Toward Building Sector Energy Transition
N. Aste, Claudio Del Pero, Fabrizio Leonforte
Abstract
The building sector currently accounts for the largest share of both global final energy use (35%) and energy-related CO2 emissions (38%); in addition, considering that the built floor area worldwide is expected to increase by 75% between 2020 and 2050, and that the 80% of such a quota is in emerging markets and developing economies, the situation could become even worst. Regarding the final energy use, it should be noted that space heating is the most important end-use (33%), while energy consumption for cooking accounts for about 18% of the total. A similar share is that of electrical appliances and domestic hot water, while energy for cooling is about 6%, even if it is expected to quickly grow in the coming years. It must be noted that the operational phase of buildings not only has the greatest impact on global greenhouse gas emissions (around two-thirds of the total) but also the remaining one-third resulting from material use in buildings must be accounted for. In such a framework, energy efficiency can be considered a primary driver for reducing energy consumption in the sector, mainly through the use of high-performance, low-embodied-energy (EE) envelope technologies. In this sense, the construction industry needs to radically change its manufacturing structure, in order to abate the increasing EE. The use of local materials, characterized by low EE, in fact, is pivotal to change the future of the building sector. In the light of the above, the chapter presents current trends, most critical issues, and actual solutions to achieve the energy transition in the buildings sector.