Preliminary Study on the GWP Benchmark of Office Buildings in Poland Using the LCA Approach

Joanna Rucińska, Anna Komerska and Jerzy Kwiatkowski
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Joanna Rucińska: Division of Air Conditioning and Heating, Faculty of Building Services, Hydro and Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska 20, 00-653 Warsaw, Poland
Anna Komerska: Division of Air Conditioning and Heating, Faculty of Building Services, Hydro and Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska 20, 00-653 Warsaw, Poland
Jerzy Kwiatkowski: District Heating and Natural Gas Systems Division, Faculty of Building Services, Hydro and Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska 20, 00-653 Warsaw, Poland

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 13, 1-18

Abstract: The decarbonisation goal stated in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) regarding the building sector will be achieved only if the whole building life-cycle is considered. To fulfil this requirement, a benchmark based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) must be integrated into the early planning phase of buildings by designers. The estimation of such indicators requires the development of a database of building assessments. In this study, an LCA of 11 office buildings in Poland was used to set average values that can be used as a benchmark. The LCA methodology based on the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) certification was used. The analysis did not concentrate on one type of office building. The main objective was to investigate a possible range of total Global Warming Potential (GWP) index values normalized to the usable unit floor area. The importance of the GWP of individual life-cycle phases was also considered. The study shows that the used methodology is adequate for LCA benchmark estimation to set preliminary average values for office buildings in Poland.

Keywords: LCA; benchmark; building certification; circular economy; environmental impact (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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