Embodied Energy

Southwell Leisure Centre, Nottinghamshire. CAR analysed the embodied energy as well as ongoing energy use for a range of potential options for the extension and remodelling of the swimming pool and facilities at Southwell Leisure Centre, Nottinghamshire.
Southwell Leisure Centre, Nottinghamshire. CAR analysed the embodied energy as well as ongoing energy use for a range of potential options for the extension and remodelling of the swimming pool and facilities at Southwell Leisure Centre, Nottinghamshire.

In addition to our expertise in studying the energy consumption - and hence CO2 output - of buildings in use, we have extensive knowledge of their embodied energy. This is the energy consumed in the production of the building materials and components, and the process of construction itself. We have an extensive database of embodied energy, and durability, for various building elements from many countries throughout the world. This enables us, for example, to identify best practice, advise on minimizing a building's CO2 footprint, and calculate energy use trade-offs over its lifetime.

A significant improvement in national sustainability performance could be made, as a result of relatively modest contributions from literally millions of separate investments in the existing building stock. This opportunity depends on decision-makers and their professional advisors having access to information and tools to evaluate the sustainability performance of investment alternatives.

CAR was part of a collaborative research project in the DETR Partners in Innovation programme. This project aimed to provide such information and tools. An extremely important factor in sustainability is the time dimension (sustainability depends on the future impact of today's actions) and methods of whole-life costing are used in the evaluation method. The main output of this research was a project evaluation tool which enables decisions makers who are investing in the existing stock to identify and implement sustainability improvements that are consistent with their own business or institutional objective features.

[Contact: Helen Mulligan]

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Overspill housing of the 1960s, designed by the Greater London Council, in Thetford, Norfolk. CAR researched data from the rehabilitation of this block in 1998, in order to make recommendations on energy saving, and potential for reducing embodied energy, in further schemes by the Flagship Housing Association.
Overspill housing of the 1960s - designed by the Greater London Council - in Thetford, Norfolk. CAR researched data from the rehabilitation of this block in 1998, in order to make recommendations on energy saving, and potential for reducing embodied energy, in further schemes by the Flagship Housing Association.