Analyzing Embodied Energy, Global Warming and Acidification Potentials of Materials in Residential Buildings

The paper aims at an environmental assessment of twenty residential masonry houses in relation to built-in materials, in terms of embodied energy (PEI), global warming (GWP) and acidification potentials (AP). The overall environmental impacts of houses were calculated based on the unit LCA data of materials considering the masses and volumes of building materials in particular structures. Findings revealed that one conventional masonry house, on average, consumed 310 t of materials. The average of embodied energy (PEI) in one masonry house reached 567.5 GJ while the average global warming (GWP) and acidification potentials (AP) were found as 36.2 t CO2eq and 0.17 t SO2eq, respectively. Analysing the environmental impacts of substructures in buildings, materials of foundations were identified to be responsible for the most negative environmental impacts with 29.9% sharing on the total embodied energy, 57.8% on the total GWP and 30.4% on the total AP; followed by thermal insulation, vertical bearing walls and finishing. The summation of foundations and walls materials consumed about 50% of the total embodied energy. The obtained results could represent the average environmental impacts of residential houses in Central Europe because in the region, masonry dominates as the construction type.