Page 42 - InnoRenew CoE International Conference 2020, Integrating Sustainability and Health in Buildings
P. 42
uropean reference house for Life Cycle Assessment of wooden residential
buildings
Erwin M. Schau1, Eva Prelovšek Niemelä2, Aarne Johannes Niemelä3,
Tatiana Abaurre Alencar Gavric4, Iztok Šušteršič5
InnoRenew Centre of Excellence
1 erwin.schau@innorenew.eu, 2 eva.prelovsek@innorenew.eu, 3 aarne.niemela@innorenew.eu,
4 tatiana.abaurre@innorenew.eu, 5 iztok.sustersic@innorenew.eu
The construction industry accounts for 15 % of all greenhouse gas emissions. During their use
phase, buildings use 40 % of the total energy consumption, which contributes significantly to
air pollution and other environmental impacts. While the energy consumption during the use
phase is predicted to decrease as efficient buildings, like zero and near zero energy buildings,
become more common, climate change and other environmental problems from the production
or raw materials, construction and end of life remain serious concerns that need to be solved
urgently.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) and the EU-recommended Environmental Footprint (EF) are well
known and accepted tools to measure a comprehensive set of environmental impacts throughout
a products life cycle. However, to assess how good (or bad) a wooden building performs
environmentally is still a challenge. In the EU Environmental Footprint pilot phase from 2013 –
2018, an average benchmark for the different product groups was found to be very useful. Based
upon the recommendations for a benchmark of all kinds of European dwellings, we developed
a scenario of a single-family house nearly zero energy building. This scenario results cover 16
recommended LCA impact indicators and can be normalised and weighted into one single point
for easy and quick comparisons. The results are presented as the average impact per one square
metre (m2) of floor area over one year.
The developed benchmark for wooden buildings is a suitable comparison point for new wooden
building designs. The benchmark can be used by architects and designers early in the planning
stages when changes still can be made to improve the environmental performance of wooden
buildings or to improve the communication and interpretation of the LCA results for customers
and other stakeholders. This presentation will discuss the methodology, results and compare
the results of the wooden building with the benchmark of average European dwellings made of
different materials.
Keywords: life cycle assessment, Environmental Footprint, buildings, benchmark, wood
Acknowledgements: The authors gratefully acknowledge receiving funding from the Horizon
2020 Framework Programme of the European Union; H2020 WIDESPREAD-2-Teaming:
(#739574) and the Republic of Slovenia.
INNORENEW COE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2020
42
buildings
Erwin M. Schau1, Eva Prelovšek Niemelä2, Aarne Johannes Niemelä3,
Tatiana Abaurre Alencar Gavric4, Iztok Šušteršič5
InnoRenew Centre of Excellence
1 erwin.schau@innorenew.eu, 2 eva.prelovsek@innorenew.eu, 3 aarne.niemela@innorenew.eu,
4 tatiana.abaurre@innorenew.eu, 5 iztok.sustersic@innorenew.eu
The construction industry accounts for 15 % of all greenhouse gas emissions. During their use
phase, buildings use 40 % of the total energy consumption, which contributes significantly to
air pollution and other environmental impacts. While the energy consumption during the use
phase is predicted to decrease as efficient buildings, like zero and near zero energy buildings,
become more common, climate change and other environmental problems from the production
or raw materials, construction and end of life remain serious concerns that need to be solved
urgently.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) and the EU-recommended Environmental Footprint (EF) are well
known and accepted tools to measure a comprehensive set of environmental impacts throughout
a products life cycle. However, to assess how good (or bad) a wooden building performs
environmentally is still a challenge. In the EU Environmental Footprint pilot phase from 2013 –
2018, an average benchmark for the different product groups was found to be very useful. Based
upon the recommendations for a benchmark of all kinds of European dwellings, we developed
a scenario of a single-family house nearly zero energy building. This scenario results cover 16
recommended LCA impact indicators and can be normalised and weighted into one single point
for easy and quick comparisons. The results are presented as the average impact per one square
metre (m2) of floor area over one year.
The developed benchmark for wooden buildings is a suitable comparison point for new wooden
building designs. The benchmark can be used by architects and designers early in the planning
stages when changes still can be made to improve the environmental performance of wooden
buildings or to improve the communication and interpretation of the LCA results for customers
and other stakeholders. This presentation will discuss the methodology, results and compare
the results of the wooden building with the benchmark of average European dwellings made of
different materials.
Keywords: life cycle assessment, Environmental Footprint, buildings, benchmark, wood
Acknowledgements: The authors gratefully acknowledge receiving funding from the Horizon
2020 Framework Programme of the European Union; H2020 WIDESPREAD-2-Teaming:
(#739574) and the Republic of Slovenia.
INNORENEW COE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2020
42
