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Purpose <p>From 2020 to 2022, the land area of Chinese universities increased by approximately 145 million m<sup>2</sup>. This exponential growth in the higher education sector has had a significant impact on energy consumption, resource utilization, and carbon emissions. However, life cycle-based carbon emission accounting standards and carbon reduction strategies for new university building complexes remain to be studied.</p> Methods <p>This study employed life cycle assessment and scenario simulation methods to conduct a comprehensive survey of a representative sample of Chinese universities. The primary objective was to thoroughly and systematically evaluate the carbon emissions generated throughout the lifecycle of the new university building complexes and explore potential reduction strategies.</p> Results <p>Our findings revealed that the new university building complex emitted 1,232,108 t CO<sub>2</sub>eq during its life cycle, corresponding to 3.68 t CO<sub>2</sub>eq/m<sup>2</sup> of carbon emissions per unit area. The main contributors to these emissions were the building materials (17.53%) and use phase (81.54%). Notably, carbon emissions from electricity (60.58%) surpassed heat supply (39.15%) during the building complex operation phase, while buildings with high population densities exhibited heightened carbon emissions from electricity, with seasonal variations. The study found that carbon emissions over the lifecycle of a building complex could be reduced by 52.51% by optimizing electricity and heating, and optimizing the heating system was estimated to reduce carbon emissions by 28.47%. In addition, this study identified buildings with high population densities as having the greatest potential for carbon reduction.</p> Conclusions <p>This study proposes a new system of life cycle-based carbon emissions accounting for new university building complexes, identifying key processes, materials, and strategies to focus on carbon reduction. The insights derived hold potential to inform precise policies and plans for energy conservation, emission reduction, and green retrofitting of new university buildings.</p>

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Life cycle assessment of carbon emissions and reduction potential exploration of new building complexes in Universities: A case study in China

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年1月30日

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  • Fan Fan,
  • Shenglai Zhu,
  • Jieyixiong Huang,
  • Xiaomeng Xu,
  • Feng Xu

摘要

Purpose

From 2020 to 2022, the land area of Chinese universities increased by approximately 145 million m2. This exponential growth in the higher education sector has had a significant impact on energy consumption, resource utilization, and carbon emissions. However, life cycle-based carbon emission accounting standards and carbon reduction strategies for new university building complexes remain to be studied.

Methods

This study employed life cycle assessment and scenario simulation methods to conduct a comprehensive survey of a representative sample of Chinese universities. The primary objective was to thoroughly and systematically evaluate the carbon emissions generated throughout the lifecycle of the new university building complexes and explore potential reduction strategies.

Results

Our findings revealed that the new university building complex emitted 1,232,108 t CO2eq during its life cycle, corresponding to 3.68 t CO2eq/m2 of carbon emissions per unit area. The main contributors to these emissions were the building materials (17.53%) and use phase (81.54%). Notably, carbon emissions from electricity (60.58%) surpassed heat supply (39.15%) during the building complex operation phase, while buildings with high population densities exhibited heightened carbon emissions from electricity, with seasonal variations. The study found that carbon emissions over the lifecycle of a building complex could be reduced by 52.51% by optimizing electricity and heating, and optimizing the heating system was estimated to reduce carbon emissions by 28.47%. In addition, this study identified buildings with high population densities as having the greatest potential for carbon reduction.

Conclusions

This study proposes a new system of life cycle-based carbon emissions accounting for new university building complexes, identifying key processes, materials, and strategies to focus on carbon reduction. The insights derived hold potential to inform precise policies and plans for energy conservation, emission reduction, and green retrofitting of new university buildings.