The effect of energy-saving options on environmental performance of a building: a combination of energy audit–life cycle assessment for a university building

Abstract

An energy audit was realized for a building group located on a university campus to measure the environmental sustainability and efficient usage of natural resources. As a result of energy audit, exterior insulation and double-glazing application were came to the front for energy-saving options. Although energy audit provides energy-saving options as output, it is not enough to provide information about how environmental impacts will change if the defined options are used. To determine the improvements in terms of environmental indicators, these options were assessed with life cycle assessment (LCA). LCA was realized for 50 years life span for 1 m 3 of the building. CML-IA method was used to conduct LCA analyses. Ecovalue08 was applied as a monetary weighting method since the used CML-IA method has no weighting function. Results show that there are significant improvements (> 5%) on ADP ff (11-12.5%) and GWP100 (8.5-9.7%) impacts provided by both of the energy-saving options. Additionally, double glazing would provide a 10.5% improvement on ODP. On the other hand, the exterior insulation application would increase the ODP value of EB by 34%. The impact category of GWP100 is found as the most dominant impact according to Ecovalue08. The ranking of the other impact categories from higher to lower value is HTP, ADP ff , and AP.

A comparative LCA of external wall assemblies in context of Iranian market: considering embodied and operational energy through BIM application

“…To assist in the administration of information on environmental impacts, the software Simapro version 9.0.0.48 was employed, which enabled the LCA methodology to be used to assess, organize, and classify the resources used and their environmental effects. This software has previously been utilized in researches with favorable ndings (Günkaya et al 2021; Özer and Yay 2021). Simapro provides comprehensive and unrestricted access to the ecoinvent database for compiling a data inventory for projects and production systems.…”

Comprehensive Review and Analysis of Glazing Systems towards Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings: Energy Performance, Thermal Comfort, Cost-Effectiveness, and Environmental Impact Perspectives

“…The building type is one of the important factors that should be taken into consideration when choosing an eco-friendly glazing solution. For instance, in a study conducted by Günkaya et al [116], it was discovered that the operational stage of a university building represents the primary contributor to its environmental impacts. Consequently, when selecting the glazing solution, priority was given to addressing the environmental aspects during the operational phase.…”

“…-Although many advanced high-performance glazing systems offer enhanced energy efficiency and improved indoor comfort during their operational phase, it is essential to consider that these systems may consume more energy in the pre-use and post-use stages, resulting in unfavorable environmental implications [72,115]. -Due to their significant impact on the embodied carbon of building envelopes, building type [116] and WWRs [117] should be given careful consideration when selecting an eco-friendly glazing solution. -…”

Guía práctica de ambientalización curricular. Los ODS como oportunidad en la educación superior

“…En algunos casos la auditoría no se realiza poniendo el foco en todas las categorías propias vinculadas a la gestión, la educación para la sostenibilidad y la participación, sino que se enfoca en procesos o áreas específicas. Este es el caso de das Graças Pinto et al (2021), donde se muestran los resultados de una auditoría de la sostenibilidad de los procesos de compras de una institución de educación secundaria en Brasil, o los de Scala et al (2019), Oyedepo et al (2020), Torrijos et al (2020), Günkaya et al (2021), Lim et al (2021), Hindiyeh et al (2022), en los que se presentan distintos tipos de auditoría (basura, energía, agua) realizadas por el estudiantado en edificios de los propios campus universitarios.…”