Decarbonization potentials of the embodied energy use and operational process in buildings: A review from the life-cycle perspective

Accounting for one third of global energy-related carbon emissions, the construction and operation of buildings are crucial for mitigating climate change. Decarbonization potentials of embodied and operational energy use in buildings are worth exploring from a life-cycle perspective. This paper focuses on the individual building level and collects the latest cases, to offer a comprehensive and timely understanding of the assessment and reduction of building life cycle carbon emissions (LCCEs). As for the collected cases, the operational process accounts for the largest share of building LCCEs, averaging 67%, followed by the production and construction phase, averaging 31%. Carbon emissions from the demolition process are relatively low, averaging 2%. The most commonly used method for assessing LCCEs is process-based, combining the activity level and carbon emission factors. Advanced technologies such as building information modelling and building performance simulation have been employed in recent years to assess embodied and operational carbon emissions effectively. Different approaches are proposed for the decarbonization of each stage in the building life cycle. In the production stage, the effective approaches could be optimizing the building structure, improving the material performance, and using bio-based materials, etc. Prefabrication technology is helpful to decarbonize the construction process. Energy conservation and electrification, renewable energy integration, and smart energy management can effectively reduce the building's operational carbon emissions. Beyond the life cycle, recycling waste materials is proven to have great environmental benefits. Further studies are suggested to trade off the embodied and operational carbon, to fully explore building life-cycle decarbonization potentials.

Automated summary

Accounting for one third of global energy-related carbon emissions, the construction and operation of buildings are crucial for mitigating climate change. This paper collects the latest cases to offer a comprehensive understanding of building life cycle carbon emissions (LCCEs) and explores effective approaches for their assessment and reduction. The operational process accounts for the largest share of building LCCEs, followed by the production and construction phase. Process-based assessment combining activity level and emission factors is commonly used. Advanced technologies like building information modelling and simulation are employed for effective assessment. Different approaches are proposed for decarbonization at each stage of the building life cycle, including optimizing structure, improving material performance, and using bio-based materials. Energy conservation, renewable energy integration, and smart energy management can effectively reduce operational carbon emissions. Recycling waste materials also has great environmental benefits.