Affiliation:
1. Faculty of Architecture, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-317 Wrocław, Poland
Abstract
The EU “Fit for 55” legislative package provides for the introduction of regulations enabling the achievement of the emission reduction target by 55%. As part of the necessary actions, it is necessary to increase the energy efficiency of existing buildings. To achieve this, there are plans to increase the pace of the modernization of buildings, from 1% to 3% of buildings annually by 2030. However, this must be done with respect to the principles of sustainable development, circular economy and the conservation of buildings. This article presents a comprehensive comparison and calculation of carbon payback period (CPP) for selected insulation materials, combined with selected typical building partitions, and shows how quickly the payback period of greenhouse gases in the production of insulation materials is completed. Individual insulation materials (stone and glass wool, expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), polyurethane (PUR) and cellulose) were analyzed in relation to different types of walls (seven types—including solid wall, diaphragm wall, large panel system (LPS), and concrete), in different locations (Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Finland, Europe) and for various energy sources (electricity, gas, oil, biomass, district heating). After taking into account the carbon footprint embodied in the insulation materials, along with the potential reductions in the operational greenhouse gases emissions, the carbon payback period (CPP) was determined, resulting from the use of a given technology, insulation material and location. By comparing the CPPs for different insulations, this paper shows that the results vary significantly between EU countries, which have different embodied carbon factors for energy sources and materials, and that there is still a serious lack in the availability of reliable environmental information, which can limit research results.
Subject
Energy (miscellaneous),Energy Engineering and Power Technology,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment,Electrical and Electronic Engineering,Control and Optimization,Engineering (miscellaneous),Building and Construction
Reference74 articles.
1. (2022, August 29). European Parliament and the Council Directive (EU) 2010/31 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 on the Energy Performance of Buildings (Recast). Available online: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2010/31/oj.
2. (2022, August 29). European Parliament and the Council Directive (EU) 2018/844 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 Amending Directive 2010/31/EU on the Energy Performance of Buildings and Directive 2012/27/EU on Energy Efficiency. Available online: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2018/844/oj/eng.
3. United Nations Environment Programme (2020). 2020 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction: Towards a Zero-emission, Efficient and Resilient Buildings and Construction Sector, Communication Division, United Nations Environment Programme.
4. (2022, August 29). COM(2011) 571 Final, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and Committee of the Regions, the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe. Available online: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52011DC0571.
5. European Commission (2022, August 29). 2050 Long-Term Strategy. Available online: https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/strategies/2050_en.