Greenhouse Gas Emissions Of Buildings Research Articles

Study on the Improvement of Expected Energy Savings and Actual Energy Savings in Apartments

Regulating energy consumption can reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and expenditures. In order to maximize efficiency, appropriate energy protocols for buildings must be devised and implemented. This study examines predicted and real energy savings, the differences between them, and the methods which might reduce these discrepancies. Analyses for 195 high-efficiency apartment units (certified based on the energy efficiency rating system in use in Korea) indicated an average difference of 23% between predicted and real energy savings. This was found to be due to the fact that predictions failed to take variables such as Heating Type, Corridor Type, and Climate into account. By accounting for these factors, an appropriate calculation formula may be established. Using the revised calculation formula to reevaluate the predicted energy savings of 13 apartment units resulted in a reduction of 7% in the aforementioned discrepancy between predicted and real energy savings. Using the proposed formula to predict energy savings in buildings could improve accuracy, thus facilitating the setting of appropriate standards for restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions of buildings.

Further Opportunities to Reduce the Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Buildings

Buildings and energy systems are shaped within many different kinds of departments and agencies throughout local governments. This article argues that further opportunities exist to reduce the energy use of buildings and their associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the existing powers and jurisdiction of local governments. We use the example of New York City, where buildings produced 73 percent of all GHG emissions in 2014. By analyzing a data set of almost four thousand large buildings, we identify new opportunities for planners and other professionals to reduce energy use and GHG emissions by focusing on different mechanisms and/or collaborations.

A Study on Life Cycle CO2 Emissions of Low-Carbon Building in South Korea

There have been much interest and many efforts to control global warming and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the world. Recently, the Republic of Korea has also increased its GHG reduction goal and searched for an implementation plan. In buildings, for example, there have been technology developments and deployment policies to reduce GHG emissions from a life cycle perspective, covering construction materials, building construction, use of buildings and waste disposal. In particular, Korea’s Green Standard for Energy and Environmental Design is a certification of environmentally-friendly buildings for their energy saving and reduction of environmental pollution throughout their lives. In fact, the demand and adoption of the certification are rising every year. In construction materials and buildings, as a result, an environmentally-friendly aspect has become crucial. The importance of construction material and building development technologies that can reduce environmental load by diminishing GHG emissions in buildings has emerged. Moreover, there has been a rising necessity to verify the GHG reduction effects of buildings. To assess the reduction of carbon emissions in the buildings built with low-carbon construction technologies and materials, therefore, this study estimated life cycle carbon emissions in reference buildings in which general construction materials are used and in low-carbon buildings. For this, the carbon emissions and their reduction from construction materials (especially concrete) between conventional products and low-carbon materials were estimated, using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). After estimating carbon emissions from a building life cycle perspective, their reduction in low-carbon buildings compared to the reference buildings was reviewed. The results found that compared to conventional buildings, low-carbon buildings revealed a 25% decrease in carbon emissions in terms of the reduction of Life Cycle CO2 (LCCO2) per unit area. If diverse production technologies and sales routes are further developed for low-carbon construction materials, carbon emission reduction effects would considerably increase.

The development of green business in Ukraine

The global, economical, ecological and financial crisis of the last years signals the need of the change into a new model of management. The green economy seems to be the only model that enables an attitude towards the resolution of the existing problems and the method for protecting the current development. It is important for Ukraine to establish the principles of the green economy and the construction of a uniform strategy of its development. The green sectors of economy are connected with an effective use of natural resources and ecologically safe technologies. This creates added value and income of companies that deal with this activity. The paper’s goal is the formulation of main conditions and financial possibilities of the green economy’s development in Ukraine. The article makes an extensive use of analysis and synthesis methods, deduction and induction, methods of observation and comparison. Ukraine is focused on the ecological development. The possibility of new green branches’ development is predicted as well as generation of jobs and technologies, conscious directing of structural changes connected with the transition into a greener economy. Implementing the strategies of green business development in Ukraine requires reducing the carbon emission rate; improving energy-efficiency of the economy; increasing a share of new and renewable energy sources in the total volume of energy consumption; increasing the standards of fuel consumption for transport, promoting the development of motorless transport and transport infrastructure; reducing greenhouse gas emissions of buildings; providing the environmental restoration of rivers; promoting green technologies; providing fiscal and financial incentives for investing in development of green sectors.

