Environmental impact of materials used in technical equipments: An overview on different methods

Abstract

In this paper the environmental impact of the most important materials used for the production of technical equipments in buildings is assessed. The analysis is performed according to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. The LCA of a product is conducted by compiling an inventory of relevant inputs and outputs, and by evaluating the potential environmental impact associated with them. In the evaluation phase different impact categories are defined; normalisation and weighting are also performed to obtain a single score. All these phases, except inventory, can be carried out in different ways, according to different impact assessment methodologies (LCIA). For this reason, it is useful to compare the results provided by some of the most used methods, namely Eco-indicator 99 and EPS 2000, in order to understand how the assessment can be influenced by the choice of the methodology. In addition, three different cultural perspectives (Egalitarian, Hierarchist, Individualist) are considered when using the Eco-indicator 99 method, since this choice influences calculation and weighting processes. In conclusion, this study will provide an environmental ranking of the most important materials used in technical equipments of buildings, according to different methods and calculation hypotheses. The results will be useful for future analyses concerning the impact of technological systems in buildings.