Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

GHG emissions and energy consumption of residential buildings—a systematic review and meta-analysis

  • Research
  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Residential buildings generate significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and consume energy throughout their life cycle. In recent years, research on GHG emissions and energy consumption of buildings has developed rapidly in response to the growing climate change and energy crisis. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an important method for evaluating the environmental impacts of the building sector. However, LCA studies of buildings show widely varying outcomes across the world. Besides, environmental impact assessment from a whole life cycle perspective has been undeveloped and slow. Our work presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of LCA studies on GHG emissions and energy consumption in the preuse, use, and demolition stages of residential buildings. We aim to examine the differences among the results of diverse case studies and demonstrate the spectrum of variations under contextual disparities. Results show that residential building emits about 2928 kg GHG emission and consumes about 7430 kWh of energy per m2 of gross building area on average throughout the life cycle. Residential buildings have an average GHG emission of 84.81% in the use phase, followed by the preuse phase and demolition phase; the mean energy consumption in the use stage occupied the largest share of 84.52%, followed by preuse stage and demolition stage. GHG emissions and energy use vary significantly in different regions due to different building types, natural conditions, and lifestyles. Our study stresses the compelling requirement to slash GHG emissions and optimize energy consumption from residential buildings by use of low carbon building materials, energy structure adjustment, consumer behavior transformation, etc.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

All data/data sources needed to evaluate the conclusions of this study are present in the paper.

References

  • Atmaca, N. (2017). Life-cycle assessment of post-disaster temporary housing. Build. Res. Inf., 45(5), 524–538.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bastos, J., Batterman, S. A., & Freire, F. (2014). Life-cycle energy and greenhouse gas analysis of three building types in a residential area in Lisbon. Energy and Buildings, 69, 344–353.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bin, G., & Parker, P. (2012). Measuring buildings for sustainability: Comparing the initial and retrofit ecological footprint of a century home - The REEP House. Appl. Energ., 93, 24–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castrejon-Campos, O. (2022). Evolution of clean energy technologies in Mexico: A multi-perspective analysis. Energy for Sustainable Development, 67, 29–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cha, G. W., Moon, H. J., Kim, Y. C., Hong, W. H., Jeon, G. Y., Yoon, Y. R., & Hwang, J. H. (2020). Evaluating recycling potential of demolition waste considering building structure types: A study in South Korea. Journal of Cleaner Production, 256, 120385.

  • Chandrakumar, C., McLaren, S. J., Dowdell, D., & Jaques, R. (2020). A science-based approach to setting climate targets for buildings: The case of a New Zealand detached house. Building and Environment, 169, 106560.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Z. X., Liu, H., Pan, Y. F., & Yu, Y. X. (2011). Methods of quality evaluation of medical literatures. Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine, 11( 11), 1229–1236.

  • Duffy, A. (2009). Land use planning in Ireland-A life cycle energy analysis of recent residential development in the Greater Dublin Area. Int. J. Life Cycle Ass., 14(3), 268–277. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-009-0059-7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Geraldi, M. S., & Ghisi, E. (2020). Building-level and stock-level in contrast: A literature review of the energy performance of buildings during the operational stage. Energy and Buildings, 211, 109810.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC). (2019). International Energy Agency and the United Nations Environment Programme. Global status report for buildings and construction: Towards a zero-emission, efficient and resilient buildings and construction sector.

  • Goldstein, B., Gounaridis, D., & Newell, J. P. (2020). The carbon footprint of household energy use in the United States. P. Nati. Acad. Sci. USA, 117(32), 19122–19130.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gong, X., Nie, Z., Wang, Z., Cui, S., Gao, F., & Zuo, T. (2012). Life cycle energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission of residential building designs in Beijing. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 16(4), 576–587.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guo, H., Liu, Y., Chang, W. S., Shao, Y., & Sun, C. (2017). Energy saving and carbon reduction in the operation stage of cross laminated timber residential buildings in China. Sustainability, 9(2), 292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gurevitch, J., Koricheva, J., Nakagawa, S., & Stewart, G. (2018). Meta-analysis and the science of research synthesis. Nature, 555(7695), 175–182.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gustavsson, L., Joelsson, A., & Sathre, R. (2010). Life cycle primary energy use and carbon emission of an eight-storey wood-framed apartment building. Energ. Buildings, 42(2), 230–242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamburg, A., & Kalamees, T. (2019). How well are energy performance objectives being achieved in renovated apartment buildings in Estonia? Energy and Buildings, 199, 332–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong, J., Shen, G. Q., Feng, Y., Lau, W.S.-T., & Mao, C. (2015). Greenhouse gas emissions during the construction phase of a building: A case study in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 103, 249–259.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huo, T., Cao, R., Du, H., Zhang, J., Cai, W., & Liu, B. (2021). Nonlinear influence of urbanization on China’s urban residential building carbon emissions: New evidence from panel threshold model. Science of the Total Environment, 772, 145058.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • IPCC. (2014). Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of working groups I, II and III to the fifth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)], 151 pp. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland.

