Water Consumption and Environmental Impact of Multifamily Residential Buildings: A Life Cycle Assessment Study
Water use in buildings accounts for a large share in global freshwater consumption where research on the impacts of life cycle water use receive little or no attention. Moreover, there is very limited knowledge regarding such impacts that focus on the life cycle emissions from water consumption in b...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-01-01
|
| Series: | Buildings |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/12/1/48 |
| _version_ | 1797495415798497280 |
|---|---|
| author | Mehzabeen Mannan Sami G. Al-Ghamdi |
| author_facet | Mehzabeen Mannan Sami G. Al-Ghamdi |
| author_sort | Mehzabeen Mannan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Water use in buildings accounts for a large share in global freshwater consumption where research on the impacts of life cycle water use receive little or no attention. Moreover, there is very limited knowledge regarding such impacts that focus on the life cycle emissions from water consumption in building environments in the world’s most water-stressed countries. Hence, this study attempted to quantify the environmental impacts of operational water use in a multi-family residential building through a life cycle assessment (LCA). A small part of a Middle Eastern country, Doha (Qatar), has been selected for the primary assessment, while water-use impact in Miami (Florida) was chosen as a second case study, as both locations fall into similar climate zone according to ASHRAE Climate Zone Map. The LCA score indicated much higher impacts in the Doha case study compared to Miami. The variation in the result is mainly attributed to the raw water treatment stage in Doha, which involves energy-intensive thermal desalination. Again, relative comparison of the annual water and electricity use impacts for the modeled building was performed at the final stage for both locations. Water use was attributable for 18% of the environmental impacts in Miami, while this value increased to 35% in Doha. This initial assembled LCA result will be beneficial to both water authorities and building research communities in establishing more sustainable water use policies for specific regions/countries that will ultimately benefit the overall building environment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:48:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-973e2c2187884f04a6a7f5429eeb745e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:48:21Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj.art-973e2c2187884f04a6a7f5429eeb745e2023-11-23T13:11:26ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092022-01-011214810.3390/buildings12010048Water Consumption and Environmental Impact of Multifamily Residential Buildings: A Life Cycle Assessment StudyMehzabeen Mannan0Sami G. Al-Ghamdi1Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, QatarDivision of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, QatarWater use in buildings accounts for a large share in global freshwater consumption where research on the impacts of life cycle water use receive little or no attention. Moreover, there is very limited knowledge regarding such impacts that focus on the life cycle emissions from water consumption in building environments in the world’s most water-stressed countries. Hence, this study attempted to quantify the environmental impacts of operational water use in a multi-family residential building through a life cycle assessment (LCA). A small part of a Middle Eastern country, Doha (Qatar), has been selected for the primary assessment, while water-use impact in Miami (Florida) was chosen as a second case study, as both locations fall into similar climate zone according to ASHRAE Climate Zone Map. The LCA score indicated much higher impacts in the Doha case study compared to Miami. The variation in the result is mainly attributed to the raw water treatment stage in Doha, which involves energy-intensive thermal desalination. Again, relative comparison of the annual water and electricity use impacts for the modeled building was performed at the final stage for both locations. Water use was attributable for 18% of the environmental impacts in Miami, while this value increased to 35% in Doha. This initial assembled LCA result will be beneficial to both water authorities and building research communities in establishing more sustainable water use policies for specific regions/countries that will ultimately benefit the overall building environment.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/12/1/48life cycle assessment (LCA)operational water useenvironmental assessmentresidential buildingsurban water cycle |
| spellingShingle | Mehzabeen Mannan Sami G. Al-Ghamdi Water Consumption and Environmental Impact of Multifamily Residential Buildings: A Life Cycle Assessment Study Buildings life cycle assessment (LCA) operational water use environmental assessment residential buildings urban water cycle |
| title | Water Consumption and Environmental Impact of Multifamily Residential Buildings: A Life Cycle Assessment Study |
| title_full | Water Consumption and Environmental Impact of Multifamily Residential Buildings: A Life Cycle Assessment Study |
| title_fullStr | Water Consumption and Environmental Impact of Multifamily Residential Buildings: A Life Cycle Assessment Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Water Consumption and Environmental Impact of Multifamily Residential Buildings: A Life Cycle Assessment Study |
| title_short | Water Consumption and Environmental Impact of Multifamily Residential Buildings: A Life Cycle Assessment Study |
| title_sort | water consumption and environmental impact of multifamily residential buildings a life cycle assessment study |
| topic | life cycle assessment (LCA) operational water use environmental assessment residential buildings urban water cycle |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/12/1/48 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mehzabeenmannan waterconsumptionandenvironmentalimpactofmultifamilyresidentialbuildingsalifecycleassessmentstudy AT samigalghamdi waterconsumptionandenvironmentalimpactofmultifamilyresidentialbuildingsalifecycleassessmentstudy |