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Building Energy Management Systems: Global Potentials and Environmental Implications of Deployment
Author(s) -
Beucker Severin,
Bergesen Joseph D.,
Gibon Thomas
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of industrial ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.377
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1530-9290
pISSN - 1088-1980
DOI - 10.1111/jiec.12378
Subject(s) - life cycle assessment , greenhouse gas , environmental science , electricity , environmental economics , electricity generation , efficient energy use , retrofitting , energy consumption , industrial ecology , climate change mitigation , sustainability , production (economics) , engineering , economics , ecology , power (physics) , physics , macroeconomics , structural engineering , quantum mechanics , electrical engineering , biology
Summary One of the key drivers that influence building energy consumption is the demand for space heating. Particularly in countries with cold climates and a large stock of residential buildings with central heating, building energy management systems (BEMS) are an option to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These systems can be combined with existing space heating technologies and other efficiency measures, such as building insulation. They are ideal for retrofitting purposes owing to their low up‐front costs. A prospective life cycle assessment model is used to analyze the environmental impacts of the technology today, in 2030, and in 2050. This allows for a first‐ever, order‐of‐magnitude assessment of the environmental impacts of BEMS over their life cycle. The assessment is based on manufacturer information and generic life cycle inventory data for electronic components. Future impacts are based on changes in electricity generation following the International Energy Agency's 2 degree and 6 degree scenarios, and are used to assess the contribution of BEMS to global energy and GHG saving goals. Results show substantially lower life cycle GHG emissions and higher savings of environmental impacts per kilowatt‐hour of heating when compared to natural gas or electric heating. Potential net emissions savings range from approximately 0.4 kilograms carbon dioxide equivalent (kg CO 2 ‐eq) when avoiding natural gas heating to over 1 kg CO 2 ‐eq when avoiding electric heating in regions with GHG‐intensive electricity generation. At present, BEMS can avoid at least 40 times the GHG emissions that they require for production and use, when deployed in regions with cold climates.