개·보수 유지관리부문의 이산화탄소 배출량 간이 산정방법에 관한 연구

Many activities associated with the construction and habitation of buildings are connected with issues affecting the environment such as global warming, climate change, and consumption of valuable natural resources such as fossil fuels. To minimize negative impacts on the environment, the building industry worldwide has implemented green building practices in many countries. One of the main green strategies is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by residential structures because they are most substantially connected with global warming and climate change. To determine the actual quantity of green house gas emissions caused by the construction and use of a building, it is important to analyze total greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle of buildings including construction, operation & maintenance(O&M) and demolition stages. Many studies suggest methods to calculate greenhouse gas emissions at the construction stage, but the literature addressing greenhouse gas emissions at the O & M stage is limited. A year-long study was conducted utilizing the deterioration method to calculate greenhouse gas emissions at the O & M stage of building life for condominium types of buildings in South Korea. Through this research, it is possible to analyze greenhouse gas emissions of buildings at the O & M stage, the longest span of the life cycle, and eventually help to calculate total greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle of the building.

The relationship between material service life and the life cycle energy of contemporary residential buildings in Australia

Energy use and related greenhouse gas emissions of buildings have a significant effect on the environment. To reduce energy consumption in buildings, it is important to understand energy use occurring across the building life cycle. While previous studies have shown the significance of both the energy required for building operation as well as the energy embodied in initial building construction, an understanding of the total energy embodied in replacement materials over a building's life is not as well developed. One of the key factors affecting this ‘recurring’ embodied energy is the service life of materials. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the service life of materials and the life cycle energy demand associated with contemporary residential buildings in Australia. The initial embodied energy, operational energy and recurrent embodied energy of a detached residential building were calculated with material service life values based on average figures obtained from the literature. These values were then varied to reflect the extent of service life variability likely for a selection of the main building materials and recurring embodied energy recalculated for each scenario. Selected materials of the building were then replaced with commonly used alternatives and the building's initial and recurrent embodied energy recalculated for a range of materials service life scenarios. The results from this initial study indicate that the service life of materials can have a considerable effect on total energy demand associated with a building over its life. This demonstrates the need for further clarity around the service life of materials and the importance of considering the durability of materials when designing and managing buildings for improved energy efficiency. Results from this study also suggest the importance of including the recurrent embodied energy of buildings in building life cycle energy analyses, which in this case represented between 19 and 31% of the life cycle energy of the building as built and 21 and 34% with the use of alternative materials.

In search of a holistic, sustainable and replicable model for complete energy refurbishment in historic buildings

The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in buildings offers one of the most promising opportunities for developed and developing countries to cooperate in achieving the realization of significant energy efficiency improvements. However, achieving sustainability is not an easy task unless there is synergy with/between energy efficiency improvement and renewable energy sources (RES) - these are not at present in widespread dissemination and use. This paper recognizes the synergetic relationship between conservation and sustainability. At present, the role of heritage conservation in achieving sustainability has not yet been fully recognized, nor have heritage needs been well integrated into sustainability initiatives. Historic buildings are inherently sustainable. Preservation maximizes the use of existing materials and infrastructures, reduces waste, and preserves the historical character of older towns and cities. Sustainability begins with preservation. Taking into account the original climatic adaptations of historic buildings, today’s sustainable technology can supplement inherent sustainable features without compromising their unique historical character. Furthermore, a number of paper reviews and case studies with related methodologies outline the need to implement the latest current knowledge and technologies (BPS - Building Performance Simulation and CFD - Computational Fluid Dynamics) for use in the refurbishment design process, as well as highlighting the crucial importance of sustainability, relevant benchmarking and rating system development.

