1/20/2020 Embodied Energy in Building Materials: What it is and How to Calculate It | ArchDaily

Embodied Energy in Building Materials: What it is and How to

Calculate It

Written by Eduardo Souza | Translated by José Tomás Franco

7 days ago Share

All human activities a ect the environment. Some are less impactful, some much, much more. According
to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the construction sector is responsible for up to 30%
of all greenhouse gas emissions. Activities such as mining, processing, transportation, industrial
operations, and the combination of chemical products result in the release of gases such as CO2, CH4,
N2O, O3, halocarbons, and water vapor. When these gases are released into the atmosphere, they absorb
a portion of the sun's rays and redistribute them in the form of radiation in the atmosphere, warming our
planet. With a rampant amount of gas released daily, this layer thickens, which causes solar radiation to
enter and and stay in the planet. Today, this 'layer' has become so thick that mankind is beginning to
experience severe consequence, such as desertification, ice melting, water scarcity, and the Save
intensification of storms, hurricanes, and floods, which has modified ecosystems and reduced
biodiversity.
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As architects, one of our biggest concerns should be the reduction of carbon emissions from the
buildings we construct. Being able to measure, quantify, and rate this quality is a good way to start.

The term Embodied Energy or Embodied Carbon refers to the sum impact of all greenhouse gas
emissions attributed to a material during its life cycle. This cycle encompasses extraction,
manufacturing, construction, maintenance, and disposal. For example, reinforced concrete is a material
with extremely high embodied energy. When manufacturing the cement, large amounts of CO2 are
released in the calcination stage, where limestone is transformed into calcium oxide (quicklime), as well
as in the burning of fossil fuels in furnaces. If we add these issues to the exploitation of sand and stone, to
the use of iron for the rebar, to its transport to the construction site to be added to the mix, we can
understand the impact of each decision of a project on the environment. Other construction materials,
such as ceramic, brick, and plastic, similarly require large amounts of energy to be manufactured since
the minerals used in them must be extracted and treated in energy-intensive processes.

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It's important to keep in mind that there are two types of carbon emissions in relation to buildings:
Embodied Carbon and Operational Carbon. The latter refers to all the carbon dioxide emitted during the
life of an entire building, rather than just its materials, encompassing electricity consumption, heating,
cooling, and more.

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Understanding the amount of energy or carbon incorporated in building's materials is essential to

creating more eco-conscious projects. A 'sustainable material' in one place may have a high energy load
in another due to local availability and the type of transport involved.

A standardized method of quantifying the environmental impact of buildings, from the extraction of
materials and the manufacture of products to the end of their useful life and disposal, is the Life Cycle
Assessment (LCA). Using a quantitative methodology, numerical results are obtained that reflect the
impact categories and provide comparisons between similar products. To a similar end, the University of
Bath (UK), has compiled a list comparing the energy content of the most commonly used materials
around the world.

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There are also other tools and technologies that promise to facilitate the process. Autodesk, together
with the Carbon Leadership Forum and in collaboration with other construction and so ware companies,
has developed the Embedded Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) tool, which is available to all beta
users. The idea is to provide users with the information they need to make more informed decisions
about the embodied carbon of each element of a building, promoting intelligent, conscious, and
accessible solutions even for those who are not specialists. As always, awareness in making decisions
and being conscious of the options available are always the best way to make processes more intelligent
and sustainable.

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