Decarbonizing Agricultural Buildings: A Life-Cycle Carbon Emissions Assessment of Dairy Barns

Hui Liu, Zhen Wang, Xinyi Du, Fei Qi, Chaoyuan Wang and Zhengxiang Shi ()
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Hui Liu: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Zhen Wang: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Xinyi Du: Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
Fei Qi: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Chaoyuan Wang: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Zhengxiang Shi: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 15, 1-18

Abstract: The life-cycle carbon emissions (LCCE) assessment of dairy barns is crucial for identifying low-carbon transition pathways and promoting the sustainable development of the dairy industry. We applied a life cycle assessment approach integrated with building information modeling and EnergyPlus to establish a full life cycle inventory of the material quantities and energy consumption for dairy barns. The LCCE was quantified from the production to end-of-life stages using the carbon equivalent of dairy barns (CEDB) as the functional unit, expressed in kg CO 2 e head −1 year −1 . A carbon emission assessment model was developed based on the “building–process–energy” framework. The LCCE of the open barn and the lower profile cross-ventilated (LPCV) barn were 152 kg CO 2 e head −1 year −1 and 229 kg CO 2 e head −1 year −1 , respectively. Operational carbon emissions (OCE) accounted for the largest share of LCCE, contributing 57% and 74%, respectively. For embodied carbon emissions (ECE), the production of building materials dominated, representing 91% and 87% of the ECE, respectively. Regarding carbon mitigation strategies, the use of extruded polystyrene boards reduced carbon emissions by 45.67% compared with stone wool boards and by 36% compared with polyurethane boards. Employing a manure pit emptying system reduced carbon emissions by 76% and 74% compared to manure scraping systems. Additionally, the adoption of clean electricity resulted in a 33% reduction in OCE, leading to an overall LCCE reduction of 22% for the open barn and 26% for the LPCV barn. This study introduces the CEDB to evaluate low-carbon design strategies for dairy barns, integrating building layout, ventilation systems, and energy sources in a unified assessment approach, providing valuable insights for the low-carbon transition of agricultural buildings.

Keywords: sustainable agricultural buildings; dairy barns; life cycle assessment; low-carbon transition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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