IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v13y2019i1p143-d302559.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Energy Retrofitting of a Buildings’ Envelope: Assessment of the Environmental, Economic and Energy (3E) Performance of a Cork-Based Thermal Insulating Rendering Mortar

Author

Listed:
  • José D. Silvestre

    (CERIS, Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georresources, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • André M. P. Castelo

    (CERIS, Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georresources, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • José J. B. C. Silva

    (Architecture Department, University of Évora, Apartado 94, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal)

  • Jorge M. C. L. de Brito

    (CERIS, Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georresources, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Manuel D. Pinheiro

    (CERIS, Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georresources, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal)

Abstract

This paper presents an environmental, economic and energy (3E) assessment of an energy retrofitting of the external walls of a flat of an average building with the most current characteristics used in Portugal. For this intervention, a cork-based (as recycled lightweight aggregate) TIRM (Thermal Insulating Rendering Mortar) was considered. The declared unit was 1 m 2 of an external wall for a 50-year study period and the energy and economic costs and savings, as well as the environmental impacts, were analytically modelled and compared for two main alternatives: the reference wall without any intervention and the energetically rehabilitated solution with the application of TIRM. Walls with improved energy performance (with TIRM) show lower economic and environmental impacts: reductions from 6% to 32% in carbon emissions, non-renewable energy consumption and costs during the use stage, which depends on the thickness and relative place where TIRM layers are applied. A worse energy performance is shown by reference walls (without TIRM) during the use stage (corresponding to energy used for heating and cooling), while the improved walls present economic and environmental impacts due to the application of TIRM (including the production, transport and application into the building) that do not exist in the reference walls. The comparison between reference walls and energy-retrofitted ones revealed that reference wall become be more expensive when more demanding operational energy requirements are analysed over a 50-year period, even if renewable materials are more expensive.

