Life-Cycle Energy, Costs, and Strategies for Improving a Single-Family House

摘要

The life-cycle energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and costs of a contemporary 2,450 sq ft (228 m3) U.S. residential home (the standard home, or SH) were evaluated to study oppor- tunities for conserving energy throughout pre-use (materials production and construction), use (including maintenance and improvement), and demolition phases. Home construc- tion and maintenance materials and appliances were inven- toried totaling 306 metric tons. The use phase accounted for 91% of the total life-cycle energy consumption over a 50- year home life. A functionally equivalent energy-efficient house (EEH) was modeled that incorporated II energy effi- ciency strategies. These strategies led to a dramatic reduction in the EEH totallife-cycle energy; 6,400 GJ forthe EEH com- pared to 16,000 GJ for the SH. For energy-efficient homes, embodied energy of materials is important; pre-use energy accounted for 26% of life-cycle energy. The discounted (4%) life-cycle cost, consisting of mortgage, energy, maintenance, and improvement payments varied between