Life cycle carbon emissions and comparative evaluation of selected open source UK embodied carbon counting tools

Life cycle carbon emissions (LCO2), made up of operational and embodied carbon, have become a major metric of building environmental performance and energy efficiency. Whilst there are now standard methods for operational carbon assessment due to its significance in LCO2, there is still less emphasis on embodied carbon counting. However, the relative contribution of embodied carbon is on the rise as buildings become increasingly energy efficient. Following the rule that only something which is measurable is manageable, it is essential that we are able to accurately count embodied carbon. This study therefore reviews the concept of LCO2 in buildings and further investigates the open source UK tools for embodied carbon counting. A comparative evaluation case study, which validates an earlier review, showed that there is no logic and consistency in the carbon figures produced by embodied carbon counting tools. This is mainly due to different system boundaries, varying underlying assumptions and methodological differences in calculation. The findings suggest that an industry-agreed data structure and common methodology is needed for embodied carbon counting. Generally, the study provides insights into the use and capabilities of the identified open source UK embodied carbon counting tools, and is relevant to the on-going debate about carbon regulation

Reducing the life cycle environmental impact of electric vehicles through emissions-responsive charging

Electric vehicles (EVs) are currently being promoted to reduce transport emissions. We present a life cycle assessment of EV charging behaviours based on marginal emissions factors. For Great Britain, we find that electricity consumption accounts for the highest proportion of life cycle carbon emissions from EVs. We highlight the potential life cycle carbon emissions reduction brought by charging during periods when the grid mix produces relatively low emissions. While our study focuses on Great Britain, we have applied our methodology to several European countries with contrasting electricity generation mixes. Our analysis demonstrates that countries with a high proportion of fossil energy will have reduced benefits from deploying EVs, but are likely to achieve increased benefits from smart charging approaches. We conclude that using marginal emissions factors is essential to understanding the greenhouse gas impacts of EV deployment, and that smart charging tied to instantaneous grid emissions factors can bring benefits

Research on the Post Occupancy Evaluation of Green Public Building Environmental Performance Combined with Carbon Emissions Accounting

AbstractThe development of green building in China has reached a new stage, needs to turn to the total energy consumption control from the technology control[1]. We should avoid packing technologies in green building projects and regard achieving good environmental performance as the fundamental goal. In this paper, we use the method of post-occupancy evaluation and regard the building environmental performance as the core of the evaluation system, in order to reduce the influence on the accuracy of results from the measures evaluation. We establish the evaluation index system of green public building environmental performance in severe cold and cold regions, including the index of building life-cycle carbon emissions accounting. And we set up the application plan of index and the scoring method, then we put forward a kind of evaluation grade based on environmental performance level, finally proposed the POE System of Green Public Building Environmental Performance in Severe Cold and Cold Regions (POE-GPBEPC)

Investigating the impact of transformer specification on the life cycle carbon emissions: A case study for Middle East Countries

In this article, an investigation is conducted for a 50/62.5 MVA, 154/33.6kV ONAN/ONAF transformer on the carbon emission equivalent (tCO2-e equivalent) of different designs that derive from different loss requirements in the technical specification. The impact of such specifications for Middle Eastern countries will be shared. Furthermore, the article will compare the outcomes of cost, total ownership cost and total life cycle carbon emission assessment and will demonstrate that an effective and appropriate specification will impact and help procure transformers with the lowest total life cycle cost, including metrics such as tCO2-e equivalent

Life-cycle carbon emissions and energy return on investment for 80% domestic renewable electricity with battery storage in California (U.S.A.)

