BiBi-TGA, Potential for the ecological optimization of technical building equipment through the usage of biogenic materials

Starting point / motivation

Traditionally, technical building equipment is strongly focused on energy efficiency in the usage phase of buildings. This inevitably increases the share of emissions in the other life cycle phases such as production, recycling and landfill of buildings (Chuchra et al. 2020).

Results in Passer et al. (2012) show that a high level of energy optimization of new buildings has already been achieved in Austria, thus the improvement potential is considered to be rather low.

In contrast to these findings, research results of integrated life cycle assessments (iLCA) show that the building products used in the technical building equipment and fabric as well as the finishing show a high potential for ecological and energy related optimization (Passer et al. 2012).

Contents and goals

Awareness for sustainable products in buildings is increasing. Meeting the legal requirements for ecological optimization in the building sector will become more demanding in the future. The main objective of the project is to determine the substitution potential of conventional technical building equipment with biogenic resources in office buildings.

In a first step, components of technical building equipment of a defined reference office building with the greatest possible optimization potential in relation to their mass will be identified. Subsequently, the potentials of the technical feasibility as well as the change in ecological performance of the respective components will be analyzed using LCA screenings.

The investigation of the technical building equipment using a multi-stage potential analysis based on the combination of mass potentials, technical feasibility and ecological assessment of biogenic materials represents an innovation.

Methods & Expected results

The results are obtained by combining areas of expertise such as building technology, material science and manufacturer knowledge with the modeling of technical building equipment using life cycle analyses. Through the evaluation of existing products and the prototypical development of product concepts from sustainable biogenic resources, new results will be derived.

Furthermore, the potentials regarding the technical feasibility are estimated. In addition, the aim is to identify data gaps in the life cycle assessment of building services equipment and to identify new findings on the strengths and weaknesses of biogenic resources in relation to technical building equipment.

This study is intended to provide the basis for further R&D projects as well as cooperation and ecological product development in the field of technical building equipment.

Project management

FH Salzburg – Salzburg University of Applied Sciences

Project or cooperation partners

NaKu e.U

Jakob Weithas BSc, MSc
Markt 136a
A-5431 Kuchl
Tel.: +43 (50) 2211-2723
E-Mail: Jakob.weithas@fh-salzburg.ac.at
Web: www.fh-salzburg.ac.at