A systematic method for cost-effective carbon emission reduction in buildings

Abstract

Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis (CEPA) is a recent advancement in the traditional pinch analysis technique developed in the 70's. It has been applied to determine the minimum amount of zero-carbon energy resources or renewable energy needed to achieve the region's or a country's CO 2 emission reduction target. This study introduces a new holistic framework to cost effectively screen and select the correct electrical energy saving measures for a building to maximize carbon reduction within a desired payback period. The method uses the newly proposed Carbon Management Hierarchy (CMH) to maximize carbon reduction. This is done by plotting the Investment vs. Carbon Reduction (ICR) plot according to the CMH level and based on three heuristics. The final step is to screen the ICR plot using Systematical Hierarchical Approach for Process Screening (SHARPS)' method until the desired payback period by the building owner is achieved. Application of the methodology on a case study gives a reduction 141, 000 kg CO 2-e per annum with an annualized investment cost of MYR42,000 and a payback period of 8 months.