Embodied Energy in Building Materials
| Embodied energy in building materials | ||
|---|---|---|
| Material | Embodied Energy | |
| MJ/kg | kWh/kg | |
| Kiln-dried sawn softwood | 3.4 | 0.94 |
| Kiln-dried sawn hardwood | 2 | 0.56 |
| Air dried sawn hardwood | 0.5 | 0.14 |
| Hardboard | 24.2 | 6.7 |
| Particleboard | 8 | 2.2 |
| MDF | 11.3 | 3.1 |
| Plywood | 10.4 | 2.9 |
| Glue-laminated timber | 11 | 3 |
| Laminated veneer lumber | 11 | 3 |
| Straw | 0.24 | 0.07 |
| Stabilised earth | 0.7 | 0.19 |
| Imported dimension granite | 13 | 3.9 |
| Local dimension granite | 5.9 | 1.6 |
| Gypsum plaster | 2.9 | 0.8 |
| Plasterboard | 4.4 | 1.2 |
| Fibre cement | 4.8 | 1.3 |
| Cement | 5.6 | 1.6 |
| In situ concrete | 1.9 | 0.53 |
| Pre-cast steam cured concrete | 2 | 0.56 |
| Pre-cast tilt up concrete | 10.9 | 0.53 |
| Clay bricks | 2.5 | 0.69 |
| Concrete blocks | 1.5 | 0.42 |
| Autoclaved aerated concrete | 3.6 | 1 |
| Plastics general | 90 | 25 |
| PVC | 80 | 22 |
| Synthetic rubber | 110 | 30 |
| Acrylic paint | 61.5 | 17 |
| Glass | 12.7 | 3.5 |
| Fibreglass (glasswool) | 28 | 7.8 |
| Aluminium | 170 | 47 |
| Copper | 100 | 28 |
| Galvanised steel | 38 | 10.6 |
| Stainless steel | 51.5 | 14.3 |
Notes
Assumes virgin rather than recycled product.
Dimension stone is natural stone that has been selected and trimmed to size.
| Embodied Energy (kWh/m2) | |
|---|---|
| Walls | |
| Timber frame, timber weather board, plasterboard lining | 52 |
| Timber frame, clay brick veneer, plasterboard lining | 156 |
| Timber frame, aluminium weatherboard, plasterboard lining | 112 |
| Steel frame, clay brick veneer, plasterboard lining | 168 |
| Double clay brick, plasterboard lined | 252 |
| Cement stabilised rammed earth | 104 |
| Floors | |
| Elevated timber floor | 81 |
| 110mm concrete slab on ground | 179 |
| 200mm precast concrete T beam / infill | 179 |
| Roofs | |
| Timber frame, concrete tile, plasterboard ceiling | 70 |
| Timber frame, terracotta tile, plasterboard ceiling | 75 |
| Timber frame, steel sheet, plasterboard ceiling | 92 |
| Process-energy for making a 3 bedroom house | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area (m2) | x | Energy/density (kWh/m2) | = | Energy (kWh) |
|
| Floors | 100 | x | 81 | = | 8100 |
| Roof | 75 | x | 75 | = | 5600 |
| External Walls | 75 | x | 252 | = | 19000 |
| Internal Walls | 75 | x | 125 | = | 9400 |
| Total | 42000 | ||||
The ‘gross energy requirement’ widens the energy assement to include the embodied energy of urban infrastructure, eg the machinery that makes the raw materials. A rough rule of thumb to assess the gross energy requirement of a building is to double the process energy requirement.
| U-values of walls, floors, roofs and windows | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| U-Values (W/m2/k) | |||
| Old buildings | Modern standards | Best methods | |
| Walls | 0.45-0.6 | 0.12 | |
| Sold masonry | 2.4 | ||
| Outer wall: 9" solid brick | 2.2 | ||
| 11" brick-block cavity, unfilled | 1.0 | ||
| 11" brick-block cavity, insulated | 0.6 | ||
| Floors | 0.45 | 0.14 | |
| Suspended timber | 0.7 | ||
| Solid concrete | 0.8 | ||
| Roofs | 0.25 | 0.12 | |
| Flat with 25mm insulation | 0.9 | ||
| Pitched with 100mm insulation | 0.3 | ||
| Windows | 1.5 | ||
| Single-glazed | 5.0 | ||
| Double-glazed | 2.9 | ||
| Double-glazed, 20mm gap | 1.7 | ||
| Triple-glazed | 0.7-0.9 | ||
Notes
Source: Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air
2 comments on “Embodied Energy in Building Materials”
Leave a comment
If you wish to comment on a particular paragraph
and quote the relevant number in your comment.
I’m working on embodied energy analyses of a case study in Bergen for whcih we are compiling a set of emission factors (energy factors) for the different materials. Could you provide your sources to the factors given at your site?
Thanks!
Hi Karin,
Thanks for your enquiry. A key reference for the EDAP was Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air by Prof. David Mackay of Cambridge University