Search results
1 – 10 of 517Abdul Rauf, Daniel Efurosibina Attoye and Robert H. Crawford
Recently, there has been a shift toward the embodied energy assessment of buildings. However, the impact of material service life on the life-cycle embodied energy has received…
Abstract
Purpose
Recently, there has been a shift toward the embodied energy assessment of buildings. However, the impact of material service life on the life-cycle embodied energy has received little attention. We aimed to address this knowledge gap, particularly in the context of the UAE and investigated the embodied energy associated with the use of concrete and other materials commonly used in residential buildings in the hot desert climate of the UAE.
Design/methodology/approach
Using input–output based hybrid analysis, we quantified the life-cycle embodied energy of a villa in the UAE with over 50 years of building life using the average, minimum, and maximum material service life values. Mathematical calculations were performed using MS Excel, and a detailed bill of quantities with >170 building materials and components of the villa were used for investigation.
Findings
For the base case, the initial embodied energy was 57% (7390.5 GJ), whereas the recurrent embodied energy was 43% (5,690 GJ) of the life-cycle embodied energy based on average material service life values. The proportion of the recurrent embodied energy with minimum material service life values was increased to 68% of the life-cycle embodied energy, while it dropped to 15% with maximum material service life values.
Originality/value
The findings provide new data to guide building construction in the UAE and show that recurrent embodied energy contributes significantly to life-cycle energy demand. Further, the study of material service life variations provides deeper insights into future building material specifications and management considerations for building maintenance.
Details
Keywords
Jaka Aminata, Samuel Grandval and Abdelkader Sbihi
The aim of this study is to provide energy supply chain in Indonesia. Therefore, the best scenario has been created to fulfill energy scarcity by global supply chain partnership…
Abstract
The aim of this study is to provide energy supply chain in Indonesia. Therefore, the best scenario has been created to fulfill energy scarcity by global supply chain partnership. All impact social-economy will be advantages. The input output analysis has been applied in this paper. The impact of output and impact of job creation are possible to describe, significantly. All barriers and opportunities that can be achieve from the lowest price, efficiency and also to reduce unemployment rate during a decade of building nuclear power plants. This research work can be applicable model for future nuclear power plants construction or other type of energy source construction that give significant impact to the economy and business sustainability. Therefore, by this project plan will cover energy needs for domestics and improve the local corporate productivity, especially for nuclear power plants equipment.
Details
Keywords
Jin Zhang, Xiaoming Qian and Jing Feng
Under the global climate change, carbon footprint has become a hot issue at home and abroad. However, there is no consensus on the concept, measurement and application of carbon…
Abstract
Purpose
Under the global climate change, carbon footprint has become a hot issue at home and abroad. However, there is no consensus on the concept, measurement and application of carbon footprint.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, first, the concept and connotation of carbon footprint are reviewed; then, different methods of carbon footprint measurement are compared, and it is found that “bottom-up” life cycle assessment and “top-down” input–output analysis are applicable to different research scales.
Findings
Finally, the problems in the process of carbon footprint assessment in textile industry are analyzed and further research directions are proposed.
Originality/value
Analyzed and further research directions are proposed.
Details
Keywords
Abdul Rauf, Muhammad Tariq Shafiq, Malik Mansoor Ali Khalfan and Irfan Ulhaq
This study aims to enhance our understanding of sustainable water management in construction through a life-cycle embodied water assessment of a villa in the United Arab Emirates…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to enhance our understanding of sustainable water management in construction through a life-cycle embodied water assessment of a villa in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It provides insights and recommendations for improving the water efficiency by identifying areas for potential embodied water saving and reduction in environmental impacts in the construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach and focuses on a UAE villa as a case study. It analyses the embodied water consumption during construction (initial embodied water) and maintenance (recurrent embodied water) using an input–output-based hybrid analysis. Additionally, it compares the embodied water observations with the operational water usage and comprehensively evaluates the water consumption in the villa’s life-cycle.
Findings
The initial (28%) and recurrent embodied water (42%) represent significant proportions of a building’s life-cycle water demand. The structural elements, predominantly concrete and steel, contribute 40% of the initial embodied water consumption. This emphasises the importance of minimising the water usage in these materials. Similarly, internal finishes account for 47% of the recurrent embodied water. This emphasises the importance of evaluating the material service life.
Practical implications
These findings indicate the efficacy of using durable materials with low embodiment and water-efficient construction methods. Additionally, collaborative research between academia, industry, and the government is recommended in conjunction with advocating for policies promoting low embodied-water materials and transparency in the construction sector through embodied water footprint reporting.
Originality/value
Previous studies focused on the operational water and marginally addressed the initial embodied water. Meanwhile, this study highlights the significance of the initial and recurrent embodied water in the life-cycle water demand. It emphasises on the need for adaptable buildings with reduced embodied water and more durable materials to minimise the requirement for frequent material replacements.
