Abstract
The decarbonisation goal stated in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) regarding the building sector will be achieved only if the whole building life-cycle is considered. To fulfil this requirement, a benchmark based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) must be integrated into the early planning phase of buildings by designers. The estimation of such indicators requires the development of a database of building assessments. In this study, an LCA of 11 office buildings in Poland was used to set average values that can be used as a benchmark. The LCA methodology based on the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) certification was used. The analysis did not concentrate on one type of office building. The main objective was to investigate a possible range of total Global Warming Potential (GWP) index values normalized to the usable unit floor area. The importance of the GWP of individual life-cycle phases was also considered. The study shows that the used methodology is adequate for LCA benchmark estimation to set preliminary average values for office buildings in Poland.
Highlights
Energy consumption in buildings is responsible for 35% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide
In the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), a commitment to developing a sustainable energy system by 2050 was stated [4]. This goal cannot be achieved without the decarbonisation of building stock, which requires in-build and operational greenhouse gas emissions to be considered
This study showed that three elements in building life cycle assessment (LCA) are significant: building energy performance, embodied GHG, and energy mix
Summary
Energy consumption in buildings is responsible for 35% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide. The concept of circularity is based on the creation of a closed-loop system, reduction of resource use and waste creation, and decreases in pollution and carbon emissions [5] This has often been described as the 3Rs: Reduce, reuse, and recycle [6]. The integration of the circular economy concept with decarbonisation requirements from EPDB can be done by using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology (LCA) to determine a building’s total. LCA is used to assess the environmental impact at all stages of the life cycle, from raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, and use, to recycling/reuse and final disposal at the end [10]. In most of the cases, the commuting energy is neglected, and only environmental impacts related to building materials, the construction and operation stage, and building disposal are included in the LCA according to EN15978 [14]. The estimated carbon footprint benchmark defines the state-of-the-art situation and describes the average values
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