Optimal Planning of Sustainable Buildings: Integration of Life Cycle Assessment and Optimization in a Decision Support System (DSS)

Fabio Magrassi, Adriana Del Borghi, Michela Gallo, Carlo Strazza and Michela Robba
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Fabio Magrassi: Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), University of Genoa, Via Opera Pia 15, Genova 16145, Italy
Adriana Del Borghi: Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), University of Genoa, Via Opera Pia 15, Genova 16145, Italy
Michela Gallo: Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), University of Genoa, Via Opera Pia 15, Genova 16145, Italy
Carlo Strazza: D’Appolonia S.p.A., Environment and Sustainability Business Unit, Via Liri 8A, Genova 16145, Italy
Michela Robba: Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genoa, Via Opera Pia 13, Genova 16145, Italy

Energies, 2016, vol. 9, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: Energy efficiency measures in buildings can provide for a significant reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A sustainable design and planning of technologies for energy production should be based on economic and environmental criteria. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used to quantify the environmental impacts over the whole cycle of life of production plants. Optimization models can support decisions that minimize costs and negative impacts. In this work, a multi-objective decision problem is formalized that takes into account LCA calculations and that minimizes costs and GHG emissions for general buildings. A decision support system (DSS) is applied to a real case study in the Northern Italy, highlighting the advantage provided by the installation of renewable energy. Moreover, a comparison among different optimal and non optimal solution was carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed DSS.

Keywords: life cycle assessment (LCA); optimization; decision support system (DSS); nearly-zero energy buildings; sustainable buildings (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: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

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