  • Janjua, S. Y., Sarker, P. K., & Biswas, W. K. (2020). Development of triple bottom line indicators for life cycle sustainability assessment of residential bulidings. Journal of Environmental Management, 264, 110476.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeong, Y.-S., Lee, S.-E., & Huh, J.-H. (2012). Estimation of CO2 emission of apartment buildings due to major construction materials in the Republic of Korea. Energ. Buildings, 49, 437–442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2012.02.041

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kamali Saraji, M., Streimikiene, D., & Ciegis, R. (2022). A novel Pythagorean fuzzy-SWARA-TOPSIS framework for evaluating the EU progress towards sustainable energy development. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 194(1), 42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, H., Deng, Q., Zhang, J., Xia, B., & Skitmore, M. (2019). Assessing the life cycle CO2 emissions of reinforced concrete structures: Four cases from China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 210, 1496–1506.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Motaghifard, A., Omidvari, M., & Kaazemi, A. (2020). Introducing a conceptual model for evaluating health safety environmental performance of residential buildings using the fuzzy decision-making approach. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 192, 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Llantoy, N., Chàfer, M., & Cabeza, L. F. (2020). A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of different insulation materials for buildings in the continental Mediterranean climate. Energy and Buildings, 110323.

  • Lolli, N., Fufa, S. M., & Inman, M. (2017). A parametric tool for the assessment of operational energy use, embodied energy and embodied material emissions in building. Energy Procedia, 111, 21–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marinova, S., Deetman, S., van der Voet, E., & Daioglou, V. (2020). Global construction materials database and stock analysis of residential buildings between 1970–2050. Journal of Cleaner Production, 247, 119146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monahan, J., & Powell, J. C. (2011). An embodied carbon and energy analysis of modern methods of construction in housing A case study using a lifecycle assessment framework. Energy and Buildings, 43(1), 179–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monteiro, H., Fernandez, J. E., & Freire, F. (2016). Comparative life-cycle energy analysis of a new and an existing house: The significance of occupant’s habits, building systems and embodied energy. Sustainable Cities and Society, 26, 507–518.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mujeebu, M. A., & Bano, F. (2022). Energy-saving potential and cost-effectiveness of active energy-efficiency measures for residential building in warm-humid climate. Energy for Sustainable Development, 67, 163–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Negishi, K., Tiruta-Barna, L., Schiopu, N., Lebert, A., & Chevalier, J. (2018). An operational methodology for applying dynamic Life Cycle Assessment to buildings. Building and Environment, 144, 611–621.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nemry, F., Uihlein, A., Colodel, C. M., Wetzel, C., Braune, A., Wittstock, B., & Frech, Y. (2010). Options to reduce the environmental impacts of residential buildings in the European Union—Potential and costs. Energy and Buildings, 42(7), 976–984.

