So you wanna help the planet?
I’m sure I am not the first one to say that there is so much work to be done. However, I am not here to overwhelm you with dread or information. View me as your happy buffer to encourage you to make the planet an itty bit better!
Today, I want to start off with this reminder because we are going to zoom out to get a wider view of the carbon life cycle in terms of buildings. In doing so you will get the overwhelming sense of all the things we need to improve. Well, I am not here to say you need to do all of these things, that is simply too much. I am here to give you the knowledge, and ultimately the power to choose the difference that you would like to make.
I want to also give you the assurance that there are people working on this as we speak! If you haven’t seen my previous post, I just got back from the ASHRAE 2022 Winter Conference in Las Vegas, where industry leaders were discussing this very topic and even created a Decarbonization Task Force for help the country tackle these issues. There are also these other organizations that made it their goal to make buildings a whole lot better!
This is just scratching the service. These are the largest organizations and institutes that look at buildings as a whole. Then there are many other organizations that branch out from there, specializing in certain areas of materials, manufacturing, construction, equipment, waste, and others. I have mentioned ASHRAE in a few posts, I would put them as a sub-organization because their main focus is HVAC, although it branches into areas other than equipment like materials, manufacturing, and construction as well.
Decarbonization. What is it? and How can I help?
Great questions! It’s like you’re in my brain.
I’d like to begin by just defining some terms. I am making some assumptions that you have a general idea of what global warming is, that Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is the main factor, and why the planet needs to take action. Please read the terms in order, I tried to be logical and built upon the previous one.
Global Warming Potential (GWP)
Though carbon dioxide is the main contributor to global warming, there are other emissions that are considered greenhouse gases such as methane (CH4), nitrous gas (N2O), and others. Emissions, the product or discharge of something, typically gas is the result of a multitude of processes: extraction of raw materials, manufacturing of materials and products, transportation, and other processes all produce emissions containing various greenhouse gasses. The Global Warming Potential is a term used to index the effect these gasses have on the atmosphere relative to carbon dioxide. GWP uses a unit of measurement CO2e.
Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e)
CO2e is Carbon Dioxide Equivalent, a unit used to compare different emissions to Carbon Dioxide. If you had multiple measurements to add up, one in feet, one in centimeters, one in inches, and another in meters, how would you add all of these up? You would need to first choose which unit of measure you wanted the result in, such as meters, and then convert feet, centimeters, and inches into meters, before adding up all the values. CO2e, is the same idea. It is the unit of measure used to compare all the various emissions from different processes to quantify their impact.
Carbon Footprint
Carbon Footprint has become a more popular term, it is mostly used to describe a person’s, company’s, or building’s impact on the environment. This can also be measured in CO2e.
Operational Carbon
Operational Carbon is the measurement of the emissions from a building needed to operate. This is a building’s energy consumption and any direct emissions if it is a manufacturing facility. Often Energy Engineers, like me, are hired to reduce energy consumption which then reduces emissions. Operational Carbon reduction is based off of the Energy Pyramid. To learn more about that, read this other blog I wrote.
Embodied Carbon
Embodied Carbon are the emissions that occurred before and after the building was built. Extraction of the raw materials, manufacturing of the materials, transporting supplies, and construction of the building are all examples of Embodied Carbon before the life of the building. Likewise, demolition, recycling processes, and transportation to waste facilities are examples of Embodied Carbon at the end of life of the building
Whole Life Carbon
this term is exactly what it sounds like. It is the summation of all the Embodied Carbon and Operational Carbon of the life cycle of a building.
Lifecycle Assessment (LCA)
Lifecycle Assessment is an analytical method used to calculate the Whole Life Carbon of a building, product, infrastructure, or material to determine its environmental impact.
Phew…okay that’s enough words. I think it’s time for a picture.
This picture I referenced from one of the talks I saw at the ASHRAE conference. I reference the talk and names in my reference section. This is a simplified visual representation of the carbon life cycle of a building. From this visual it become evident quickly how Operating Carbon is just one aspect of the carbon life cycle. There are a lot of industries, people, businesses, organizations, and governing bodies that are part of this process. Reducing carbon emissions is no easy task and this is why I started off with some good news.
So what can we do about it?
Well, if you are or know someone who is in any industry you see in this image. Start by seeing where you can make a difference or sharing this article to spread the knowledge. Are you doing improvements on your home? Maybe use some recycled materials. Find a contractor who can help you search for more sustainable materials. By starting to make improvements an itty bit Better, together we can make a huge difference!
I am hoping with my blog I can encourage others with knowledge and have a little fun along the way.
Tell me your thoughts below in the comments. Where can you make carbon emissions an itty bit Better?
Are you considering upgrading your boiler to an all electric heat pump? This blog may help.
Let me know below!
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References
World Green Building Council. (2019, September). Bringing Embodied Carbon Upfront. London.
Brandt, D., & Scoggins, G. (2022, January 30). Introduction of Building Decarbonization. Las Vegas, Nevada; Las Vegas, Nevada.