"If everyone of us would sweep their own doorstep, the whole world would be clean.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Architect, LCAssesor, Environmental Consultant, MSc in Renewable Energy Author: Giulia Sonetti

International School of Energy

I course

Varenna, 1° of August 2012

Energy and Architecture: an overview, a case study

and some suggestions

Prelude: facts & figures

LCA methodology in evaluating energy consuption: aim

LCA for retrofitting: case study

Results and Evaluation

Conclusions

Energy and Architecture: Structure of the presentation

Energy and Architecture: Facts&Figures

Energy and Architecture: Facts&Figures

Buildings account for a 20-40% of the total

final energy consumption

Energy and Architecture: Facts&Figures

Energy and Architecture: Facts&Figures

Energy and Architecture: Facts&Figures

Energy and Architecture: Facts&Figures

Table 8: Share-out of the real estate stock for offices in north, centre and south Italy. On the horizontal axis, 5 ages of construction characterized by homogeneous manufacturing. Source: ENEA Report RSE / 2009 / 164.

LCA in Energy consumption analysis in Architecture: Aim

Chooses retrofit alternatives

With the lower environmental impact

But also convenient from an

economic and social point of view

Gives tools to all stakeholders (architects, policy-makers, industries, energy companies, users) for a truly

sustainable building design and use

Building environmental impact is today a prime objective in energy policies. Offices can be the prime target to apply modern energy saving technologies to a wide range of central controlled buildings. In Italy, the majority of the offices is housed in old, energy-leaking buildings. Retrofitting them sometimes can be unconvenient and expensive, but how can we assess the correct intervention towards a so complex problem and a so huge real estate stock?

LCA …

Recover

Recycle

Re-use

Disposal

source: SETAC (Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemestry), 1999

Raw material extraction

Transport to factory

Production

Transport to site

Construction Use and

Maintenance

Demolition

“Life Cycle Assessment is a process to evaluate the environmental burdens associated with a product, process, or activity by identifying and quantifying energy and materials used and wastes released to the environment; to assess the impact of those energy and materials used

and releases to the environment; and to identify and evaluate opportunities to affect environmental improvements. The assessment includes the entire life cycle of the product, process or activity, encompassing, extracting and processing raw materials; manufacturing,

transportation and distribution; use, re-use, maintenance; recycling, and final disposal".

IMPACT 2002+

Human Health [DALY]

Ecosistem Quality [PDFm2yr]

Climate change [ kgeq CO2 into air]

Aquatic ecotoxicity [kg TEG water] Terrestrial ecotoxicity [kg TEG soil] Terrestrial acid/nutri [kg SO2] Land occupation [m2org.arable] Aquatic acidification [kg SO2] Aquatic eutrophication [kg PO4-Plim]

Global warming [kg CO2]

DALY PDFm2yr MJSurplus

Normalization Evalution

ECO-Points (Pt)

Characterization

Resources [ MJ Surplus]

Non-renewable energy [MJ primary] Mineral extraction [MJ surplus]

Human toxicity Respiratory inorganics [kg PM2.5] Respiratory organics [kg ethylene] Ionizing radiation [Bq C-144] Ozone layer depletion [CFC-11]

Imact 2002+: an LCA assessment method

Case-study: Da Vinci

School Builiding in

Salerno, IT

Retrofit design hypotheses

External wall

Hp1: Ventilated façade with terracotta tiles

Hp2: EPS coat with fibrocement slab

Hp3: Current wall (tuff stone)

Roof

Hp1: Green roof

Hp2: Rockwool slab with gravel

Hp3: Current roof (concrete slab with bitouminous layer)

Ground floor

Hp1: PVC igloo with air gap

Hp2: Current floor (concrete slab)

Metal frame window

Hp1: aluminuim frame window with double glaze

Hp2: current single glazed iron frame window

Wood frame window

Hp1: wood frame window with double glaze

Hp2: current single glazed wood frame window

Heat generator

Hp1: Heat pump

Hp2: Current boiler

Example: 1mq funcional unit of the External Wall

U.F.: 1mq of Ventilated façade with rock wool insulation and terracotta tiles supported by

aluminium sub-structure

Example: 1mq funcional unit of the External Wall

IMPACT

0,19939 Pt

0.12048 Pt 0.12685 Pt

Human Health

Ecosistem quality

Climate Change

-8.72%

-46,42% -4.07%

EW1 = - 39.57% than current wall.

Resources -50.39%

Environmental convenience of the retrofit: the inequality

LCAnon-r > LCAr

LCAnon-r – LCAr = Environmental Advantage from the retrofit

70 years building life time

Retrofit scenario damages

Non-intervention scenario damages

LCA(B)1+ LCA(P)1 > LCA (B)2 + LCA (P)2 + LCA (NewMat)2

Non-intervention damage

Retrofit damage

Main dangerous emissions: Cadmium, NMVOC, Sulfur dioxide, Carbon dioxide, Particulates, Nickel, Gas natural

Main responsible processess: Electricity, low voltage, at grid/it, Foaming, expanding, Float Glass Coated

Sources: Heat pump, EPS and glass manufacturing processes.

Characterization _ Eco-Ind. Environmental convenience

Damage assesment _ Eco-Ind.

+ 0.2149 DALY

-1.258E6 MJS

Environmental convenience

Weighting _ Eco-Ind. Environmental convenience

Environmental convenience

Retrofit environmental advantage: 63187 EcoPt.

+ 7.33% Human Health damage, + 4.15% Ecosystem Quality damage, - 111.49% Resource damage thanks to the less energy consumption.

Single score _ Eco-Ind.

Non-intervention damage

Retrofit damage

The sustainability issue

The social side of the retrofit Quality of urban environmnet

The social side of the retrofit Quality of urban environmnet

The social side of the intervention Quality of urban environmnet

Conclusions

_LCA analysis conclusions

- Retrofitting the old is environmentally far more convenient than building new stuff

- Smart and conscientious design is crucial, both in new and old building

- Environmental policies have to support personal responsibility in helping the environment

- Energy consumption during the use phase is far more important than the energy in production and end of life phases.

Conclusions

_General conclusions: we need…

-A multidisciplinary approach to such complex system like a building with its users

-Establish a scientific definition of abused attributes such as "eco-friendly", “sustainable”, and “eco-compatible”

-Use LCA evaluation methodology to increase environmental impact awareness since the very first step of building design

-An Holistic approach along the entire building process

Revivalists Environmentally responsive Traditional architecture methods and shapes

Progressives

Buildings rely on hi tech to achieve energy goals

Hybrid approach

passive strategies + efficient systems

i.e. learning from the

environmentally responsive principles of traditional

architecture without excluding the help of modern technologies

Conclusions

Environmental analysis on building site and parametric studies

Site Analysis Activity Rate 2 met,

Clothing 0.75 clo.

Thermodynamic simulation steady state – dynamic models

Fluidodynamic simulation at building / urban scales

Conclusions

The importance of the USER,

i.e. environmental education for children, wise energy awareness campaign, scientist understandment of people, etc.

The importance of caring about LOCAL HEATING more than global warming,

i.e. reviving our grandparent's tips to use natural ventilation, shadowing systems, one more wool jacket in winter, etc.

The importance of SAVING ENERGY: the avoided one is always the cheapest and cleanest energy source!

i.e. recycle, reuse, insulate your home, Cut back unnecessary energy use, buy local, go by bike, enjoy doing it!

Contact details:

giulia.sonetti@gmail.com

Thank you