Life Cycle Assessment
A Life Cycle Assessment ( LCA) evaluates the full impact of a product on the environment from cradle to grave. In the case of complex products such as a modern house, the LCA assesses all the raw materials used and the emissions which will occur during production of the various component parts. The evaluation takes into consideration the environmental impact of all transport used in production, the environmental costs of wastes associated with the product during its lifetime and the ultimate disposal of the product or its component parts when it reaches the end of its life.
A LCA is also known as Life Cycle Analysis.
Buildings
When compared to older structures, many modern buildings will be found to have a very high environmental impact once the full costs associated with production, manufacture and transportation are factored in. This is especially true of high-tech state-of-the-art innovative buildings which may contain many high embodied energy materials and appliances.
In the case of buildings described as ‘passive’ or ‘zero-carbon’, these terms apply purely to the energy used within the building and not to the energy used in the production of the component materials. Thus it is possible to have a building which requires very little energy to run it but which carries a very high environmental price tag owing to the environmental costs of production. Although this need not always be the case, it is certainly a consideration and is rarely mentioned when the virtues of these buildings are being extolled. In order to get a more accurate picture of the full environmental impact of a building over its lifetime, it is necessary to refer to the LCA.
See also: Low Environmental Impact Housing
Renewable Energy Technolgies and Equipment
These same considerations apply to all equipment associated with renewable energy technologies. There is a strong case for mandatory LCA labelling of products such as solar panels, micro wind turbines, and their acccessories.
