Appraising the life cycle costs of heating alternatives for an affordable low carbon retirement development. (February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mohammadpourkarbasi, Haniyeh; Sharples, Steve
• Is Part Of: Sustainable energy technologies and assessments. Volume 49(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-02
• Subjects: PV Photovoltaics -- SHW Solar hot water systems -- CHP Combined heat and power -- ASHP Air source heat pumps -- GHG Greenhouse gas -- LCC Life cycle costs -- EWD Excess winter deaths -- M&E Mechanical and electrical plants -- HMT UK Treasury -- CoP Coefficient of performance -- SAP Standard assessment procedure -- GSHP Ground source heat pump -- TFEE Target fabric energy efficiency rate -- TER Target carbon emission rate -- CLT Cross laminated timber -- DSM dynamic thermal simulation modelling -- RICS Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors -- BCIS/BSI Building Cost Information Service/British Standards Institution -- NPV Net present value -- RHI Renewable heat incentive -- FIT Feed-in-tariff -- capex Capital expenditure -- CO2e Carbon dioxide equivalent -- LPAs London planning authorities -- opex Operational expenditure; Life cycle costing -- Low carbon heat technologies -- Retirement living -- Affordable housing; Renewable energy sources -- Periodicals; Energy development -- Technological innovations -- Periodicals; Electric power production -- Periodicals; Energy storage -- Periodicals; 333.79
• DOI: 10.1016/j.seta.2021.101693
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2213-1388

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: 4.5 times more energy is required for heat compared to regulated electricity. ASHP and SHW scenario had low energy, maintenance, and overall operational costs. ASHP and SHW had very low CO2 e emissions but the highest capital costs. Heat incentives and applying carbon tax would reduce the payback time of renewables. Projection of future carbon intensity and cost of electricity is essential for life cycle analysis. Abstract: This paper assesses the low carbon design of housing developments for retired people who are willing to downsize. There is a need for a strategic approach to provide energy-efficient housing in general, but specifically for a growing aged population. This approach should be inclusive and affordable. Therefore, this study assessed the capital and operational costs of space and water heating of typical UK retirement dwellings by considering over a 30-year life cycle, the use, maintainability, replacement frequency, and sustainability of applying different low carbon energy technologies and renewables to various primary heating plants. Conventional heating systems (e.g. gas, electricity) and low carbon green technologies, such as photovoltaics (PV), solar hot water systems (SHW), combined heat and power (CHP) and air source heat pumps (ASHP), were studied and compared. A combination of ASHP and a SHW system reduced the energy costs by 57% maintenance costs by 14% and produced 46% lower carbon emissions than the gas boiler option. However, the ASHP option generated 75% more capital costs than the gas boiler scenarios as well as high replacement costs due to the short life expectancy of the system. The gas boiler and PV combination had the lowest capital, energy, and life cycle costs but also hadhigh carbon emissions. The results suggest that UK government incentives, such asapplying a carbon tax would significantly reduce the payback time of green technologies and could, therefore, be the key drivers of low carbon adoption.