A CASE STUDY COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ENERGY USE AND CARBON EMISSIONS BETWEEN A NEW AND RETROFITTED NET-ZERO ENERGY BUILDING

Abstract

This research investigates the intricate dynamics of two educational buildings, SDE1 a retrofitted building, and SDE4 a newly constructed. The analysis reveals that while SDE1 exhibits higher operational energy consumption and operational carbon emissions per gross floor area (GFA), SDE4 surpasses it in terms of total embodied carbon per GFA. This disparity arises from factors such as Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system components embodied carbon, installation carbon, and transportation emissions, which are significantly elevated in the newly built SDE4. Remarkably, the study forecasts that the total embodied carbon per GFA of SDE1 will exceed that of SDE4 within a mere 6.5 months. This unexpected outcome can be attributed to SDE1's seemingly higher Energy Use Intensity (EUI) and operational carbon emissions per GFA. It underscores the dynamic nature of building sustainability, wherein trade-offs between operational and embodied carbon play a pivotal role in long-term environmental impact. This research also shows how well the buildings are affected by weather change. Through comprehensive regression analysis, it is demonstrated that both SDE1 and SDE4 exhibit remarkable resilience to weather variations. This finding underscores the limited influence of weather fluctuations on these buildings' energy and carbon performance, emphasizing the significance of addressing other intrinsic factors to achieve sustainability goals. In conclusion, the study unravels the multifaceted sustainability landscape, driven by the interplay between operational and embodied carbon. This research paves the way for optimizing retrofit strategies for existing buildings like SDE1 and fineiii tuning construction practices for newly built structures like SDE4 and thus offers critical insights into sustainable building practices.