Analysis of the Environmental Impact in the Life Cycle of a Single-Family House in Poland

Buildings consume energy, which is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. In order to reduce their environmental impact, it is important to choose suitable building materials and energy source. The paper presents the results of a multi-variant analysis of five environmental impact categori...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Atmosphere 2022-02, Vol.13 (2), p.245
Main Authors: Grygierek, Krzysztof, Ferdyn-Grygierek, Joanna
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acidification
Alternative energy sources
Analysis
building
Building construction
Building materials
Carbon footprint
Climate change
Computer programs
Computer simulation
Computer software
Construction materials
Cost control
Cycle ratio
Emissions
Energy
Energy consumption
Energy efficiency
Energy resources
energy simulation
Energy sources
Environmental impact
Eutrophication
External walls
Global warming
global warming potential
Green buildings
Greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gases
Heat sources
Heating
Houses
HVAC
Insulating materials
Insulation
Life cycle
life cycle assessment
Life cycles
Ozone
Ozone depletion
Ozone layer
Ozonosphere
Software
Ventilation
Wood
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Summary:Buildings consume energy, which is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. In order to reduce their environmental impact, it is important to choose suitable building materials and energy source. The paper presents the results of a multi-variant analysis of five environmental impact categories (global warming potential, acidification, eutrophication, ozone layer depletion, and total use of primary energy) for a single-family house located in Poland in a 25-year life cycle. The tests were carried out for two different types of building structures (brick and wooden), two variants of external partition insulation, and four heat sources. The following computer programs were used for the calculations: OpenStudio and EnergyPlus, and One Click LCA. The analysis took into account the erection of the building in its shell and the energy consumption for heating in a 25-year life cycle. Studies have shown that when an electric heat source is used, the use stage has the greatest environmental impact, accounting for up to 80% of the total emissions over the life cycle. This ratio can be reduced by half in the case of a house with thicker external wall insulation and an eco-biomass boiler.
ISSN:2073-4433
2073-4433
DOI:10.3390/atmos13020245