Influence of Construction Materials on the Energy Efficiency of the Building Stock in Temperate and Tropical Climate

Global policy identifies the need to achieve climate neutrality, especially in the most energy-intensive sectors of the economy, as a key focus. Climate neutrality is closely linked to the reduction of energy demand and the use of materials and technologies with a low embedded carbon footprint. The economic sector with some of the highest energy intensity and CO2 emissions is construction. In the case of newly designed buildings, most countries have already implemented measures to reduce energy demand by introducing a near-zero energy building standard (nZEB standard). The problem is not only the new built but mostly existing building stock, which requires deep thermo-modernisation measures. These measures will reduce energy consumption in the building sector and thus reduce emissions of harmful gases into the atmosphere. In the article, the authors, using the example of two countries with different climates: Poland and Vietnam, they analysed in terms of embedded carbon footprint the available technologies dedicated to thermal modernisation measures. The countries were chosen for the analysis because of the differences in climate that determine the scope of thermomodernisation measures taken. In the case of Poland, it is a temperate climate, where buildings should be designed to reduce heat loss in the winter season and ensure thermal comfort in the summer season. In the case of Vietnam, it is a humid subtropical climate, where the emphasis should be on protecting buildings from overheating. The analyses presented here show both traditional and modern innovative technologies used in the thermal modernisation of existing buildings. The analyses carried out by the authors show how modern technologies affect the thermal insulation of building partitions and thus reduce energy consumption. The article also presents analyses of the technologies in terms of the embedded carbon footprint, which characterises the phases of material manufacture. The conclusions presented by the authors allow informed choices to be made when deciding which materials and technologies to use for deep thermo-modernisation measures in existing buildings, so as to reduce energy demand and minimise the embedded carbon footprint.

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Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MNiSW, umowa nr POPUL/SP/0154/2024/02 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki II" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki i promocja sportu (2025).