Integration between building energy code and life cycle assessment in building envelope improvement; a case study of outpatient building in sarapee hospital

Abstract

This research presents the building renovation model for designing the Environmentally-friendly buildings prior to the standardization of Building Energy Code and Life Cycle Assessment in terms of greenhouse gas emission from the material production and the power consumption in air conditioning system which results from the building envelope. This leads to specify the alternatives of building envelope in order to look for the finest simulation model with a BEC Web-Base program and to calculate the amount of greenhouse gas emission regarding the calculation of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This research provides the model measure for a community hospital’s outpatient building, Sarapee Hospital. This building was constructed with a standard plan No.3130, which the Overall Thermal Transfer Value (OTTV) and Roof Thermal Transfer Value (RTTV) were not meet the standard criteria regarding to the Building Energy Code. The result showed that the finest wall model is to frame the gypsum wall along with the density of 12 kg/m³ for insulation (thickness 65 mm.), while the ceiling should be framed the density of 24 kg/m³ for insulation (thickness 25 mm.). This could positively change the Overall Thermal Transfer Value and Roof Thermal Transfer Value at 24.55 W/m² and 8.56 W/m², respectively. These numbers of thermal transfer value could meet the standard criteria of the Building Energy Code even the measure caused higher amount of greenhouse gas emission from material at approximately 1,507.07 kgCO₂e, contrarily, there was a lower amount of greenhouse gas emission from power consumption in the air conditioning system at around 7,818.61 kgCO₂e per year. Moreover, the profits of carbon credits sale from decreasing greenhouse gases and power consumption were able to pay back the cost within 1.20 years. In addition, for further study in this field, the researchers suggest to consider other factors that affect the environment in overall stages of building life cycle as to attain an obvious breakeven conclusion.