Embodied energy and operational energy computations for a typical G+3 residential building in Vijayawada city of Andhra Pradesh, India

Energy computations in commercial and residential buildings have been studied over the past few years by various researchers. The studies have revealed an interesting relation between the materials used in the building, the manufacturing process, the construction process, and its overall impact on the environment. However, limited studies have been conducted on the computation of the Embodied Energy (EE) and the Operational Energy (OE) of residential buildings. In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to compute these two factors (EE and OE) for a residential building situated in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. The case study chosen here is an exciting example of a reinforced cement concrete framed structure with ground + three floors. Based on the conducted studies, the EE computations show that a huge amount of energy is used for materials such as cement, steel, and bricks. The use of alternative building materials to these and technologies can help in reducing EE. OE can be reduced during the lifetime of the building by implementing different methods of energy conservation. The energy consumption in a typical residential building depends on the types of appliances, usage hours, the consumption of the devices, etc. Changes in any one of these could alter the annual energy consumption, and thus, the OE. The EE content is experienced once separately from maintenance and renovation, whereas OE gathers over time and can be prejudiced throughout the life of the structure.