A Comparative Dynamic Life Cycle Inventory between a Double and Triple Glazed uPVC Window

Abstract

Observation of increase in the frequency of extreme weather events (storms, droughts, heavy rainfall, etc.) and seasonal instability no longer allow us to doubt the irreversible growth of climate change. To solve this problem, adaptation of buildings to control of thermal comfort and its impact on their energy consumption is a solution considered. In building envelope, technical improvement of the window goes in this direction. From simple glazing, practically no more used in Europe, to double glazing, four times more thermally efficient than the previous one, triple glazing is used now, the most insulating of the three. Because the magnitude of climate change depends mainly on greenhouse gas emissions, a comparative Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) between a uPVC double and triple glazed window is carried out in this study. But rather than using a conventional Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), we use a Dynamic LCA (Dy-LCA) because giving more realistic results by introducing the temporal dimension. Indeed, the contribution of each gas to the greenhouse effect is determined by the characteristics of that gas, its abundance, and any indirect effects it may cause. For example, the direct radiative effect of a mass of methane is about 84 times stronger than the same mass of carbon dioxide over a 20-year time frame but it is present in much smaller concentrations so that its total direct radiative effect is smaller, in part due to its shorter atmospheric lifetime. To take into account temporal dimension, ESPA (Enhanced Structural Path Analysis) method, coupled with Open LCA software, is used in this research work. So, a Dynamic Life Cycle Inventory (Dy-LCI) is determined and analyzed for these two products.