Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas that absorbs and radiates heat. While a natural phenomenon, excess CO2 negatively contributes to the global warming crisis by supercharging the greenhouse effect and increasing the average global temperature.
In the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, the output of CO2 can be measured two ways: embodied carbon and operational carbon. Embodied carbon measures the carbon dioxide emissions released during the extraction, manufacturing, transport, construction and disposal of building materials. It is different than operational carbon, which measures the carbon dioxide emissions through energy used to operate a building over its lifetime, including heating, cooling, lighting, etc.
Although operational carbon plays a crucial role in the assessment of building performance over time, the increase in sustainable power generation such as solar, wind, nuclear, and wave energy over the next 10 – 15 years is reshaping perspectives. The increase of renewables, paired with our expertise in designing high-performing building envelopes, has allowed architects to zero-in on embodied carbon to implement a more immediate reduction in carbon generated by the building industry.
Stay tuned for next week’s topic: Carbon Life Cycle.