  • Nolan, T., & Doyle-Kent, M. (2018). An investigation into the role of the building structure on energy use & CO2 emissions over the life cycle of a medium-rise residential building. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 51(30), 60–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ondova, M., & Estokova, A. (2016). Environmental impact assessment of building foundation in masonry family houses related to the total used building materials. Environ. Prog. Sustain., 35(4), 1113–1120.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paleari, M., Lavagna, M., & Campioli, A. (2016). The assessment of the relevance of building components and life phases for the environmental profile of nearly zero-energy buildings: Life cycle assessment of a multifamily building in Italy. Int J Life Cycle Ass, 21(12), 1667–1690.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Praseeda, K. I., Reddy, B. V., & Mani, M. (2016). Embodied and operational energy of urban residential buildings in India. Energy and Buildings, 110, 211–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raza, M. Y., Khan, A. N., Khan, N. A., & Kakar, A. (2021). The role of food crop production, agriculture value added, electricity consumption, forest covered area, and forest production on CO2 emissions: Insights from a developing economy. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 193, 1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez Serrano, A. A., & Alvarez, S. P. (2016). Life cycle assessment in building: A case study on the energy and emissions impact related to the choice of housing typologies and construction process in Spain. Sustainability, 8(3), 287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossi, B., Marique, A.-F., & Reiter, S. (2012a). Life-cycle assessment of residential buildings in three different European locations, case study. Building and Environment, 51, 402–407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossi, B., Marique, A.-F., Glaumann, M., & Reiter, S. (2012b). Life-cycle assessment of residential buildings in three different European locations, basic tool. Building and Environment, 51, 395–401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sanderford, A. R., McCoy, A. P., & Keefe, M. J. (2018). Adoption of energy star certifications: Theory and evidence compared. Building Research & Information, 46(2), 207–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma, R., & Gupta, K. (2020). Life cycle modeling for environmental management: A review of trends and linkages. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 192(1), 51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sim, J., Sim, J., & Park, C. (2016). The air emission assessment of a South Korean apartment building’s life cycle, along with environmental impact. Building and Environment, 95, 104–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, A., Chewpreecha, U., Mercure, J. F., & Pollitt, H. (2019). EU climate and energy policy beyond 2020: Is a single target for GHG reduction sufficient? The European dimension of Germany’s energy transition (pp. 27–43). Cham: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Stang, A., Jonas, S., & Poole, C. (2018). Case study in major quotation errors: A critical commentary on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. European Journal of Epidemiology, 33, 1025–1031.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Su, X., & Zhang, X. (2016). A detailed analysis of the embodied energy and carbon emissions of steel-construction residential buildings in China. Energ. Buildings, 119, 323–330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Surahman, U., Kubota, T., & Higashi, O. (2015). Life cycle assessment of energy and CO2 emissions for residential buildings in Jakarta and Bandung. Indonesia. Buildings, 5(4), 1131–1155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sutton, A. J., Abrams, K. R., Jones, D. R., Jones, D. R., Sheldon, T. A., & Song, F. (2000). Methods for meta-analysis in medical research (Vol. 348). Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, D., & Ding, G. (2018). Comparing the performance of brick and timber in residential buildings - The case of Australia. Energ Buildings, 159, 136–147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tokbolat, S., Nazipov, F., Kim, J. R., & Karaca, F. (2020). Evaluation of the environmental performance of residential building envelope components. Energies, 13(1), 174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tommerup, H., & Svendsen, S. (2006). Energy savings in Danish residential building stock. Energ Buildings, 38(6), 618–626.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wells, L., Rismanchi, B., & Aye, L. (2018). A review of net zero energy buildings with reflections on the Australian context. Energy and Buildings, 158, 616–628.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, D., Leigh, R., Kleinberg, J., & Abbott, K. (2014). New York City can eliminate the carbon footprint of its buildings by 2050. Energy for Sustainable Development, 23, 46–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, X., Peng, B., & Lin, B. (2017). A dynamic life cycle carbon emission assessment on green and non-green buildings in China. Energy and Buildings, 149, 272–281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhan, J., Liu, W., Wu, F., Li, Z., & Wang, C. (2018). Life cycle energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of urban residential buildings in Guangzhou city. Journal of Cleaner Production, 194, 318–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, J., Yan, Z., Bi, W., Ni, P., Lei, F., Yao, S., & Lang, J. (2023). Prediction and scenario simulation of the carbon emissions of public buildings in the operation stage based on an energy audit in Xi’an. China. Energy Policy, 173, 113396.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42171287) and the Innovation research group project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42121001).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Yupeng Fan & Chuanglin Fang

  2. Key Laboratory of Regional Sustainable Development Modeling, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Yupeng Fan & Chuanglin Fang

  3. College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Yupeng Fan & Chuanglin Fang

Authors
  1. Yupeng Fan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chuanglin Fang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Yupeng Fan: conceptualization; methodology; investigation; writing — original draft preparation; writing — review and editing.

Chuanglin Fang: conceptualization, supervision, validation, project administration.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yupeng Fan.

Ethics declarations

All authors have read, understood, and have complied as applicable with the statement on “Ethical responsibilities of Authors” as found in the Instructions for Authors and are aware that with minor exceptions, no changes can be made to authorship once the paper is submitted.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Fan, Y., Fang, C. GHG emissions and energy consumption of residential buildings—a systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ Monit Assess 195, 885 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11515-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11515-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation