CO2 Mitigation for New Residential Buildings in Future Scenarios: Trade-off Between Operational and Embodied Energy
(2024) AEBM01 20241Department of Building and Environmental Technology
Division of Energy and Building Design
- Abstract
- The building sector contributes to one-fifth of Sweden’s total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and consumes 40 % of the final energy consumption. To achieve the climate goals set by the Swedish government, the building sector requires rapid development to reduce its climate impact. The climate impact of buildings comes from two types of energy throughout the building's lifecycle: operational and embodied energy. The carbon associated with each is known as operational and embodied carbon, respectively. The trade-off between these two is a key factor in mitigating CO2 emissions in the building sector.
This thesis explores measures and strategies to reduce carbon emissions in new Swedish dwellings in the Skåne region. It focuses on today's... (More) - The building sector contributes to one-fifth of Sweden’s total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and consumes 40 % of the final energy consumption. To achieve the climate goals set by the Swedish government, the building sector requires rapid development to reduce its climate impact. The climate impact of buildings comes from two types of energy throughout the building's lifecycle: operational and embodied energy. The carbon associated with each is known as operational and embodied carbon, respectively. The trade-off between these two is a key factor in mitigating CO2 emissions in the building sector.
This thesis explores measures and strategies to reduce carbon emissions in new Swedish dwellings in the Skåne region. It focuses on today's conditions and possible future conditions based on decarbonization in the building industry. The study employs a methodology that integrates Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and energy analyses to evaluate two case studies: a multi-family apartment and a single-family house (end-of-terrace). By applying passive and active measures, the research investigates the trade-offs between operational and embodied carbon, exploring 12 108 cases to determine the effectiveness of these strategies in mitigating carbon emissions.
The evaluation process was conducted in four phases. First, the case studies were evaluated for energy performance and LCA. Then, each passive parameter ( e.g., wall insulation thickness, window U-value) was investigated individually, resulting in 84 cases per building type. In the next step, passive measures were combined, resulting in 3 888 improved cases (2 916 multi-family and 972 single-family cases, in three types of packages ). One package per building types with the highest climate impact were chosen to post-process further: 1) under future conditions, resulting in 7,776 cases (one package of 972 multi-family cases and one package of 324 single-family cases went through six future conditions); 2) optimized and integrated with a Heat pump (HP) and Photovoltaic (PV) system, resulting in 360 cases. All improved and individual cases were checked for compliance with building regulations. In the methodology chapter Fig. 7, illustrates the overall process.
The passive parameters individual investigation shows that over-insulating walls are common practice but not necessarily favorable considering the environmental impact, cost, and net area usage of walls. Each measure and CO2 mitigation strategy in this research shows effectiveness in both building types. The level of CO2 mitigation varies depending on the size of the building and the targeted building component. Single-family type shows more reduction in energy use with passive measures compared to multi-family type. The choice of materials significantly affects both the operational and embodied carbon of buildings. The amount of effectiveness varies between the two types of buildings. When concrete and steel usage in the building is dominant, replacing them with low-carbon options is the most effective strategy to reduce carbon emissions in the building. Under possible future scenarios, meeting the limit value of climate impact is more realistic than Today’s condition. A combination of heat pumps and PV, which is a new trend, makes single-family cases perform better and lower the total carbon within the building. (Less) - Popular Abstract
- The building sector in Sweden significantly contributes to the country's greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 20% of total emissions and consuming 40% of the final energy. To meet the ambitious climate goals set by the Swedish government, it is crucial to reduce the climate impact of buildings. Emissions stem from two main sources: operational energy (used for heating, cooling, etc.) and embodied energy (the energy used in materials and construction). Balancing these two sources is essential for cutting down CO2 emissions.
This study focuses on finding effective ways to reduce carbon emissions in new homes in the Skåne region of Sweden. It examines current practices and future possibilities in the building industry as it moves towards... (More) - The building sector in Sweden significantly contributes to the country's greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 20% of total emissions and consuming 40% of the final energy. To meet the ambitious climate goals set by the Swedish government, it is crucial to reduce the climate impact of buildings. Emissions stem from two main sources: operational energy (used for heating, cooling, etc.) and embodied energy (the energy used in materials and construction). Balancing these two sources is essential for cutting down CO2 emissions.
