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Quality based energy contents and carbon coefficients for building materials: A systems approach

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  • Dias, W.P.S.
  • Pooliyadda, S.P.

Abstract

This paper describes a computerised relational database management system to represent and calculate (i) the energy inputs to a building material or element up to the point of utilisation or construction and (ii) the carbon emitted to the atmosphere up to that point. All building elements, materials and “primitive” raw materials are placed in an aggregation–decomposition hierarchy. The process analysis carried out here captures around 90% of the embedded energy in a product. The database can handle multiple sources of data and perform calculations to give the average, maximum and minimum embedded energies, which are also classified according to fuel type (i.e. biomass, fossil fuel and electricity) and process stage (i.e. production energy, transport energy for raw materials and energy embedded in raw materials). The embedded energy requirements are also calculated on the basis of the lowest quality energy, namely biomass energy (“bio-equivalent” basis), in addition to the more conventional basis of tonnes of oil equivalent. Timber was found to be the preferred option and steel the least desirable, with concrete in between, from an energy consumption and carbon emission point of view.

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  • Dias, W.P.S. & Pooliyadda, S.P., 2004. "Quality based energy contents and carbon coefficients for building materials: A systems approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 561-580.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:29:y:2004:i:4:p:561-580
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2003.10.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Costa, Márcio Macedo & Schaeffer, Roberto & Worrell, Ernst, 2001. "Exergy accounting of energy and materials flows in steel production systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 363-384.
    2. Chen, T.Y & Burnett, J & Chau, C.K, 2001. "Analysis of embodied energy use in the residential building of Hong Kong," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 323-340.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dixit, Manish K., 2017. "Life cycle embodied energy analysis of residential buildings: A review of literature to investigate embodied energy parameters," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 390-413.
    2. Malmqvist, Tove & Glaumann, Mauritz & Svenfelt, Åsa & Carlson, Per-Olof & Erlandsson, Martin & Andersson, Johnny & Wintzell, Helene & Finnveden, Göran & Lindholm, Torbjörn & Malmström, Tor-Göran, 2011. "A Swedish environmental rating tool for buildings," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 1893-1899.
    3. Chandratilake, S.R. & Dias, W.P.S., 2015. "Ratio based indicators and continuous score functions for better assessment of building sustainability," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 137-143.
    4. Bottino-Leone, Dario & Larcher, Marco & Herrera-Avellanosa, Daniel & Haas, Franziska & Troi, Alexandra, 2019. "Evaluation of natural-based internal insulation systems in historic buildings through a holistic approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 521-531.
    5. Rai, Deepak & Sodagar, Behzad & Fieldson, Rosi & Hu, Xiao, 2011. "Assessment of CO2 emissions reduction in a distribution warehouse," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 2271-2277.
    6. Cabeza, Luisa F. & Barreneche, Camila & Miró, Laia & Morera, Josep M. & Bartolí, Esther & Inés Fernández, A., 2013. "Low carbon and low embodied energy materials in buildings: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 536-542.
    7. Chandratilake, S.R. & Dias, W.P.S., 2013. "Sustainability rating systems for buildings: Comparisons and correlations," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 22-28.
    8. Stephan, André & Stephan, Laurent, 2014. "Reducing the total life cycle energy demand of recent residential buildings in Lebanon," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 618-637.
    9. Ming Hu, 2020. "A Building Life-Cycle Embodied Performance Index—The Relationship between Embodied Energy, Embodied Carbon and Environmental Impact," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-17, April.

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