[GSBN] Embodied/embedded energy figures

[Tom Woolley]

Dear all

Here is the link to the Bath database that Bruce couldn't find

http://www.bath.ac.uk/mech-eng/sert/embodied/

However Craig Jones who has done most of the work on this has now  
moved into the private sector and works for "Sustain"
http://www.sustain.co.uk/
Craig.Jones at sustain.co.uk

While I think Craig and Geoff at Bath have done a great job on this,  
to keep the issue of embodied energy on the agenda,
  it worries me that the ICE database is treated with almost biblical  
respect in many refereed publications.

Bath has never had proper funding for original research on ICE and so  
much of the data has been gathered from here there and everywhere.
This means that the data provided by many commercial companies has not  
necessarily been independently verified
Some of us would question figures given for the embodied energy of  
natural materials for instance.

I would be interested to know where embodied energy figures on the  
agenda in other countries ( for something I am currently writing)
In the UK, organisations like the AECB and the Passiv Haus people are  
pushing the argument at the moment that energy in use is the only  
thing that matters.
I though we had got rid of this debate years ago but it has resurfaced

While the greenies have been dismissing embodied energy , the  
commercial sector has embraced it recently, a strange reversal
For instance see the work of Gareth Roberts at Sturgis on carbon  
profiling
http://sturgiscarbonprofiling.com/?paged=3
Its worth downloading their RICS Redefining Zero publication
While it doesn't say anything about strawbales it does provide a very  
interesting methodology.

We are launching the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products in  
Parliament on November 16th
I have a one page leaflet about this but I think you cannot add  
attachments to these emails so if anyone would like this please sent  
an email to my personal address
tom.woolley at btconnect.com

Tom


On 14 Oct 2011, at 19:47, Bruce King wrote:

>
> The University of Bath (UK) has the best database I know of, but I  
> can't find the link.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bruce King, PE
> Director of EBNet
> Ecological Building Network
> the art and science of building well
> bruce at ecobuildnetwork.org
> PO Box 6397
> San Rafael, CA 94903 USA
> (415) 987-7271
> follow us on Twitter: @EBNetwork
> blog:  http://bruceking.posterous.com/
>
> On Oct 14, 2011, at 11:37 AM, Chris Magwood wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I'm working on a research paper and I'm trying to find good,  
>> reliable information on embodied energy (or embedded energy) in  
>> building materials. I have some good papers from Australia and some  
>> stuff from CMHC, but I'd be glad to receive suggestions for other  
>> sources.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Chris
>>
>> -- 
>> www.chrismagwood.ca
>> www.endeavourcentre.org
>>
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Tom Woolley

Rachel Bevan Architects
80 Church Road
Crossgar
Downpatrick
BT30 9HR
tom.woolley at btconnect.com
028 44 830988
www.bevanarchitects.com



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