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Life Cycle Energy and Environmental Assessment of the Thermal Insulation Improvement in Residential Buildings

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  • Maria Anna Cusenza

    (Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Ed.9, 90128 Palermo, Italy)

  • Teresa Maria Gulotta

    (Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Ed.9, 90128 Palermo, Italy)

  • Marina Mistretta

    (Dipartimento di Patrimonio, Architettura, Urbanistica, Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio, Calabria, Salita Melissari, 89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy)

  • Maurizio Cellura

    (Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Ed.9, 90128 Palermo, Italy)

Abstract

The refurbishment of the building stock is a key strategy towards the achievement of the climate and energy goals of the European Union. This study aims at evaluating the energy and environmental impacts associated with retrofitting a residential apartment to improve its vertical envelope thermal insulation. Two insulation materials, stone wool and cellulose fibers, are compared. The life cycle assessment methodology is applied assuming 1 m 2 of retrofitted vertical envelope as functional unit. Moreover, to estimate the net energy and environmental benefits achievable in the retrofitted scenario compared with the non-retrofitted one, a second analysis is performed in which the system boundaries are expanded to include the building operational phase, and 1 m 2 of walkable floor per year is assumed as reference. The results show that the use of cellulose fibers involve lower impacts in most of the assessed categories compared to stone wool, except for abiotic resource depletion. In detail, the use of cellulose fibers allows to reduce the impact on climate change up to 20% and the consumption of primary energy up to 10%. The evaluation of the net energy and environmental benefits shows the effectiveness of the retrofit energy policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Anna Cusenza & Teresa Maria Gulotta & Marina Mistretta & Maurizio Cellura, 2021. "Life Cycle Energy and Environmental Assessment of the Thermal Insulation Improvement in Residential Buildings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-21, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:12:p:3452-:d:572946
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cusenza, Maria Anna & Guarino, Francesco & Longo, Sonia & Mistretta, Marina & Cellura, Maurizio, 2020. "Environmental assessment of 2030 electricity generation scenarios in Sicily: An integrated approach," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 1148-1159.
    2. Beccali, Marco & Cellura, Maurizio & Fontana, Mario & Longo, Sonia & Mistretta, Marina, 2013. "Energy retrofit of a single-family house: Life cycle net energy saving and environmental benefits," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 283-293.
    3. Leonidas Mantzos & Tobias Wiesenthal & Nicoleta Anca Matei & Stephane Tchung-Ming & Mate Rozsai & Peter Russ & Antonio Soria Ramirez, 2017. "JRC-IDEES: Integrated Database of the European Energy Sector: Methodological note," JRC Research Reports JRC108244, Joint Research Centre.
    4. Cabeza, Luisa F. & Rincón, Lídia & Vilariño, Virginia & Pérez, Gabriel & Castell, Albert, 2014. "Life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle energy analysis (LCEA) of buildings and the building sector: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 394-416.
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