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Life Cycle Environmental Costs of Buildings

Author

Listed:
  • Yuanfeng Wang

    (School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China)

  • Bo Pang

    (School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China)

  • Xiangjie Zhang

    (School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China)

  • Jingjing Wang

    (College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China)

  • Yinshan Liu

    (School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China)

  • Chengcheng Shi

    (School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China)

  • Shuowen Zhou

    (China Academy of Building Research, Beijing 100013, China)

Abstract

Energy consumption and pollutant emissions from buildings have caused serious impacts on the environment. Currently, research on building environmental costs is quite insufficient. Based on life cycle inventory of building materials, fossil fuel and electricity power, a calculating model for environmental costs during different stages is presented. A single-objective optimization model is generated by converting environmental impact into environmental cost, with the same unit with direct cost. Two residential buildings, one located in Beijing and another in Xiamen, China, are taken as the case studies and analyzed to test the proposed model. Moreover, data uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of key parameters, including the discount rate and the unit virtual abatement costs of pollutants, are also conducted. The analysis results show that the environmental cost accounts for about 16% of direct cost. The environmental degradation cost accounts for about 70% of the total environmental cost. According to the probabilistic uncertainty analysis results, the coefficient of variation of material production stage is the largest. The sensitivity analysis results indicate that the unit virtual abatement cost of CO 2 has the largest influence on the final environmental cost.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuanfeng Wang & Bo Pang & Xiangjie Zhang & Jingjing Wang & Yinshan Liu & Chengcheng Shi & Shuowen Zhou, 2020. "Life Cycle Environmental Costs of Buildings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-15, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:6:p:1353-:d:332569
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Liu, Yinshan & Wang, Yuanfeng & Shi, Chengcheng & Zhang, Weijun & Luo, Wei & Wang, Jingjing & Li, Keping & Yeung, Ngai & Kite, Steve, 2022. "Assessing the CO2 reduction target gap and sustainability for bridges in China by 2040," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).

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