Resalati, S; Kendrick, C C and Hill, C (2020) Embodied energy data implications for optimal specification of building envelopes. Building Research & Information, 48(4), pp. 429-445. ISSN 0961-3218
Abstract
Highly insulated building envelopes have become more commonplace as environmental imperatives require reduction of building carbon footprints. Whilst increased insulation levels reduce operational energy demand, the additional embodied energy investment can increase the buildings' overall environmental impact. The embodied energy consideration can determine whether, and to what extent, additional insulation is justified. The following paper investigates the impact of uncertainties of embodied energy data on the cumulative operational and embodied energy analyses and holistically appraises its implications for different stakeholders involved with the construction sector. Limitations in current life cycle assessment (LCA) calculation methods and high uncertainty of available data are recognized and reflected in the analyses through studying available environmental product declarations of various types of insulation materials and by modelling a typical semi-detached residential building in the UK as the case study. The results of such approach illustrate 'optimum insulation thicknesses' beyond which the embodied energy penalty outweighs operational energy savings. These essentially represent idealized levels of building envelope insulation that can inform the development of future standards for low energy/carbon buildings and support the adoption of LCAs as decision-making tools in informing the urgent debate of optimal insulation requirements of buildings.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | building envelope; building regulations; combined operational and embodied carbon; embodied energy; insulation sector; life cycle assessment |
| Index terms: | modelling, insulation, building envelope, embodied energy, energy-saving, building regulation, residential building, carbon footprint, energy demand, case study, low energy, construction sector, decision-making, environmental impact, life cycle assessment, thickness, embodied carbon, penalty, specification |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, construction type, environmental impact, materials science, building materials, energy systems, analytical methods, architectural elements, contractual condition, decision analysis, industry analysis, regulatory law |
| Topics: | Contract Administration, Legal Issues, Design Practice, Sustainability, Construction Technology, Risk Management, Engineering Principles, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here