Comparative Assessment of a Residential Building's Envelope Based on Embodied Energy

This paper addresses the estimation of a residential building's embodied energy through real-time data and evaluates the influence of diverse infill wall materials on its embodied energy. The investigation centers on a 10storey residential structure situated in Roorkee, India's composite climate. The study encompasses initial embodied energy from the bill of quantities and recurring embodied energy from maintenance and replacement cycles. Calculated at 11630 MJ/m², the determined lifetime embodied energy comprises 98.6% initial and 1.4% recurrent energy. A comparative analysis is conducted against existing literature and extended to alternative building envelopes. Findings indicate that using fly ash lime brick for infill walls minimizes embodied energy, potentially saving around 515MJ/m² across the building's lifespan. This research provides valuable insights into estimating and comparing the embodied energy of residential buildings and highlights the potential energy efficiency benefits of specific building envelope choices.