LOW EMBODIED ENERGY SUSTAINABLE BUILDING MATERIALS AND

TECHNOLOGIES

Presented byAimanSarahNaziaSufyanHamzah

What is Embodied energy ?

The embodied energy (carbon) of a building material can be

taken as the total primary energy consumed (carbon

released) over its life cycle.

This would normally include (at least) extraction,

manufacturing and transportation.

Types of embodied energy

· Initial embodied energy; and· Recurring embodied energy

The initial embodied energy in buildingsrepresents the non-renewable energyconsumed in the acquisition of rawmaterials, their processing,manufacturing, transportation to site, andconstruction. This initial embodied energy hastwo components:

Direct energy the energy used to transportbuilding products to the site, and then toconstruct the building; and

Indirect energy the energy used to acquire,process, and manufacture the building materials,including any transportation related to theseactivities.

RECURRING EMBODIED ENERGY

The recurring embodied energy in buildingsrepresents the non-renewable energy consumed tomaintain, repair, restore, refurbish or replacematerials, components or systems during the lifeof the building.

How is embodied energy measured?

Embodied energy is measured as the quantity of non-renewable energy per unit of building material, componentor system.

It is expressed in megajoules (MJ) or gigajoules (GJ) perunit weight (kg or tonne) or area (m2) but the process ofcalculating embodied energy is complex and involvesnumerous sources of data.

UNITS OF MEASUREMENT

Standard Unit for Embodied Energy: MJ/ kg material

Standard Unit for Carbon emissions: Kg CO2/ kg material

Functional units:

MJ/ m3 material

Kg CO2/ m3

material

Energy consumption in buildings occurs in five phases.

• The first phase corresponds to the manufacturing of building materials andcomponents, which is termed as embodied energy.

• The second and third phases correspond to the energy used to transportmaterials from production plants to the building site and the energy used inthe actual construction of the building, which is respectively referred to as greyenergy and induced energy.

• Fourthly, energy is consumed at theoperational phase, which correspondsto the running of the building when it isoccupied.

• Finally, energy is consumed in thedemolition process of buildings aswell as in the recycling of their parts,when this is promoted.

CRADLE-TO-GATEis an assessment of a partial product life cycle from resource extraction (cradle) to the factory gate

- Energy inputs from:

• Extraction of raw materials

• Transportation to factory

• Manufacture of product / components

• Assembly of product / system

• Transportation to site / point of sale

• Installation / construction

• Maintenance

• Replacement

• Disposal / re-purposing / recycling

PROCESS 01

02

03

Certified wood is the only product that can carry the added value of chain-of-custody certification—which confirms that it came from sustainably managed, third-party certified forests. Similar to tracking packages, chain-of-custody tracks forest products through all phases of ownership, processing and transportation, from the forest of origin to the end consumer. The chain-of-custody system is verified through an independent third-party audit. The result is that buyers know their building materials are coming from forests managed in accordance with strict sustainable forest management certification standards—and not from controversial sources such as illegal logging.

The concrete and steel industries have no third-party sustainability certification or chain-of-custody certification. However, progress is being made in responsible procurement. In particular, some steel companies are reportedly encouraging suppliers to adopt responsible practices and/or management systems certified to ISO standards. In certain cases, companies dedicate online resources to screening potential suppliers and to promoting and monitoring the performance of existing vendors. Steel is often imported from developing countries and the absence of a third-party certification program makes it impossible to accurately assess the environmental and social impacts of steel products.

Photos: naturallywood.com

Sources: Photos: naturallywood.com Manufacturing Timber importer Chain of

Custody certificate Chain of Custody certificate Chain of Custody certificate

Tracking

Certified ForestForest Management certificate

Certified Logs Chain of Custody certificate

ManufacturingChain of Custody certificate

Timber importer Chain of Custody certificate Chain of Custody certificate

Sawmill Chain of Custody certificate

EMBODIED ENERGY CHAIN

ENERGY USE

ENERGY USE

How much embodied energy is typically found in buildings?

Embodied energy depends on:

• efficiency of the individual manufacturing process

• the fuels used in the manufacture of the materials

• the distances materials are transported

• the amount of recycled product used.

When selecting building materials, theembodied energy should be considered withrespect to:

1. the durability of building materials

2. how easily materials can be separated

3. use of locally sourced materials

4. use of recycled materials

5. specifying standard sizes of materials

6. avoiding waste

7. selecting materials that are manufactured using

renewable energy sources.

Buildings account for 30 to

40% of total global energy usage.

(United Nations Environmental

Programme)

The construction sector is

responsible for :

40% of the consumed

resources

40% of CO2 emissions

40% of waste (construction and

demolition) (UNCHS/ Habitat)

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE BUILDING INDUSTRY

Cities take about 2 % of the land surface but consume 75 % of the world’s natural

resources.

Guidelines for reducing embodied energy

1. Design for long life and adaptability, using durablelow maintenance materials.

2. Ensure materials can be easily separated.

3. Modify or refurbish instead of demolishing or adding.

4. Ensure construction wastes and materials fromdemolition of existing buildings are reused orrecycled.

5. Use locally sourced materials (including materials salvagedon site) to reduce transport.

6. Select low embodied energy materials (which mayinclude materials with a high recycled content),preferably based on supplier-specific data.

1. Avoid wasteful material use. For example, specify standardsizes wherever possible (windows, door, panels) to avoid usingadditional materials as fillers. Some energy intensive finishes,such as paints, often have high wastage levels so try to buy onlyas much as you need.

2. Ensure offcuts are recycled and use only sufficientstructural materials to ensure stability and meetconstruction standards.

3. Select materials that can be reused or recycled easily at the endof their lives using existing recycling systems.

4. Give preference to materials that have beenmanufactured using renewable energy sources.

5. Use efficient building envelope design and fittings to minimisematerials (e.g. an energy efficient building envelope candownsize or eliminate the need for heaters and coolers, water-efficient taps can allow downsizing of water pipes).

Guidelines for reducing embodied energy

REUSE AND RECYCLING

Reuse of building materials commonly saves about 95% of embodied energy that would otherwise be wasted. However, some materials such as bricks and roof tiles may be damaged when reused.

Construction technique for low embodied energy

Architect: ANUPAMA KUNDOO

COMPARISON OF MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES

CSEB (Compressed Stabilised Earth Block) MASONRY WALLS

COMPARISON OF MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES

CONVENTIONAL COUNTRY FIRED BRICK WALLS

COMPARISON OF MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES

CONVENTIONAL REINFORCED CONCRETE WALLS

COMPARISON OF MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES

CSEB VAULTING

COMPARISON OF MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES

FERROCEMENT CHANNELS

COMPARISON OF MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUESCONVENTIONAL RCC SLAB

EXPLORATION

Thank You

FOR MORE MATERIAL

: http://media.cannondesign.com/uploads/files/MaterialLife-9-6.pdf

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Gabrielle Rossit416.915.0121 (Toronto)grossit@cannondesign.com

Marion Lawson312.960.8382 (Chicago)mlawson@cannondesign.com