Life cycle energy analysis

Environment
Published: 31 March 2012
Edited: 2 November 2018
by Robert Crawford
ISSN: 2207-466X

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in November 2018.

Life cycle energy analysis (LCEA) is a method of assessing both the operational and embodied energy of buildings over their lifetime. It is an easily-conducted form of life cycle assessment (LCA) and one which is particularly relevant to the building industry. Note includes definitions and a case study.

House under construction
House under construction, Sydney (Image: iStock)

This note, was first authored by Roger Fay and Graham Treloar in November 1998. It was reviewed by Graham Treloar and Roger Fay in September 2003, and reviewed and revised by Robert Crawford in March 2012.

 Note Summary
  1. Introduction
  2. Embodied energy
  3. Operational energy
  4. Primary vs delivered energy
  5. Case study
  6. Case study results
  7. Discussion
  8. Conclusion