ABSTRACT
Buildings are responsible for an important share of the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. Renovation of residential buildings is suggested as one of the important measures to reduce global warming. Such renovation wave, however, requires additional materials. To mitigate the embodied impact, using biobased and circular materials is suggested. This paper studies the potential of biobased and reclaimed materials for reducing the environmental impact of a single-family house. The environmental impact of an existing single-family house is assessed before and after renovation using the Belgian LCA tool for buildings, the TOTEM tool. The results show a 75% decrease in carbon footprint after renovation, which is a 10% larger decrease compared to a traditional renovation scenario. Additionally, practical challenges related to reusing materials for renovation are discussed and refinements for assumptions in LCA of reclaimed materials are suggested, reducing the gap between theoretical building assessment and practical application.
