Dynamic Versus Static Life Cycle Assessment of Energy Renovation for Residential Buildings

Els Van de moortel, Karen Allacker, Frank De Troyer, Erik Schoofs and Luc Stijnen
Additional contact information
Els Van de moortel: Department of Architecture, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 1 Box 2431, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
Karen Allacker: Department of Architecture, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 1 Box 2431, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
Frank De Troyer: Department of Architecture, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 1 Box 2431, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
Erik Schoofs: Molse Bouwmaatschappij, Social Housing Company, Bosveld 152, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Luc Stijnen: Zonnige Kempen, Social Housing Company, Grote Markt 39, 2260 Westerlo, Belgium

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-30

Abstract: Currently, a life cycle assessment is mostly used in a static way to assess the environmental impacts of the energy renovation of buildings. However, various aspects of energy renovation vary in time. This paper reports the development of a framework for a dynamic life cycle assessment and its application to assess the energy renovation of buildings. To investigate whether a dynamic approach leads to different decisions than a static approach, several renovation options of a residential house were compared. To identify the main drivers of the impact and to support decision-making for renovation, a shift of the reference study period—as defined in EN 15643-1 and EN 15978—is proposed (from construction to renovation). Interventions related to the energy renovation are modelled as current events, while interventions and processes that happen afterwards are modelled as future events, including dynamic parameters, considering changes in the operational energy use, changes in the energy mix, and future (cleaner) production processes. For a specific case study building, the dynamic approach resulted in a lower environmental impact than the static approach. However, the dynamic approach did not result in other renovation recommendations, except when a dynamic parameter for electricity production was included.

Keywords: sustainable building refurbishment; building energy renovation; building stock management; social housing; environmental impact; dynamic modelling; energy use for heating; energy mix; life cycle scenario; EN 15978 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:11:p:6838-:d:830875

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