Teardown index: Emissions of single-family homes in vancouver

Abstract

Replacing older homes with new ones constructed to higher efficiency standards is one way to raise the operating efficiency of building stocks. However, new buildings require large amounts of embodied energy to construct, and it can take years before more efficient operations offset carbon emissions associated with new construction. This chapter looks at the carbon dioxide emission payback period of newly constructed, efficient single-family homes in Vancouver, British Columbia, where the authors find that it takes over 150 years for the operation to equal the embodied carbon associated with the of a typical high-efficiency new home. The findings suggest that current policies aimed at reducing emissions by replacing older homes with new high-efficiency buildings should be reconsidered.