Design of a multipurpose “zero energy consumption” building according to European Directive 2010/31/EU: Life cycle assessment

Abstract The Municipality of Citta della Pieve in central Italy, promoted the creation of a “Renewable Energy Park” in a deprived area of its territory, to provide a space where the main technologies for the production of green energy could be installed. An educational/demonstration “zero energy consumption” building for multifunctional activities will also built with the most innovative techniques to save energy. This paper presents the results of the life cycle assessment (LCA) of the “zero energy consumption” building for a useful life of 50 years. All life cycle phases were included in the research: acquisition and production of materials, on-site construction and use/maintenance, demolition and material disposal. Moreover, a few different disposal scenarios were considered. The LCA modeling was performed using the SimaPro software application, connected to the Ecoinvent database. The environmental impact of the zero energy consumption building was assessed by using specific indicators.