Life cycle energy analysis of a zero-energy house

Most zero-energy concepts focus on a reduction of the non-renewable operational energy use in buildings rather than taking the reduction of their life cycle energy use as a starting point. Nevertheless, the life cycle embodied and end-of-life energy will become more important, especially in buildings with low operational energy. Therefore, the life cycle energy use of a Belgian zero-energy reference house is examined by means of life cycle energy assessment. The influence of design decisions and regulations on the building construction type, the building services, and the performance of the building envelope are investigated. In terms of thermal performance of the building, the results show that the life cycle embodied energy in zero-energy houses with passive or standard thermal performance was not substantially different. From a life cycle energy perspective, passive house requirements are not essential criteria for zero-energy houses in Belgium. On the other hand, large life cycle energy savings were o...