Strategies for Simultaneous Embodied Energy and Operational Energy Reductions in Buildings during the Design Stage

Abstract

With the global energy consumption reaching unsustainable levels, the need for regulating energy consumptions has been emphasised. Hence a variety of methods are followed in different countries to minimise the impacts of embodied energy (EE) and operational energy (OE) in buildings. Considering either EE or OE in its individuality is not a pragmatic approach and it is important to consider means of reducing both EE and OE in parallel. The design stage was identified as the most suitable stage for integrating energy efficiency measures, since most crucial project decisions are taken at this stage. Although a multitude of research has been conducted on EE and OE individually, there seems a lack of research that focuses on both these aspects together. The extensive literature review was followed by 5 preliminary interviews with subject matter experts and then semi structured interviews with 12 experts were conducted. It was revealed that determining strategies for achieving simultaneous EE and OE reduction is difficult. The identified strategies to be implemented in the design stage were classified as material selection related, design approach related, building morphology related, procurement process related and other strategies, with a majority of strategies falling under the ‘procurement process’ category.

Implementation of circular economy principles during pre-construction stage: the case of Sri Lanka

“…The consensus on adoption of 6R principles in the pre-construction stage of construction projects in the Sri Lankan context substantiated the findings of Benachio et al (2020) that by considering CE practices earlier in the project design stage, there is also the possibility of incorporating them into the project life cycle. All the interviewees pointed out the fact that 6R-related decisions should be enforced at the design stage endorsing the findings of Bragança et al (2014) and Tennakoon et al (2019a) on the importance of making crucial decisions during the preconstruction stage.…”

“…This will materialize the benefits of reusing materials and reducing the amount of resources, with the results of reducing emissions and embodied carbon in the project (Benachio et al , 2020). As expressed by Basbagill et al (2013) and Tennakoon et al (2019c), early-stage project decisions have a direct relationship in ensuring the sustainability of built facilities. The potential for influencing the impacts and costs is at the highest during the planning stages and drops rapidly as projects move through to the construction stages (Madushika et al , 2020).…”

“…Concurrently, Sri Lanka is increasingly suffering from environmental issues caused by unsustainable construction practices (Athapaththu et al , 2016). Amongst such issues, Tennakoon et al (2019a, c) highlighted the lack of design decision-making in the Sri Lankan construction industry to incorporate low embodied and operational energy solutions in buildings. Improving sustainability of the Sri Lankan construction sector remains to be an issue that requires greater focus and attention (Liyanage et al , 2019).…”

Energy Efficiency Trends in the Built-Environment Globally and in Egypt: A Literature Review

“…The fourth category is Procurement process, which recommends adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies, Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) guidelines and Life Cycle Cost (LCC) assessments. And the last category is Other, which includes following energy efficiency guidelines and adopting sustainable concepts early in the project (Tennakoon et al, 2019). These strategies can be applied to all building types and are not building function specific.…”

Investigating the sustainable use of energy on construction sites in Sri Lanka

“…As depicted in the literature, energy is a crucial and mandatory need for the total life cycle of buildings. In the Sri Lankan context, many researchers have studied embodied energy and operational energy in buildings during the design stage (Tennakoon, et al, 2019) and operational and maintenance stages (Pathirana and Yarime, 2018). However, limited studies are available in Sri Lanka on energy consumption during the construction phase.…”