Analyses of the Life Cycles and Social Costs of CO₂ Emissions of Single-Family Residential Buildings: A Case Study in Poland

• Main Authors: Gabriela Kania, Klaudia Kwiecień, Mateusz Malinowski, Maciej Gliniak
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: construction; renewable energy sources; life-cycle assessment; carbon dioxide emission
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/11/6164

Comprehensive environmental impact assessments of buildings and construction as a whole consider the preparation of construction and finishing materials, their transportation, the process of erecting buildings, long-term operations—including the consumption of electricity, water, and fuels—and the management of the waste generated during the demolition of facilities. In terms of the above-mentioned elements, the most negative environmental impact on a building’s life cycle is in its exploitation stage. In order to reduce this impact, modern sustainable construction uses renewable energy sources. In the area of the Polish building market, analyses of CO₂ emissions, the application of LCAs for building materials, and assessments of the social impacts of modern buildings are still very limited. The aim of this study is to evaluate the environmental life cycles and social costs of the CO₂ emissions of single-family residential buildings, in which four different systems providing energy (heat and electricity) from renewable and nonrenewable sources are used. In this research, it was found that the annual CO₂ emissions per square meter of building surface area in the analyzed objects were in the range of 30 to 176 kg CO₂. The greatest contributor to the environmental effects was energy consumption (58% to 90%). The CO₂ analysis conducted showed that facilities that use a heat pump are characterized by an environmental effect that is six times lower than that of facilities that are powered by coal combustion and electricity from the network. Similarly, the social costs associated with CO₂ emissions were significantly lower in the case of the use of renewable energy sources.