Benchmarks for Embodied and Operational Energy Assessment of Hellenic Single-Family Houses

Elena G. Dascalaki, Poulia A. Argiropoulou, Constantinos A. Balaras, Kalliopi G. Droutsa and Simon Kontoyiannidis
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Elena G. Dascalaki: Group Energy Conservation, Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, GR-15236 Athens, Greece
Poulia A. Argiropoulou: Group Energy Conservation, Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, GR-15236 Athens, Greece
Constantinos A. Balaras: Group Energy Conservation, Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, GR-15236 Athens, Greece
Kalliopi G. Droutsa: Group Energy Conservation, Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, GR-15236 Athens, Greece
Simon Kontoyiannidis: Group Energy Conservation, Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, GR-15236 Athens, Greece

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 17, 1-36

Abstract: Building energy performance benchmarking increases awareness and enables stakeholders to make better informed decisions for designing, operating, and renovating sustainable buildings. In the era of nearly zero energy buildings, the embodied energy along with operational energy use are essential for evaluating the environmental impacts and building performance throughout their lifecycle. Key metrics and baselines for the embodied energy intensity in representative Hellenic houses are presented in this paper. The method is set up to progressively cover all types of buildings. The lifecycle analysis was performed using the well-established SimaPro software package and the EcoInvent lifecycle inventory database, complemented with national data from short energy audits carried out in Greece. The operational energy intensity was estimated using the national calculation engine for assessing the building’s energy performance and the predictions were adapted to obtain more realistic estimates. The sensitivity analysis for different type of buildings considered 16 case studies, accounting for representative construction practices, locations (climate conditions), system efficiencies, renovation practices, and lifetime of buildings. The results were used to quantify the relative significance of operational and embodied energy, and to estimate the energy recovery time for popular energy conservation and energy efficiency measures. The derived indicators reaffirm the importance of embodied energy in construction materials and systems for new high performing buildings and for renovating existing buildings to nearly zero energy.

Keywords: single-family houses; embodied energy; operational energy; benchmarks; renovations; energy use intensity (EUI); embodied energy intensity (EEI); energy recovery time (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 (6)

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