Cardiff University | Prifysgol Caerdydd ORCA
Online Research @ Cardiff 
WelshClear Cookie - decide language by browser settings

Enabling net-zero buildings through automated compliance checking, driven by energy and life cycle assessment co-simulation

Yeung, Jonathan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6392-5420 2023. Enabling net-zero buildings through automated compliance checking, driven by energy and life cycle assessment co-simulation. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
Item availability restricted.

[thumbnail of Thesis]
Preview
PDF (Thesis) - Accepted Post-Print Version
Download (4MB) | Preview
[thumbnail of Cardiff University Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Form] PDF (Cardiff University Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Form) - Supplemental Material
Restricted to Repository staff only

Download (3MB)

Abstract

Net-zero is a key focus of the UK government, as it seeks to lead the world in the reduction of carbon emissions. Targets have been set in law to bring its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 and committing to a 68 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. Currently, there is disparity between national government net zero strategy and industry and institution recommendations for whole life carbon assessment. This is evidenced by the differing language used and the scope of life cycle stages considered. Whilst government strategy has presented general environmental targets, there is no technical guidance for how this can be achieved. No research or work is available that integrates the software tools necessary to implement greenhouse gas emission design and assessment for UK buildings. The challenge identified in this Thesis, is the development of an approach for how net-zero buildings can be designed and assessed, aligning national net zero requirements with industry and institutional recommendations for whole life carbon assessment. To achieve this, an initial literature review is presented, describing the UK landscape in terms of net zero and whole life carbon assessment, underlying concepts such as specific regulatory texts, building energy simulation and life cycle assessment are introduced, as are enabling technologies and concepts including; building information modelling and automated compliance checking. The remainder of this Thesis focusses on the development of a design and regulatory framework, that integrates a building energy simulation and life cycle assessment co-simulation for the purposes of greenhouse gas emission assessment of UK buildings. Regulatory uplifts are proposed alongside, that align current requirements with the recommendations made regarding net zero and whole life carbon assessment. The framework is augmented and digitised following the latest UK automated compliance checking principles and a proof-of-concept implementation of the design and regulatory aspects of the developed framework and regulatory uplifts is explored against the current status quo. This Thesis concludes by documenting findings and reflections from the implementation of the proof-of-concept, which validates this research by comparing the experience of the implementation against simulations of traditional processes. This Thesis is the first to, present a methodology for dynamic (time-differentiated) co-simulation results and a methodology for GHG emission design and assessment of UK buildings, and whilst doing so, aligning government requirements for net zero and industry and institutional recommendations for whole life carbon assessment. This research is exploratory, simulation research, with a key outcome being the findings and reflections to guide future research in implementing the framework developed in this research in the real-world.

Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
Date Type: Completion
Status: Unpublished
Schools: Engineering
Uncontrolled Keywords: 1) Net Zero 2) Co-simulation 3) Building Energy Simulation 4) Life Cycle Assessment 5) Automated Compliance Checking 6) Digitisation
Date of First Compliant Deposit: 18 June 2024
Last Modified: 20 Jun 2024 10:37
URI: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/169753

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item Edit Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics