Analysis of the Environmental Impact in the Life Cycle of a Single-Family House in Poland

Abstract

Buildings consume energy, which is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. In order to reduce their environmental impact, it is important to choose suitable building materials and energy source. The paper presents the results of a multi-variant analysis of five environmental impact categories (global warming potential, acidification, eutrophication, ozone layer depletion, and total use of primary energy) for a single-family house located in Poland in a 25-year life cycle. The tests were carried out for two different types of building structures (brick and wooden), two variants of external partition insulation, and four heat sources. The following computer programs were used for the calculations: OpenStudio and EnergyPlus, and One Click LCA. The analysis took into account the erection of the building in its shell and the energy consumption for heating in a 25-year life cycle. Studies have shown that when an electric heat source is used, the use stage has the greatest environmental impact, accounting for up to 80% of the total emissions over the life cycle. This ratio can be reduced by half in the case of a house with thicker external wall insulation and an eco-biomass boiler.