A Software Tool for a Stochastic Life Cycle Assessment and Costing of Buildings' Energy Efficiency Measures

This article presents a novel software tool for the assessments of life-cycle environmental impacts and costs, which is aimed to support decision-making in the design phase of retrofit interventions in the building sector. By combining Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) calculations and functionalities, this tool allows evaluating the long-term trade-offs between economic and environmental performance of investment projects in energy efficiency for buildings, while accounting for uncertainties in input parameters and economic scenarios. A major novelty of the software tool is the stochastic nature of both the LCC and LCA dimensions. The LCA is implemented with Monte-Carlo methods, while the LCC accounts for the probabilistic interdependence of macroeconomic variables over time. The software also includes advanced specific tools for parametrization and sensitivity analysis. Exemplary applications are presented in order to illustrate the novelty and the functionalities of the software tool.

Automated summary

The software tool combines Life Cycle Costing and Life Cycle Assessment calculations to evaluate the long-term trade-offs between economic and environmental performance of investment projects in energy efficiency, while considering uncertainties in input parameters and economic scenarios. It includes advanced specific tools for parametrization and sensitivity analysis, as well as stochastic elements in both the LCC and LCA dimensions.