EPS eLibrary: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF VENTILATION DUCTS IN AN EDUCATIONAL BUILDING: A ROMANIAN CASE STUDY

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Title: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF VENTILATION DUCTS IN AN EDUCATIONAL BUILDING: A ROMANIAN CASE STUDY

Year

2024

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Title

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF VENTILATION DUCTS IN AN EDUCATIONAL BUILDING: A ROMANIAN CASE STUDY

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Authors

Raluca-Paula Moldovan; Ana-Maria Moldovan; Tania Rus

DOI

10.5593/sgem2024v/6.2/s25.23

DOI Issue

10.5593/sgem2024v/6.2

ISSN

1314-2704

ISBN

978-619-7603-78-1

Language

English

Volume

Issue

6.2

Editor

• Prof. DSc. Oleksandr Trofymchuk, UKRAINE
• Prof. Dr. hab. oec. Baiba Rivza, LATVIA

Scientific Area

Green Building Materials and Eco-Technologies

Abstract/ Foreword

Accounting for 40% of final energy consumption and 34% of emissions in the European Union, buildings have a significant role to play in achieving a carbon neutral Europe before 2050. But to make buildings more sustainable we need to assess and reduce carbon emissions at every stage of their life cycle, from construction materials to ongoing energy use.
As heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are the primary energy consumers in buildings, they offer significant potential for energy saving and it is imperative to assess the environmental impact of the materials used in these systems. This study evaluates the environmental footprint of an HVAC system from an educational building in Romania, through the methodology of life cycle assessment using One Click LCA software, focusing on the impact of different types of ventilation ducts, namely rectangular and circular. Our initial analysis revealed that energy use and materials production were the primary contributors to global warming. Within the HVAC system, the air handling unit and the ventilation ducts had the most significant impacts, with emissions gradually decreasing as we transitioned from rectangular to circular ducts shapes.
We also investigated how a country’s national energy mix and transportation distances affect the environmental impact of a circular ventilation duct. Due the lack of a comprehensive database of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) within the software, this analysis relied also on an EPD produced for Romania, which awaits verification. Our findings revealed that encouraging local sources materials and energy from renewable sources for ventilation ducts reduces the environmental impact of the whole HVAC system.

References (click to open)

[1] Greenhouse gas emissions from energy use in buildings in Europe https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-energy [Accessed on 25 August 2024];
[2] 2050 long-term strategy https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en [Accessed on 25 August 2024];
[3] Global Alliance for buildings and construction, 2021, Decarbonizing the building sector 10 key measures https://globalabc.org/sites/default/files/2021-08/Decarbonizing%20The%20Building%20Sector%20-%2010%20Key%20Measures.pdf [Accessed on 8 September 2024];
[4] Ibn-Mohammed T., Greenough R., Taylor S., Ozawa-Meida L., Acquaye A., Operational vs. embodied emissions in buildings – A review of current trends, Energy and Buildings, vol. 66, pp 232-245, 2013;
[5] Ni Myint N., Shafique M., Embodied carbon emissions of buildings: Taking a step towards net zero buildings, Case Studies in Construction Materials, vol. 20, e03024, 2024;
[6] Gonzalez-Torres M., Perez-Lombard L., Coronel Juan F., Maestre Ismael R., Yan Da, A review on buildings energy information: Trends, end-uses, fuels and drivers, Energy Reports, vol. 8, pp 626-637, 2022;
[7] Bergsdal, H., Tonnesen J., Borg A., Solli C., Life cycle inventory library for embodied emissions in ventilation components, Building and Environment, vol. 262, 111854, 2024;
[8] Fuchsl S., Rheude F., Roder H., Life cycle assessment (LCA) of thermal insulation materials: A critical review, Cleaner Materials, vol. 5, 100119, 2022;
[9] Barahmand Z., Eikeland M. S., Life Cycle Assessment under Uncertainty: A Scoping Review, World, vol. 3, no. 3, 2022;
[10] Kiamili C., Hollberg A., Habert G., Detailed Assessment of Embodied Carbon of HVAC Systems for a New Office Building Based on BIM, Sustainability, vol.12, 3372, 2020;
[11] Palcan A., Wentz Dr. Blake, Holtzhower Dr. Lantz, HVAC dusctwork design and its impacts on life cycle analysis of a building, Sustainable ecological engineering design for society (SEEDS), Conference proceedings from the fourth international SEEDS conference, Dublin, pp 71-78, 2018;
[12] Masoud Eris, Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Tailor-Made Fabric, Glass Wool, and Galvanized Steel Ductwork for Ventilation Systems in a School and Office Building, MSc thesis, Aalborg, 2023;
[13] One Click LCA software https://oneclicklca.com/software/design-construction/lca-for-construction [Accessed on August 2024];
[14] Albu H., Beu D., Rus T., Moldovan R., Domnita F., Vilcekova S., Life cycle assessment of LED luminaire and impact on lighting installation – A case study, Alexandria Engineering Journal, vol. 80, pp 282-293, 2023;
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Acknowledgements (click to open)

This research was supported by the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca through the GNaC ARUT 2023 grant with the project “Cladiri pOzitiv eNergetic in EduCaTie – CONECT” (Grant number 22/01.07.2024).

Type

conference

Url

https://doi.org/10.5593/sgem2024v/6.2/s25.23

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Proceedings Тitle

Proceedings of 24th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2024

Note

24th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2024, 27 - 30 November, 2024

Type

Proceedings Paper

Publisher

STEF92 Technology

Series

International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference Surveying Geology and Mining Ecology Management, SGEM

Organization

SWS Scholarly Society; Acad Sci Czech Republ; Latvian Acad Sci; Polish Acad Sci; Russian Acad Sci; Serbian Acad Sci and Arts; Natl Acad Sci Ukraine; Natl Acad Sci Armenia; Sci Council Japan; European Acad Sci, Arts and Letters; Acad Fine Arts Zagreb Croatia; Croatian Acad Sci and Arts; Acad Sci Moldova; Montenegrin Acad Sci and Arts; Georgian Acad Sci; Acad Fine Arts and Design Bratislava; Russian Acad Arts; Turkish Acad Sci.

Pages

189-196

Date

27 - 30 November, 2024

Online Source Type

website

Digital Source Type

10175

Keywords

environmental impact, ventilation duct, HVAC, educational building

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Title: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF VENTILATION DUCTS IN AN EDUCATIONAL BUILDING: A ROMANIAN CASE STUDY

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Acknowledgements (click to open)

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