Abstract
The conventional renovation practices, which are mainly characterized by time-consuming manual on-site techniques, partly contribute to the low renovation rate. Accordingly, a faster and more efficient approach is necessary. The implementation of prefabricated systems could offer a possible solution. These systems are increasingly being studied, but little is known about their environmental impact. Hence, this study investigates the environmental impact by means of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of two prefabricated façade renovation systems being a timber frame and a sandwich panel; and compares it to a well-known on-site technique, External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS). First, reference designs are assembled. Subsequently, the impact of different life cycle stages is determined in order to clearly indicate differences between on-site and prefabricated systems. More specifically, the production, transport, replacement and end-of-life stage are assessed. In the end, the environmental impact is examined over time combining all stages. The results show that the prefabricated systems are not yet a worthy ecological opponent to ETICS. As of the production stage, the environmental impact appears to be higher. Optimising the reference systems through an extensive redesign could lead to more competitive or even favourable results in terms of environmental impact.
Highlights
A redesign of the mounting mechanisms alone, is not sufficient to obtain a competitive system with respect to External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS) in terms of material impacts
The growing importance of sustainability, raised the question whether prefabricated renovation systems show benefits from an ecological viewpoint as well
This paper aimed to evaluate the environmental impact of prefabricated renovation systems per life cycle stage in order to identify impact reductions and additions compared to on-site renovation techniques
Summary
Need to improve the energy performance of the existing building stock Renovation of the existing building stock is perceived by the European Green Deal as a cornerstone in the transition towards climate neutrality by 2050 [1]. In Europe, buildings contribute to 50 % of primary energy use and 40 % of all greenhouse gas emissions [2]. This strongly relates to the age of the buildings. The European Union contains over 220 million building units, which represent 85 % of the building stock, that already existed in 2001. 85 - 95 % of these buildings will still be used in 2050 [1]
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