Software for Calculation of Carbon Footprint for Residential Buildings

Abstract

Predicting the environmental impact of buildings from early stages of design becomes essential for improving their sustainability during the entire life cycle. Carbon footprint allows to determine the emissions of greenhouse gases derived from the building process from cradle to grave. In this chapter, the experience of the authors in carbon footprint calculation methodologies is presented through an open-source software tool for estimating the environmental impact of architectural projects from the design phase, as a product from the OERCO2 Erasmus + project. With a newly renovated interface, the internal functioning of this tool is comprehensively explained, presenting and analyzing the results obtained for representative building typologies. This tool aims to allow users to detect opportunities of improvement, environmental and economic, of their projects through modifications such as the selection of different materials or constructive solutions. Subsequently, the authors carry out an analysis of its flaws and forthcoming necessary upgrades to make this software tool more accessible to non-specialized users, thus easing the spread of knowledge on carbon footprint and the environmental impact of buildings. © 2020, Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.