Hybrid Embodied Energy case studies
These embodied energy case studies have been  developed using the comprehensive input/output (I/O) framework combined with case specific industry data.(Hybrid IO - Unit Process LCA) The value of this approach is that it gives, from an energy perspective at least, a picture of all activities going to produce buildings, including things normally excluded such as minor materials, services, infrastructure and so on. For the casual user of LCA these case studies provide some bencharks as to what buidling elements and mateials are most important, from an embodied energy perspective. This can help in prioritising materials selection decisions. Users may also like to look for a case study of a building similar to their own get an ideas what is materials energy profile looks like. The case studies are broken up into three areas.

Case Study descriptions

Summary of  the  Embodied Energy results the for For a detailed breakdown of Embodied Energy data sources in Hybrid Input Output model go here

Acknowledgments and References

Overview of case studies (back to top of page)

Residential case studies
 
code name UFA (m2)  description
Residential 1 82 attached, two storey unit
Residential 2 86 semi-detached, two storey unit
Residential 3 100 semi-detached, single storey unit
Residential 4 113 attached, two storey, town-house
Residential 5  126 semi-detached, two storey town-house
Residential 6 151 detached, single storey dwelling 
Residential 7 155 detached, single storey dwelling
Residential 8 156 large, attached, two storey town-house
Commercial case studies
 
code name  GFA (m2) description
Small Office 1 6500 3 storeys
Small Office 2 27350 7 storeys
Medium Office 47000 15 storeys
Large Office 1 99300 42 storeys
Large Office 2 130000  52 storeys
Other case studies
 
Code name  GFA (m2) description
Large Hotel 21860 n/a
Small Hotel 10629 n/a
Large Ent./Rec. Building 12006  n/a
Small Ent./Rec. Building 1893  n/a
Large Shop 1 5918  n/a
Large Shop 2 29255  n/a
Small Shop 1 703 n/a
Small Shop 2 50000  n/a
Large Health Shop 48854  n/a
Small Health Shop 178  n/a
Educational Building 740  n/a
Large Industrial Building 1 4808  n/a
Large Industrial Building 2 8208  n/a
Small Industrial Building 1134 n/a

Overall results - Click on bar to see breakdown of case study embodied energy (back to top of page)

Residential case studies - Embodied Energy values per square metre or GFA
 
Residential 8
10.4
Residential 7
11.68
Residential 6
9.76
Residential 5
12.89
Residential 4
10.37
Residential 3
11.97
Residential 2
15.06
Residential 1
15.14
Commercial building case studies - Embodied Energy values per square metre or GFA
 
Small Office 1
10.75
Small Office 2 
11.95
Medium Office
16.05
Large Office 1
17.99
Large Office 2
18.38
Other case studies - Embodied Energy values per square metre or GFA
 
Large Hotel
10.82
Small Hotel
10.63
Large Ent./Rec.
14.94
Small Ent./Rec. 
10.73
Large Shop 1
11.66
Large Shop 2
10.28
Small Shop 1
11.04
Small Shop 2
13.04
Large Health
10.10
Small Health
13.74
Educational
15.76
Large Ind. 1
10.64
Large Ind. 2
10.15
Small Ind.
11.04

Acknowledgments and References (back to top of page)

Medium office case study
Treloar, G.J. (1996) The Environmental Impact of Construction - A Case Study, Australia and New Zealand Architectural Science Association Monographs, No. 001, Australia and New Zealand Architectural Science Association, Sydney, November, 89.

Treloar, G.J., McCoubrie, A., Love, P.E.D. and Iyer-Raniga, U. (1999) Embodied energy of fixtures, fittings and furniture in office buildings, Facilities, 17[11]. 403-409.

Residential case study 5
Treloar, G.J. (1998) A comprehensive embodied energy analysis framework, PhD Thesis, Deakin University, Geelong.

Treloar, G.J., Love, P.E.D. and Holt, G., (2001) Using national input-output data for embodied energy analysis of individual residential buildings, Construction, Management and Economics, 19, 49-61.

Other residential case studies
Fay, R., Treloar, G.J. (1999) Factors influencing the lifetime energy of Australian suburban housing, PLEA ‘99 International Conference, September, 257-262.

Fay, R., Treloar, G.J. and Iyer-Raniga, U. (2000) Life cycle energy analysis of buildings: a case study, Building Research and Information, 28[1], 31-41.

Treloar, G.J., Fay, R., Love, P.E.D and Iyer-Raniga, U. (2000) Analysing the life cycle energy of a residential building and its householders, Building Research and Information, 28[5], 184-195.
Other office case studies

McArdle, S.A., Moylan, S.J., Pedler, S.D.M. and Webb, G.J. (1993), Case Study Analysis of the Embodied Energy of Office Construction, Joint Final Year Bachelor of Architecture Thesis, Deakin University, Geelong.

Other non-residential, non-office case studies
Foster, R., Harrington, L. and Treloar, G.J. (2000) Lifecycle energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions inventory for Queensland building and construction industries sector, for the Built Environment Research Unit, Public Works Department Queensland, January, 94 (unpublished at time of writing).
Materials and LCA generally
Treloar, G.J., Fay, R., Ilozor, B.D., and Love, P.E.D., (2001) Building Materials Selection: Greenhouse Strategies for Built Facilities, Facilities, 19[3/4], pp. 139-149.

Treloar, G.J., Love, P.E.D., Iyer-Raniga, U. and Faniran, O.O. (2000) A hybrid life cycle assessment method for construction, Construction, Management and Economics, 18, 5-9.

Treloar, G.J., (2000) Streamlined life cycle assessment of domestic structural walling members, Journal of Construction Research, 1, 69-76.

Zhang, Z.Y., Shen, L.Y., Love, .E.D., and Treloar, G.J. (2000) A framework for implementing ISO 14000 in construction, Environmental Management and Health, 11[2], 139-148.

Treloar, G.J., McCoubrie, A., Love, P.E.D. and Iyer-Raniga, U. (1999) Embodied energy of fixtures, fittings and furniture in office buildings, Facilities, 17[11]. 403-409.

Treloar, G.J. (1997) Extracting embodied energy paths from input-output tables: towards an input-output based hybrid energy analysis method, Economic Systems Research, 9[4], 375-391

Treloar, G.J. (2000) Life cycle assessment of construction, Proceedings of 2nd National Conference on Life Cycle Assessment: Pathways to Eco-Efficiency, Victoria University, Melbourne, 23rd - 24th February, 8.

Treloar, G.J. (1998) Completeness and Accuracy of Embodied Energy Data - A National Model of Residential Buildings, Proceedings 1996 Embodied Energy Seminar, Deakin University, Geelong, 28th - 29th November, 1996, 10.

Treloar, G.J. (1996) Indirect embodied energy pathways of the Australian ‘residential building’ sector, Proceedings CIB TG16, TG8, W99 and W82 Research Symposium, RMIT, Melbourne, February, 8.

Harrington, L., Foster, R., Wilkenfeld, G., Treloar, G.J., Lee, T. and Ellis, M. (1999) Baseline study of greenhouse gas emissions from the Australian residential building sector to 2010, for the Australian Greenhouse Office, Canberra, February, 157.


For more information contact Tim Grant at the Centre for Design at RMIT.