Estimating energy consumption in the urban environment with a focus on embodied energy

Abstract

The spatial representation of resource consumption in the built environment offers potential benefits in the urban design and planning process. As a first step in developing such a tool, a pilot study has been undertaken to profile the energy consumption of selected urban areas which are representative of the city of Adelaide. The aim was to determine the feasibility of capturing the various components of energy consumption which included embodied energy of the built forms and transport infrastructure, operational energy of buildings and energy used in transport. This paper focuses on the estimation of the embodied energy of the buildings and infrastructure within the chosen urban areas. The assumptions used to categorise the design and construction of dwellings according to historical periods are discussed as well as some the limitations on embodied energy data available for urban infrastructure. The preliminary results are presented of embodied energy in the context of operational and transport energy. The pilot study has identified areas where data on energy consumption is sparse or needs clarification. The continuation of this research will aim to provide more complete information to assist designers and planners in optimising energy use in the built environment