This paper presents a detailed life-cycle assessment of the greenhouse gas emissions, cumulative demand for total and non-renewable primary energy, and energy return on investment (EROI) for the domestic electricity grid mix in the U.S. state of California, using hourly historical data for 2018, and future projections of increased solar photovoltaic (PV) installed capacity with lithium-ion battery energy storage, so as to achieve 80% net renewable electricity generation in 2030, while ensuring the hourly matching of the supply and demand profiles at all times. Specifically—in line with California’s plans that aim to increase the renewable energy share into the electric grid—in this study, PV installed capacity is assumed to reach 43.7 GW in 2030, resulting of 52% of the 2030 domestic electricity generation. In the modelled 2030 scenario, single-cycle gas turbines and nuclear plants are completely phased out, while combined-cycle gas turbine output is reduced by 30% compared to 2018. Results indicate that 25% of renewable electricity ends up being routed into storage, while 2.8% is curtailed. Results also show that such energy transition strategy would be effective at curbing California’s domestic electricity grid mix carbon emissions by 50%, and reducing demand for non-renewable primary energy by 66%, while also achieving a 10% increase in overall EROI (in terms of electricity output per unit of investment)

Enabling low-carbon living in new UK housing developments

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe a tool (the Climate Challenge Tool) that allows house builders to calculate whole life carbon equivalent emissions and costs of various carbon and energy reduction options that can be incorporated into the design of new developments. Design/methodology/approach: The tool covers technical and soft (or lifestyle) measures for reducing carbon production and energy use. Energy used within the home, energy embodied in the building materials, and emissions generated through transport, food consumption and waste treatment are taken into account. The tool has been used to assess the potential and cost-effectiveness of various carbon reduction options for a proposed new housing development in Cambridgeshire. These are compared with carbon emissions from a typical UK household. Findings: The tool demonstrated that carbon emission reductions can be achieved at much lower costs through an approach which enables sustainable lifestyles than through an approach which focuses purely on reducing heat lost through the fabric of the building and from improving the heating and lighting systems. Practical implications: The tool will enable house builders to evaluate which are the most cost-effective measures that they can incorporate into the design of new developments in order to achieve the significant energy savings and reduction in carbon emissions necessary to meet UK Government targets and to avoid dangerous climate change. Originality/value: Current approaches to assessing carbon and energy reduction options for new housing developments concentrate on energy efficiency options such as reducing heat lost through the fabric of the building and improving the heating and lighting systems, alongside renewable energy systems. The Climate Challenge Tool expands the range of options that might be considered by developers to include those affecting lifestyle choices of future residents. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited

The pathway to sustainable passenger transport: a life cycle perspective of decarbonisation strategies

212 p.This thesis confronts the pressing challenge of mitigating transportation emissions in the face of escalating global mobility demands. It leverages Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to explore strategies for curbing the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of both private and public vehicles in urban environments. Comparative studies underscore a striking 23% increase in emissions within urban settings compared to rural ones. Simulated scenarios within a medium-sized city reveal the potential for substantial emissions reductions, reaching up to 64.28%, through interventions like limiting daily trips and expanding public transportation options.Furthermore, the research evaluates optimal replacement times for petrol cars, showcasing the importance of running electric vehicles with renewable energy in order to make them efficient alternatives. This work underscores the significance of tailored policies that account for social behaviour, commuting patterns, and specific environmental concerns, essential for achieving successful low-carbon urban transportation solutions.Life Cycle Thinking Grou

Taking Action on Climate Change

Discusses the complexity of the climate change problem, the policy and legislation needed to create change, and the increasingly important role that philanthropy can play in this area

Integrated Building Life cycle Carbon and Cost Analysis Embedding Multiple Optimisation Levels

Because the optimisation of various building components and structural systems is often performed in isolation, this study developed an integrated approach for the optimisation of building life cycle carbon emissions and costs embedding multiple analysis levels. The functionalities of the proposed approach were tested in a realistic building scenario. Results demonstrated significant variations in the lifecycle carbon performance (more than 50%) and minor variations in the cost performance (10%) between the optimised building solutions. It was suggested that project teams could effectively use the proposed approach to understand the relationships between high-performing building configurations during the early design stages