LCCA - Life Cycle Cost Analysis & LEED
The modern thinking in the construction industry is moving ever more into a more environmentally conscious awareness of the effect of construction.
Construction has a direct impact on the environment in the form of:
1. Land use
2. Raw materials
3. Shipping/transport methods
4. Use of substances hazardous to health and the environment
5. Use of energy during life time of building
6. Maintenance and replacement of materials
7. End of use waste recycling
The method of study attributed to this is LCCA (Life Cycle Cost Analysis), and a derivative of this process is the application of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). By giving more thought to the impact of construction, the industry has developed controls to improve construction practices, with these controls being monitored and regulated by governmental institutions across the globe.
Hence the issues which relate to this are:
1. The on-going development by key material suppliers to meet the regulations
2. The consideration of origin of materials which do comply and the consequential affect on shipment distances
3. The understanding and associated training required for development and effective implementation of LEED practices
4. The understanding and calculation of energy use of buildings and the ways to improve building OTTV (Overall Thermal Transmittance Values) to thereby reduce the energy consumption
5. The understanding and use of materials which have both a recycled content at point of construction, and a recyclable ability at the end of life period
It should be understood, that whilst buildings can be built which are virtually self-sufficient and have incredible energy controlling parameters, often the build cost is simply too prohibitive, hence the reason for the research and development which is always taking place to produce better materials and cheaper costs.
Construction has a direct impact on the environment in the form of:
1. Land use
2. Raw materials
3. Shipping/transport methods
4. Use of substances hazardous to health and the environment
5. Use of energy during life time of building
6. Maintenance and replacement of materials
7. End of use waste recycling
The method of study attributed to this is LCCA (Life Cycle Cost Analysis), and a derivative of this process is the application of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). By giving more thought to the impact of construction, the industry has developed controls to improve construction practices, with these controls being monitored and regulated by governmental institutions across the globe.
Hence the issues which relate to this are:
1. The on-going development by key material suppliers to meet the regulations
2. The consideration of origin of materials which do comply and the consequential affect on shipment distances
3. The understanding and associated training required for development and effective implementation of LEED practices
4. The understanding and calculation of energy use of buildings and the ways to improve building OTTV (Overall Thermal Transmittance Values) to thereby reduce the energy consumption
5. The understanding and use of materials which have both a recycled content at point of construction, and a recyclable ability at the end of life period
It should be understood, that whilst buildings can be built which are virtually self-sufficient and have incredible energy controlling parameters, often the build cost is simply too prohibitive, hence the reason for the research and development which is always taking place to produce better materials and cheaper costs.