Abstract
This study is part of the EU funded project RiBuild and aims to create a web tool for supporting decisions relating to energy retrofits of historic buildings. The web tool provides a quantitative sustainability evaluation of hygro-thermally optimized insulation solutions through a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions indicator. The study presents LCAs of five insulation systems for installation in historic buildings. The web tool accommodates 160 locations in seven countries and generates 210,180 impact profiles by combining insulation system, installation location, and heating systems. In 2 % of the scenarios, the induced impacts exceed the avoided impacts. Across all analyses, the mineral wool insulation system is the least GHG intensive solution. This study illuminates that the environmental justification of internal insulation depends on the geographical location of installation and the installed heating system in the retrofitted building. To further improve the sustainability performance of energy retrofits in historic buildings, the implementation of insulation recycling solutions and measures for reducing production impacts of insulation systems are needed.
Highlights
The potential consequences of climate change and the concomitant rise in global mean temperatures has received global attention and priority
The functional unit (F.U.) for the web tool is defined in alignment with the intended application of the study as: 1 m2 insulation system with the equivalent U-value installed as a part of an energy retrofit of a historic building with the lifespan of 30 years from 2020 to 2050
In order to determine the most appropriate insulation system for a renovation project, the insulation systems are compared based on their induced impact, the avoided impacts and their net impact profiles
Summary
The potential consequences of climate change and the concomitant rise in global mean temperatures has received global attention and priority. As the existing building stock accounts for 40 % of the energy use and 36 % of the GHG emissions [2, 3], energy retrofits for improvement of the energy efficiency of existing buildings offer a great potential to reduce the European GHG emission levels. External insulation retrofit measures impact the aesthetic appearance of a building, why these solutions are not always a possible option when renovating historic buildings. In this light, different approaches such as internal insulation retrofits, must be considered. Different approaches such as internal insulation retrofits, must be considered These solution options are less favorable from a hygro-thermal point of view, as the temperature of the external wall is decreased when applying insulation internally.
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