This study focuses on finding effective ways to reduce carbon emissions in new homes in the Skåne region of Sweden. It examines current practices and future possibilities in the building industry as it moves towards decarbonization. Specifically, the study investigates two types of buildings: a single-family house (end-of-terrace) and a multi-family apartment.
By applying both passive and active measures, this research meticulously explores the trade-offs between operational and embodied energy and their impact on climate. Thousands of cases were analyzed to determine the effectiveness of various strategies in mitigating carbon emissions. The evaluation process was conducted using a parametric model in the Grasshopper software environment, with optimization done using the Opossum plugin and Python scripts.
The evaluation was carried out in four phases. First, the case studies were assessed for energy performance and LCA. Next, each passive parameter (e.g., wall insulation thickness, window U-value) was investigated individually, resulting in 84 cases per building type. Subsequently, passive measures were combined, resulting in 3,888 improved cases (2,916 multi-family and 972 single-family cases in three types of packages). One package per building type with the highest climate impact was chosen for further post-processing:
• Under future conditions, resulting in 7,776 cases (one package of 972 multi-family cases and one package of 324 single-family cases analyzed under six future scenarios).
• Optimized and integrated with a Heat Pump (HP) and Photovoltaic (PV) system, resulting in 360 cases.
All improved and individual cases were checked for compliance with building regulations. This study provides effective strategies for reducing the climate impact of buildings in Sweden. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9157755
- author
- Hassanzadeh, Azadeh LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- AEBM01 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Operational Energy, Embodied Energy, LCA, Limit value, Future development, Trade-off carbon emission, CO2 Mitigation, Multi-Objective Optimization
- language
- English
- id
- 9157755
- date added to LUP
- 2024-06-04 10:50:01
- date last changed
- 2024-06-04 10:50:01
@misc{9157755,
abstract = {{The building sector contributes to one-fifth of Sweden’s total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and consumes 40 % of the final energy consumption. To achieve the climate goals set by the Swedish government, the building sector requires rapid development to reduce its climate impact. The climate impact of buildings comes from two types of energy throughout the building's lifecycle: operational and embodied energy. The carbon associated with each is known as operational and embodied carbon, respectively. The trade-off between these two is a key factor in mitigating CO2 emissions in the building sector.
This thesis explores measures and strategies to reduce carbon emissions in new Swedish dwellings in the Skåne region. It focuses on today's conditions and possible future conditions based on decarbonization in the building industry. The study employs a methodology that integrates Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and energy analyses to evaluate two case studies: a multi-family apartment and a single-family house (end-of-terrace). By applying passive and active measures, the research investigates the trade-offs between operational and embodied carbon, exploring 12 108 cases to determine the effectiveness of these strategies in mitigating carbon emissions.
The evaluation process was conducted in four phases. First, the case studies were evaluated for energy performance and LCA. Then, each passive parameter ( e.g., wall insulation thickness, window U-value) was investigated individually, resulting in 84 cases per building type. In the next step, passive measures were combined, resulting in 3 888 improved cases (2 916 multi-family and 972 single-family cases, in three types of packages ). One package per building types with the highest climate impact were chosen to post-process further: 1) under future conditions, resulting in 7,776 cases (one package of 972 multi-family cases and one package of 324 single-family cases went through six future conditions); 2) optimized and integrated with a Heat pump (HP) and Photovoltaic (PV) system, resulting in 360 cases. All improved and individual cases were checked for compliance with building regulations. In the methodology chapter Fig. 7, illustrates the overall process.
The passive parameters individual investigation shows that over-insulating walls are common practice but not necessarily favorable considering the environmental impact, cost, and net area usage of walls. Each measure and CO2 mitigation strategy in this research shows effectiveness in both building types. The level of CO2 mitigation varies depending on the size of the building and the targeted building component. Single-family type shows more reduction in energy use with passive measures compared to multi-family type. The choice of materials significantly affects both the operational and embodied carbon of buildings. The amount of effectiveness varies between the two types of buildings. When concrete and steel usage in the building is dominant, replacing them with low-carbon options is the most effective strategy to reduce carbon emissions in the building. Under possible future scenarios, meeting the limit value of climate impact is more realistic than Today’s condition. A combination of heat pumps and PV, which is a new trend, makes single-family cases perform better and lower the total carbon within the building.}},
author = {{Hassanzadeh, Azadeh}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{CO2 Mitigation for New Residential Buildings in Future Scenarios: Trade-off Between Operational and Embodied Energy}},
year = {{2024}},
}