LCA of MEP and TI in Buildings

Research Question:

What are the typical ranges of embodied carbon (and other impact measures) for mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) and tenant improvement (TI)?

About

This study is an extension of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for Low Carbon Construction Project. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality selected mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) and tenant improvement (TI) as research topics of interest to investigate because there is very little data on these environmental impacts. This study presents estimates of material quantities and environmental impacts for commercial office buildings in the Pacific Northwest.

Results

• Summary Document of MEP & TI: Short (4-page) summary of results, focusing on embodied carbon and implications.
• Reports
  • MEP LCA Report: Full report on MEP study
  • TI LCA Report: Full report on TI study
• Calculators
  • MEP LCA Calculator: Spreadsheet for estimating MEP impacts based on results from the study
  • CLF TI LCA Calculator: Spreadsheet for estimating TI impacts based on results from the study
    • Updated February 2020.  See tab “Introduction” for notes.
• PhD work by Barbara X. Rodriguez
  • 1-page summary
  • Full PhD Dissertation: Embodied Carbon of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigerants (HVAC+R) Systems
• Journal publications
  • Rodriguez, B.X., Huang, M., Lee, H.W., Simonen, K., Ditto, J. Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Tenant Improvements Over the Building Lifetime: Estimating Material Quantities and Embodied Carbon for Climate Change Mitigation. Energy and Buildings. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2020.110324

Research Team

• K. Simonen (PI)
• H.W. Lee (Co-PI)
• B.X. Rodriguez
• M. Huang
• J. Ditto

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. The greater Low Carbon Construction Project was also funded by the Charles Pankow Foundation and Skanska USA. This project was also made possible by a number of project advisors and contributors, who are listed in the reports.

Additional Resources

Andrew Ellsworth, founder and CEO of Doors Unhinged, has created a research poster for the Project Drawdown Conference highlighting the importance of building material reuse, supported with data from this research project.  To view the poster, click on the thumbnail below.