Suggested Citation

  • José D. Silvestre & André M. P. Castelo & José J. B. C. Silva & Jorge M. C. L. de Brito & Manuel D. Pinheiro, 2019. "Energy Retrofitting of a Buildings’ Envelope: Assessment of the Environmental, Economic and Energy (3E) Performance of a Cork-Based Thermal Insulating Rendering Mortar," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2019:i:1:p:143-:d:302559
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/1/143/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/1/143/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Martina Zimek & Andreas Schober & Claudia Mair & Rupert J. Baumgartner & Tobias Stern & Manfred Füllsack, 2019. "The Third Wave of LCA as the “Decade of Consolidation”," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-19, June.
    2. Chau, C.K. & Leung, T.M. & Ng, W.Y., 2015. "A review on Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Energy Assessment and Life Cycle Carbon Emissions Assessment on buildings," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 395-413.
    3. 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.
    4. Ferreira, Joaquim & Pinheiro, Manuel Duarte & Brito, Jorge de, 2013. "Refurbishment decision support tools review—Energy and life cycle as key aspects to sustainable refurbishment projects," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1453-1460.
    5. Rizal Taufiq Fauzi & Patrick Lavoie & Luca Sorelli & Mohammad Davoud Heidari & Ben Amor, 2019. "Exploring the Current Challenges and Opportunities of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-17, January.
    6. Rincón, Lídia & Castell, Albert & Pérez, Gabriel & Solé, Cristian & Boer, Dieter & Cabeza, Luisa F., 2013. "Evaluation of the environmental impact of experimental buildings with different constructive systems using Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 544-552.
    7. Ferreira, Joaquim & Pinheiro, Manuel, 2011. "In search of better energy performance in the Portuguese buildings—The case of the Portuguese regulation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(12), pages 7666-7683.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Elena Fregonara & Diego Giuseppe Ferrando & Jean-Marc Tulliani, 2022. "Sustainable Public Procurement in the Building Construction Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-23, September.
    2. Qianmiao Yang & Liyao Kong & Hui Tong & Xiaolin Wang, 2020. "Evaluation Model of Environmental Impacts of Insulation Building Envelopes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-19, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pan, W. & Teng, Y., 2021. "A systematic investigation into the methodological variables of embodied carbon assessment of buildings," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    2. Atmaca, Adem & Atmaca, Nihat, 2016. "Comparative life cycle energy and cost analysis of post-disaster temporary housings," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 429-443.
    3. Echarri-Iribarren, Victor & Echarri-Iribarren, Fernando & Rizo-Maestre, Carlos, 2019. "Ceramic panels versus aluminium in buildings: Energy consumption and environmental impact assessment with a new methodology," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 233, pages 959-974.
    4. Soares, N. & Bastos, J. & Pereira, L. Dias & Soares, A. & Amaral, A.R. & Asadi, E. & Rodrigues, E. & Lamas, F.B. & Monteiro, H. & Lopes, M.A.R. & Gaspar, A.R., 2017. "A review on current advances in the energy and environmental performance of buildings towards a more sustainable built environment," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 845-860.
    5. Chau, C.K. & Leung, T.M. & Ng, W.Y., 2015. "A review on Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Energy Assessment and Life Cycle Carbon Emissions Assessment on buildings," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 395-413.
    6. Hossein Omrany & Veronica Soebarto & Ehsan Sharifi & Ali Soltani, 2020. "Application of Life Cycle Energy Assessment in Residential Buildings: A Critical Review of Recent Trends," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-30, January.
    7. Stephan, André & Stephan, Laurent, 2016. "Life cycle energy and cost analysis of embodied, operational and user-transport energy reduction measures for residential buildings," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 445-464.
    8. André Stephan & Robert H. Crawford & Victor Bunster & Georgia Warren‐Myers & Sareh Moosavi, 2022. "Towards a multiscale framework for modeling and improving the life cycle environmental performance of built stocks," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(4), pages 1195-1217, August.
    9. Stephan, André & Crawford, Robert H., 2016. "The relationship between house size and life cycle energy demand: Implications for energy efficiency regulations for buildings," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 116(P1), pages 1158-1171.
    10. Uz Zaman, Qamar & Zhao, Yuhuan & Zaman, Shah & Batool, Kiran & Nasir, Rabiya, 2024. "Reviewing energy efficiency and environmental consciousness in the minerals industry Amidst digital transition: A comprehensive review," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    11. Burek, Jasmina & Nutter, Darin W., 2019. "A life cycle assessment-based multi-objective optimization of the purchased, solar, and wind energy for the grocery, perishables, and general merchandise multi-facility distribution center network," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C), pages 1427-1446.
    12. António Figueiredo & Filipe Rebelo & Rui Alexandre Castanho & Rui Oliveira & Sérgio Lousada & Romeu Vicente & Victor M. Ferreira, 2020. "Implementation and Challenges of the Passive House Concept in Portugal: Lessons Learnt from Successful Experience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-20, October.
    13. Sierra-Pérez, Jorge & Rodríguez-Soria, Beatriz & Boschmonart-Rives, Jesús & Gabarrell, Xavier, 2018. "Integrated life cycle assessment and thermodynamic simulation of a public building’s envelope renovation: Conventional vs. Passivhaus proposal," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 1510-1521.
    14. Yuanxin Liu & FengYun Li & Yi Wang & Xinhua Yu & Jiahai Yuan & Yuwei Wang, 2018. "Assessing the Environmental Impact Caused by Power Grid Projects in High Altitude Areas Based on BWM and Vague Sets Techniques," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-20, May.
    15. Patricia González-Vallejo & Radu Muntean & Jaime Solís-Guzmán & Madelyn Marrero, 2020. "Carbon Footprint of Dwelling Construction in Romania and Spain. A Comparative Analysis with the OERCO2 Tool," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-22, August.
    16. Antonello Monsù Scolaro & Stefania De Medici, 2021. "Downcycling and Upcycling in Rehabilitation and Adaptive Reuse of Pre-Existing Buildings: Re-Designing Technological Performances in an Environmental Perspective," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-23, October.
    17. Hanli Chen & Chunmei Lu, 2023. "Research on the Spatial Effect and Threshold Characteristics of New-Type Urbanization on Carbon Emissions in China’s Construction Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-26, November.
    18. Ole Øiene Smedegård & Thomas Jonsson & Bjørn Aas & Jørn Stene & Laurent Georges & Salvatore Carlucci, 2021. "The Implementation of Multiple Linear Regression for Swimming Pool Facilities: Case Study at Jøa, Norway," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-24, August.
    19. Norasikin Ahmad Ludin & Nurfarhana Alyssa Ahmad Affandi & Kathleen Purvis-Roberts & Azah Ahmad & Mohd Adib Ibrahim & Kamaruzzaman Sopian & Sufian Jusoh, 2021. "Environmental Impact and Levelised Cost of Energy Analysis of Solar Photovoltaic Systems in Selected Asia Pacific Region: A Cradle-to-Grave Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-21, January.
    20. Sara Brito-Coimbra & Daniel Aelenei & Maria Gloria Gomes & Antonio Moret Rodrigues, 2021. "Building Façade Retrofit with Solar Passive Technologies: A Literature Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-18, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2019:i:1:p:143-:d:302559. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.