Re-/Retro-commissioning: The Best Kept Secret You Can't Afford Not to Know

ABSTRACT Re- or retro-commissioning, the process of ensuring that an existing building's performance continues to meet or exceed its design over time, is increasingly the target of government policy and the beneficiary of market forces. New federal, state, and local mandates, in conjunction with voluntary, market-based standards, are poised to transform the marketplace. Having begun as an overlooked tool to ensure that commercial building owners get their money's worth from design and construction professionals, commissioning is now known to be the most cost effective measure available for reducing energy use, lowering costs, and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in buildings. A recent meta-analysis by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that re-/retro-commissioning yields a median 16% energy savings with a payback time of 1.1 years for a cash-on-cash return of 91%. Economy-wide, the service has the potential to save building owners and operators more than $30 billion a year in energy costs by 2...

Building commissioning: a golden opportunity for reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions in the United States

Commissioning is arguably the single most cost-effective strategy for reducing energy, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions in buildings today. Although commissioning has earned increased recognition in recent years, it remains an enigmatic practice whose visibility severely lags its potential. The application of commissioning to new buildings ensures that they deliver or exceed the performance and energy savings promised by their design and intended operation. When applied to existing buildings, commissioning identifies deficiencies and the almost inevitable “drift” from intended performance over time, and carries out interventions to put the building back on course. More formally, commissioning is a systematic, forensic approach to quality assurance and performance risk management, rather than a technology per se. This article presents the world’s largest compilation and meta-analysis of commissioning experience and the associated literature, comprising 643 non-residential buildings, 99 million ft2 of floorspace, $43 million in commissioning expenditures, and the work of 37 commissioning providers. The median normalized cost to deliver commissioning is $0.30/ft2 ($2009 currencies) for existing buildings and $1.16/ft2 for new construction (or 0.4% of the overall construction cost). The one third of projects for which data are available reveal over 10,000 energy-related deficiencies, the correction of which resulted in 16% median whole-building energy savings in existing buildings and 13% in new construction, with payback times of 1.1 and 4.2 years, respectively. Because energy savings exceed commissioning costs, the associated reductions in greenhouse gas emissions come at a “negative” cost of −$110/tonne CO2 for new buildings and −$25/tonne for new construction. Cases with comprehensive commissioning attained nearly twice the overall median level of savings and five times the savings of the least-thorough projects. Significant non-energy benefits such as improved indoor air quality are also achieved. Applying the median whole-building energy-saving values to the US non-residential buildings stock corresponds to an annual energy-saving potential of $30 billion (and 340 Mt of CO2) by the year 2030.

Practical Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies for the Existing Building Stock

This paper aims to illustrate building Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and energy trends, and to provide practical strategies to lower GHG emissions, energy use and operating costs, across building types and Australian Climate Zones. It provides international best practice examples of building refurbishments, and of government policies and important stakeholder behaviour, and evaluates one recent project for strategies that proved successful and those that could be improved. The method used was to review international strategies that lower building GHG emissions in countries with more advanced building regulations than Australia, and to discover affordable and effective strategies from associations that publicise case studies. This paper shows that the operational phase of buildings is a significant contributor to global GHG emissions; that Passive building refurbishments are current world's best practice strategies for most climates and building types; and that human behaviour is a significant contributor to GHG emissions. It has also identified particular strategies for building stakeholders to minimise GHG emissions.

L'énergétique urbaine et la morphologie des villes. L'analyse du bâti parisien

Minjid Maizia Energy in cities and urban morphology An analysis of buildings in Paris. Estimating the energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions of buildings is possible for old building stock using methods from urban morphology combined with knowledge of construction and thermal engineering. The energy question encourages us to develop a scientific approach to the existing building fabric, as a thermal study of buildings in Paris shows.