Embodied energy

Summary

Embodied energy is the sum of all the energy required to produce any goods or services, considered as if that energy was incorporated or 'embodied' in the product itself. The concept can be useful in determining the effectiveness of energy-producing or energy saving devices, or the "real" replacement cost of a building, and, because energy-inputs usually entail greenhouse gas emissions, in deciding whether a product contributes to or mitigates global warming. One fundamental purpose for measuring this quantity is to compare the amount of energy produced or saved by the product in question to the amount of energy consumed in producing it. Embodied energy is an accounting method which aims to find the sum total of the energy necessary for an entire product lifecycle. Determining what constitutes this lifecycle includes assessing the relevance and extent of energy into raw material extraction, transport, manufacture, assembly, installation, disassembly, deconstruction and/or decompositio

Official source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embodied_energy

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Niché dans le Tyrol autrichien, Ischgl est le type même de village alpin devenu, au fil du temps, une station touristique à la mode. En lui offrant une structure pouvant accueillir des activités collectives destinées à tous les types de publics, mon projet de « Kunst Arena » s’inscrit dans cette logique du divertissement tout en affirmant une volonté alternative. La « Kunst Arena » se compose d'une coque ovoïde fendue par un lanterneau filant afin de conduire la lumière au cœur du volume. Son centre est attribué à l’arène proprement dite qui peut recevoir des événements de masse. Sa périphérie permet une flexibilité d’usages grâce à un partitionnement possible des espaces. En effet, une série de cloisons rayonnantes, facilement démontables génère des espaces s’ouvrant ou se fermant selon les besoins (galeries d’art, espaces de restauration, ateliers, services…) La structure est composée de cadres contreventés préfabriqués en ateliers et entièrement réalisés en bois local. La charpente à petits bois s’inspire du traité de Philibert de L’Orme de 1561. La « Kunst Arena » est dressée sur un parking afin d'en démontrer le caractère transitoire. Elle contrebalance par sa masse les grands bâtiments alentour et participe ainsi d’une scénographie alpine grandiose tout en ayant un impact réduit du point de vue de l’énergie grise.

2021

Energy transition potential in peri-urban dwellings: Assessment of theoretical scenarios in the Swiss context

Judith Elisa Drouilles, Sophie Lufkin

This paper investigates the theoretical capacity of the Swiss peri-urban dwelling stock to meet energy efficiency requirements through incremental scenarios. The notion of “typical dwelling” allows the assessment of housing energy efficiency at the country scale. The “2000-W society” concept and federal policies provide the assessment framework of the daily-mobility and housing operational energy demand along with embodied energies of the dwelling stock. The typical dwellings’ current performance for several territorial entities highlight the extent of the challenge the peri-urban housing stock is facing today. Therefore, the paper investigates which conditions would allow the peri-urban typical dwelling to meet “2000-W society” intermediary targets. Eight incremental scenarios present theoretical improvements of mobility and housing. They assume an evolution of social practices and individual behaviours, as well as the development of improved technologies. Results show a drastic reduction of primary non-renewable energy (PNRE) demand and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for both mobility and dwelling-related consumption. The main findings are that the current MINERGIE-A label is sufficient to build energy efficient buildings, but the current mobility practices remain very far from targets. An optimization of trips and a broader recourse to low carbon conveyances are required to reduce the overall environmental footprint.

2017

LESO-PB, EPFL2015