings, which may constitute waste even after several years of operation, requiring disposal and at the same time the production of a substitute. The purpose of the research carried out by the authors of the article was to examine the older and newer buildings in use, the structures of which, in whole or in part, were made of wood. On a global scale, there will be considerable demand for the energy required to thermally dispose of this waste or to deposit it in landfills with very limited capacity until its complete biological decomposition. These energy demands and greenhouse gas emissions can be prevented by effective diagnostics of such structures and the predictability of their behaviour over time, with respect to the conditions under which they are operated. The authors of the article, during each assessment of the technical condition of a building containing wooden elements, analysed the condition of their protection each time and predicted the period of their safe life without the need for additional reinforcements or replacement by others. As the later reality shows, it is a very effective method of saving money and energy.

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Embodied, operation, and commuting emissions: A case study comparing the carbon hotspots of an educational building

Cited by 52 publications

References 43 publications

Challenges and Future Development Paths of Low Carbon Building Design: A Review

Challenges and Future Development Paths of Low Carbon Building Design: A Review

Low-Carbon Economy in Schools: Environmental Footprint and Associated Externalities of Five Schools in Southwestern Europe

Old and Modern Wooden Buildings in the Context of Sustainable Development

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