The environmental impact of prefabricated renovation systems: A worthy alternative to on-site renovation?

Abstract

The conventional renovation practices, which are mainly characterized by time-consuming manual on-site techniques, partly contribute to the low renovation rate. Accordingly, a faster and more efficient approach is necessary. The implementation of prefabricated systems could offer a possible solution. These systems are increasingly being studied, but little is known about their environmental impact. Hence, this study investigates the environmental impact by means of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of two prefabricated fa ade renovation systems being a timber frame and a sandwich panel; and compares it to a well-known on-site technique, External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS). First, reference designs are assembled. Subsequently, the impact of different life cycle stages is determined in order to clearly indicate differences between on-site and prefabricated systems. More specifically, the production, transport, replacement and end-of-life stage are assessed. In the end, the environmental impact is examined over time combining all stages. The results show that the prefabricated systems are not yet a worthy ecological opponent to ETICS. As of the production stage, the environmental impact appears to be higher. Optimising the reference systems through an extensive redesign could lead to more competitive or even favourable results in terms of environmental impact.