A method to evaluate the life cycle environmental impacts of double skin facades in refurbishments

Pomponi, Francesco; Ip, Kenneth; Oxizidis, Simeon

Abstract

Refurbishment of existing buildings represents a major challenge for the UK Government to meet the greenhouse gases (GHG) target. Double Skin Façades are one possible solution for low-carbon façade retrofit of existing non-domestic buildings. Available research mainly focused on the operational energy, overlooking the embodied energy which often accounts for up to 50% of the life cycle energy. Due to the lack of available tools with a specific focus to assess life cycle environmental performances of composite materials, a ISO-compliant method has been developed. A review of current standards and seminal literatures about life cycle assessment of buildings and building façades led to a framework based on elementary life cycle processes and different life cycle stages. Mathematical equations to assess whole-life energy, whole-life carbon, and global warming potential have been derived from those available at a building level. The method proposed diminishes the risk of double counting figures throughout the life cycle study as it follows a consequentiality-based approach. The specific focus on composite materials helps achieve more accurate figures at the material level in the assessment of the life cycle environmental impacts.

• Conference Name: ARCOM Doctoral Workshop on Sustainable Urban Retrofit and Technologies
• Start Date: Jun 19, 2014
• End Date: Jun 19, 2014
• Acceptance Date: Jun 18, 2014
• Publication Date: Jun 19, 2014
• Deposit Date: Feb 17, 2017
• Keywords: Environmental impact, Life cycle, Refurbishment, Consequential-based approach, Double Skin Façade.
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/686550
• Related Public URLs: http://www.arcom.ac.uk/-docs/workshops/2014-06_London.pdf