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Developing a New Data-Driven LCA Tool at the Urban Scale: The Case of the Embodied Environmental Profile of the Building Sector

Author

Listed:
  • Jacopo Famiglietti

    (Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, 20156 Milan, Italy)

  • Hicham Madioum

    (CEAS s.r.l., Viale Giustiniano, 10, 20129 Milan, Italy)

  • Mario Motta

    (Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, 20156 Milan, Italy)

Abstract

Given the ambitious climate reduction targets of the European Commission for the building sector and the adoption of the life cycle assessment method for the environmental metrics, the authors of this research present a new tool that allows for an extensive evaluation of buildings (operational and embodied environmental profile). The tool developed is an engine written in Python that was applied to analyze the buildings of Milan, using several open databases available for the Lombardy region (Northern Italy). Approximately 240,000 building units were investigated and compared using ecoinvent 3.9.1 EN 15804 as a background library and characterization methods in compliance with EN 15978. The tool can establish reliable environmental benchmarks to implement building policies, such as climate footprint limits for new constructions as required by the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2023). This article shows the embodied impact of construction materials. The results for residential, commercial, and retail building units (old and new) are 15 kg CO 2 eq/(m 2 of net area × year) for the entire building stock (old and new building units) and 21 kg CO 2 eq/(m 2 of net area × year) for new buildings (nearly zero energy building units).

Suggested Citation

  • Jacopo Famiglietti & Hicham Madioum & Mario Motta, 2023. "Developing a New Data-Driven LCA Tool at the Urban Scale: The Case of the Embodied Environmental Profile of the Building Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-30, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:15:p:11518-:d:1202289
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jani Laine & Juudit Ottelin & Jukka Heinonen & Seppo Junnila, 2017. "Consequential Implications of Municipal Energy System on City Carbon Footprints," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-14, October.
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    3. Mahaut Vauchez & Jacopo Famiglietti & Kevin Autelitano & Morgane Colombert & Rossano Scoccia & Mario Motta, 2023. "Life Cycle Assessment of District Heating Infrastructures: A Comparison of Pipe Typologies in France," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-23, May.
    4. Ristimäki, Miro & Säynäjoki, Antti & Heinonen, Jukka & Junnila, Seppo, 2013. "Combining life cycle costing and life cycle assessment for an analysis of a new residential district energy system design," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 168-179.
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