Carbon Reduction Measures-Based LCA of Prefabricated Temporary Housing with Renewable Energy Systems

Ling Dong, Yu Wang, Hong Xian Li, Boya Jiang and Mohamed Al-Hussein
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Ling Dong: School of Architecture, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
Yu Wang: Science & Technology Development Center of Jiangsu Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Nanjing 210036, China
Hong Xian Li: School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Australia
Boya Jiang: School of Architecture, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
Mohamed Al-Hussein: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 3, 1-22

Abstract: Temporary housing plays an important role in providing secure, hygienic, private, and comfortable shelter in the aftermath of disaster (such as flood, fire, earthquake, etc.). Additionally, temporary housing can also be used as a sustainable form of on-site residences for construction workers. While most of the building components used in temporary housing can be manufactured in a plant, prefabrication technology improves the production efficiency of temporary housing; furthermore, integrated renewable energy systems, for example, solar photovoltaic (PV) system, offer benefits for temporary housing operations. In order to assess the environmental impacts of prefabricated temporary housing equipped with renewable energy systems, this study first divides the life cycle of temporary housing into six stages, and then establishes a life cycle assessment (LCA) model for each stage. Furthermore, with the aim of reducing the environmental impacts, life cycle carbon reduction measures are proposed for each stage of temporary housing. The proposed methodology is demonstrated using a case study in China. Based on the proposed carbon reduction measures, the LCA of a prefabricated temporary housing case study building equipped with renewable energy systems indicates a carbon emissions intensity of 35.7 kg/m 2 ·per year, as well as a reduction in material embodied emissions of 18%, assembly emissions of 17.5%, and operational emissions of 91.5%. This research proposes a carbon reduction-driven LCA of temporary housing and contributes to promoting sustainable development of prefabricated temporary housing equipped with renewable energy systems.

Keywords: life cycle assessment; temporary housing; prefabrication; carbon reduction measures (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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