Development of a method for recording energy costs and uses during the construction process

摘要

Rising energy costs should be a concern to contractors, designers, andowners. It is difficult to make a quantity takeoff for energy usage because thesecosts are imbedded in the materials, equipment, or overhead costs. Thisresearch examines energy consumption during the construction process, setsforth methods for recording this energy consumption and establishes a programfor the recording and analysis of this data.An energy study of electricity, gasoline, and diesel consumption wasmade for the construction of three buildings to determine what data wasavailable. After available data was evaluated, and the Energy Data Analysisprogram developed, three other construction sites were visited to determine howreadily energy data can be recorded using the program.Four construction energy phases were identified from this research. Thefour phases are: 1) site clearing and preparation, 2) building structure, 3) interior finishes, and 4) commissioning. The main type of energy consumption duringPhase 1 is diesel fuel for earth moving equipment. The energy uses for Phases2 and 3 varied considerably among the projects studied and were difficult toquantify. However, the energy use during these phases was low compared toother phases and for many projects may not be economical to evaluate. DuringPhase 4, electrical energy demand was high due to Heating, Ventilation and AirConditioning (HVAC) commissioning requirements and power up of all electricalpower uses including lighting.These few construction projects are not enough to make definitiveconclusions about what percentage of the total project cost is spent on energy.This research found that construction energy costs vary during different phasesof the building process and can be a significant part of that phase (as high as5.7% of the cost). The Visual Basic program developed during this research willfacilitate future energy studies on construction sites. When the program isapplied to a project, it identifies and quantifies the energy use, and makespredictions as to which project tasks warrant further energy studies.