EMBODIED ENERGY

EMBODIED ENERGY
The sum of all energy embedded in products and processes used in
constructing a building is known as embodied energy.
current state of embodied energy research suffers from three major issues.
First, there is little agreement on the definition of embodied energy. Second,
the existing embodied energy data suffers from variation and are regarded as
incomplete and not specific to a product under study. Third, there are various
methods for calculating embodied energy with varying levels of completeness
and accuracy.
the input-output-based hybrid method is the most appropriate method but it
needs further improvements. Some of the studies also found a positive and
strong correlation between the cost and embodied energy of a building but
this correlation needs to be analyzed at a building material or product level.

it proposed an embodied energy definition, a complete system boundary

model, and a set of data collection, embodied energy calculation, and result
reporting guidelines.
 1. To streamline the process of embodied energy calculation to reduce
variations in embodied energy data.
2. Three improvements were carried out in the current input-output-based
hybrid approach, which included process energy data inclusion, human
and capital energy integration, and sectorial disaggregation to calculate
material-specific embodied energy.
3. The correlation between the embodied energy and cost and price was
analyzed at a material level.

An input-output-based hybrid method was the most appropriate method for

calculating the embodied energy of a building material in a complete manner.
Incompleteness in the results of a process-based method was significant (3.3
to 52% of the total). The energy of human labor and capital inputs was up to
15% of the total embodied energy.

indicated a strong and positive correlation between the embodied energy and
cost (and price) of building materials.
 INTRODUCTION

The natural capital of the earth is shrinking due to constant and unrestricted
anthropogenic resource consumption as a result of population growth and
increased affluence. Resources such as raw materials, fuels, biomass, and
water are being drawn at a rate that has outrun the earth’s capacity to
replenish them. Among the major impacts of this increased resource
consumption are increased levels of pollution, greenhouse gas emission, waste
generation, and land depletion

The increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,

according to experts, has caused severe environmental problems such as
global warming leading to phenomenon of climate change.

Among the most pronounced impacts of climate change on the atmosphere is

the increased frequency of extreme weather events such as hurricanes,
tornedos, flash floods, and storms, which not only are life-threatening but also
have economic, social, and environmental consequences. One of the main
constituents of greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide (CO2) resulting from
resource consumption and waste generation
 INTRODUCTION
The consumption of energy in activities such as transportation, construction,
and building operations is the major cause of global CO2 emission. According
to UNDESA (2011), the global population is projected to reach 10 billion by the
end of 2050. It is crucial to note that most of this growth will occur in
countries which are currently among the top contributors to the global CO2
emissions.
The construction industry consumes enormous amounts of energy (40%) and
nonenergy resources such as building materials, water (16%), fuels, electricity,
and labor annually. As a result, it also contributes to the CO2 emissions and
waste generation. Every year, nearly 40% of the global raw stone, sand and
gravel supply, and 25% of the virgin wood supply is depleted by the
construction activities. The construction and demolition waste represented
the largest share (40 - 50%) of the total annual waste generated in the United
States (USEPA, 2009a). The construction sector, particularly the building
sector, is responsible for more than 39% of the United States’ annual carbon
emission.
 INTRODUCTION

Buildings consume energy in their life cycle stages of construction, operation,

maintenance, renovation, and demolition. The energy is consumed when
building materials are manufactured. Construction materials extensively used
in building construction such as cement, steel, aluminum, and insulation are
very energy intensive (Chen et al., 2001; Dixit et al., 2010). When a building is
constructed, energy is consumed directly in construction processes and
indirectly in its constituent materials. The total energy consumed in all
products and processes that are used in constructing the building is known as
the initial embodied energy.

When the building is occupied it is also maintained, renovated, and some of

its components are replaced periodically. Such processes also consume
energy directly and indirectly, which is termed the recurring embodied
energy. At the end-of-life phase, the building is demolished and its materials
are salvaged for reuse, recycling or disposal, consuming direct and indirect
energy. This fraction of energy is called the demolition energy.
INTRODUCTION

The total life cycle embodied energy is the sum of the building’s initial,
recurring, and demolition embodied energy. The total life cycle energy use of
the building constitutes embodied and operating energy. The operating energy
is consumed in lighting, air-conditioning, and powering building appliances.
it has been highlighted that for a comprehensive reduction in building energy
use, a whole life cycle energy accounting should be performed including not
only the operating but also the embodied energy. Until recently, the focus of
building energy research was on operating energy assuming that the
embodied energy is insignificant. However, recent studies have invalidated this
assumption and have clearly underscored the significance of embodied energy
in the whole building energy optimization.
Due to an increased focus on operating energy, highly advanced and energy
efficient building systems, controls, appliances, and envelope materials have
been developed. As a result, the operating energy use of buildings is going
down gradually However, no concrete efforts were made to substantially reduce
the embodied energy. Among the major reasons cited for this by literature
include the unavailability of consistent and complete embodied energy data and
a lack of an established and standard embodied energy calculation method.
 INTRODUCTION

The natural capital of the earth is shrinking due to constant and unrestricted
anthropogenic resource consumption as a result of population growth and
increased affluence. Resources such as raw materials, fuels, biomass, and
water are being drawn at a rate that has outrun the earth’s capacity to
replenish them. Among the major impacts of this increased resource
consumption are increased levels of pollution, greenhouse gas emission, waste
generation, and land depletion

The increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,

according to experts, has caused severe environmental problems such as
global warming leading to phenomenon of climate change.

Among the most pronounced impacts of climate change on the atmosphere is

the increased frequency of extreme weather events such as hurricanes,
tornedos, flash floods, and storms, which not only are life-threatening but also
have economic, social, and environmental consequences. One of the main
constituents of greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide (CO2) resulting from
resource consumption and waste generation