LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF EXISTING BUILDINGS

The embodied energy in building materials constitutes a large part of the total energy required for any building. In working to make buildings more energy efficient this needs to be considered. Integrating considerations about life cycle assessment for buildings and materials is one promising way to reduce the amount of energy consumption being used within the building sector and the environmental impacts associated with that energy. Life-cycle assessment is a decision-making support tool which provides an account of the materials and energy used in a product and assesses the related environmental impact. In this paper LCA is reviewed from a buildings perspective. The aim of this paper is to review Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a means of evaluating the environmental impact of buildings.A life cycle assessment (LCA) model can be utilized to help evaluate the embodied energy in building materials in comparison to the buildings operational energy. This thesis takes into consideration the potential life cycle reductions in energy and CO2 emissions that can be made through an energy retrofit of an existing building verses demolition and replacement.