Life cycle analysis of two nZEB concepts
Authors:
Publication Year:
2014
Abstract
The net-zero emissions building (nZEB) performance is investigated for building operation (EO) and embodied emissions in materials (EE) for Norway's cold climate. nZEB concepts for new residential and office buildings are conceived in order to understand the balance and implications between operational and embodied emissions over the building's life. The main drivers for the CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions are revealed for both building concepts through a detailed emissions calculation. The influence of the CO2e factor for electricity is emphasized and it is shown to have significant impact on the temporal evolution of the overall CO2e emissions balance. The results show that the criterion for zero emissions in operation is easily reached for both nZEB concepts (independent of the CO2e factor considered). Embodied emissions are significant compared to operational emissions. It was found that an overall emissions balance including both operational and embodied energy is difficult to reach and would be unobtainable in a scenario of low carbon electricity from the grid. In this particular scenario, the net balance of emissions alone is nonetheless not a sufficient performance indicator for nZEB.
Life cycle assessment integrated in the design of a new nano insulation material
Authors:
Publication Year:
2014
Life Cycle Cost Perspectives on Zero Energy Renovation of a Single Family House
Authors:
Publication Year:
2012
Life cycle GHG emissions from a wooden load-bearing alternative for a ZEB office concept
Authors:
Publication Year:
2015
Life Cycle GHG Emissions of Material Use in the Living Laboratory
Authors:
Publication Year:
2015
Life-cycle assessment of a multi-family residence built to passive house standard
Authors:
Publication Year:
2012
Lifetime commissioning as a tool to achieve energy-efficient solutions
Authors:
Publication Year:
2011
Lightweight and thermally insulating aerogel glass materials
Authors:
Publication Year:
2014
Abstract
Glass represents an important and widely used building material, and crucial aspects to be addressed include thermal conductivity, visible light transmittance, and weight for windows with improved energy efficiency. In this work, by sintering monolithic silica aerogel precursors at elevated temperatures, aerogel glass materials were successfully prepared, which were characterized by low thermal conductivity [k ≈ 0.17–0.18 W/(mK)], high visible transparency (Tvis ≈ 91–96 % at 500 nm), low density (ρ ≈ 1.60–1.79 g/cm3), and enhanced mechanical strength (typical elastic modulus Er ≈ 2.0–6.4 GPa). These improved properties were derived from a series of successive gelation and aging steps during the desiccation of silica aerogels. The involved sol → gel → glass transformation was investigated by means of thermo-gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, nanoindentation, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Strategies of improving further the mechanical strength of the obtained aerogel glass materials are also discussed.