Influence of LCA procedure on the green building rating tools outcomes

Building energy performance has a key role in the international energy scenario. Labelling procedures have been developed in several countries for certifying the environmental sustainability of buildings, aiming at reducing energy consumptions and environmental impacts.

In this study, the impacts of the insulating materials on the energy and environmental performance of a residential building have been analysed. From previous studies developed by the same authors, it emerged that the sustainability protocols LEED and ITACA take into account the thermal properties of the insulating materials but their impact on the environment is not adequately considered. Starting from these considerations, in this work a life cycle analysis was carried out on the four insulating materials in order to highlight if and to what extent they differ in terms of environmental impacts. What emerged from the results is that the balance between nature, origin and amount of input materials strongly influences the results and the natural materials are not always the most sustainable and eco-compatible. (paper)