Details
Keywords
Alina Steblyanskaya, Mingye Ai, Artem Denisov, Olga Efimova and Maksim Rybachuk
Understanding China's carbon dioxide (
Abstract
Purpose
Understanding China's carbon dioxide (
Design/methodology/approach
In this study using the input and output (IO) table's data for the selected years, the authors found the volume of
Findings
Results show that in the industries with a huge volume of
Originality/value
“Transport, storage, and postal services” and “Smelting and processing of metals” industries in China has the second place concerning emissions, but over the past period, emissions have been sufficiently reduced. “Construction” industry produces a lot of emissions, but this industry does not carry products characterized by large emissions from other industries. Authors can observe that Jiangsu produces a lot of
Details
Keywords
Annika Herth and Kornelis Blok
The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive analysis of the carbon footprint of the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), including direct and indirect emissions…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive analysis of the carbon footprint of the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), including direct and indirect emissions from utilities, logistics and purchases, as well as a discussion about the commonly used method. Emissions are presented in three scopes (scope 1 reports direct process emissions, scope 2 reports emissions from purchased energy and scope 3 reports indirect emissions from the value chain) to identify carbon emission hotspots within the university’s operations.
Design/methodology/approach
The carbon footprint was calculated using physical and monetary activity data, applying a process and economic input-output analysis.
Findings
TU Delft’s total carbon footprint in 2018 is calculated at 106 ktCO2eq. About 80% are indirect (scope 3) emissions, which is in line with other studies. Emissions from Real estate and construction, Natural gas, Equipment, ICT and Facility services accounted for about 64% of the total footprint, whereas Electricity, Water and waste-related carbon emissions were negligible. These findings highlight the need to reduce universities’ supply chain emissions.
Originality/value
A better understanding of carbon footprint hotspots can facilitate strategies to reduce emissions and finally achieve carbon neutrality. In contrast to other work, it is argued that using economic input-output models to calculate universities’ carbon footprints is a questionable practice, as they can provide only an initial estimation. Therefore, the development of better-suited methods is called for.
Details
Keywords
Abstract
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to settle the methodological debate on the decomposition of value added in gross exports, proposing a standard, exposing the drawbacks of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to settle the methodological debate on the decomposition of value added in gross exports, proposing a standard, exposing the drawbacks of the alternatives and quantifying the differences.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper systematizes the analytical framework and assesses and quantifies the various methodologies and its main differences.
Findings
The decomposition method of Borin and Mancini (2023), using a source-based approach and an exporting country perspective, should be considered as the standard for decomposing the value added in gross exports. This study finds that alternative approaches and perspectives are methodologically inferior, and that tailored perspectives do not provide an increase in accuracy that compensates their drawbacks.
Originality/value
This paper’s contribution is fourfold: it rejects the alleged equivalence between approaches and perspectives, defending the superiority of a particular method, approach and perspective; it gives quantitative examples of the differences between them; it proves that the drawbacks of tailored perspectives do not compensate their alleged accuracy (as they do not result in big quantitative differences with the standard perspective); and it argues that no valid standard decomposition can forego the calculation of value added exported, which requires the expression of exports in terms of final demand.
Details
Keywords
Devrim Murat Yazan, Guido van Capelleveen and Luca Fraccascia
The sustainable transition towards the circular economy requires the effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) and information technology (IT) techniques. As the…
Abstract
The sustainable transition towards the circular economy requires the effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) and information technology (IT) techniques. As the sustainability targets for 2030–2050 increasingly become a tougher challenge, society, company managers and policymakers require more support from AI and IT in general. How can the AI-based and IT-based smart decision-support tools help implementation of circular economy principles from micro to macro scales?
This chapter provides a conceptual framework about the current status and future development of smart decision-support tools for facilitating the circular transition of smart industry, focussing on the implementation of the industrial symbiosis (IS) practice. IS, which is aimed at replacing production inputs of one company with wastes generated by a different company, is considered as a promising strategy towards closing the material, energy and waste loops. Based on the principles of a circular economy, the utility of such practices to close resource loops is analyzed from a functional and operational perspective. For each life cycle phase of IS businesses – e.g., opportunity identification for symbiotic business, assessment of the symbiotic business and sustainable operations of the business – the role played by decision-support tools is described and embedding smartness in these tools is discussed.
Based on the review of available tools and theoretical contributions in the field of IS, the characteristics, functionalities and utilities of smart decision-support tools are discussed within a circular economy transition framework. Tools based on recommender algorithms, machine learning techniques, multi-agent systems and life cycle analysis are critically assessed. Potential improvements are suggested for the resilience and sustainability of a smart circular transition.
Details