Embodied Energy “Embodied energy is the energy consumed by all of the processes associated with the production of a product. “ Sum total of the energy necessary for an entire product; It’s all the direct and indirect energy required to produce a product;  Extraction of resources needed through mining  Manufacturing of materials and equipment  Transportation and product delivery

Need to consider the embodied energy of the building materials we use; Virgin materials vs. Recycled materials – this can vary for each product where reprocessing may cost more due to long transport distances. Example - Building and Construction This table shows the embodied energy of different building materials.

Example - Building and Construction Things to consider to reduce the embodied energy of a building: Design buildings for long life and adaptability; Modify or refurbish instead of demolishing; Ensure materials from demolition of existing buildings, and construction wastes are reused or recycled; Use locally sourced materials to reduce transport; Select low embodied energy materials – which also include materials made with recyclable content; Give preference to materials manufactured using renewable energy sources. Generally the more processed a material is the higher the embodied energy. The table below shows the embodied energy of a building:

What you can do in your everyday life to consider the embodied energy of products to reduce CO2 emissions? Embodied Emissions in Everyday Life? Food miles Buy fruit and veg that is in season and sourced locally Eat less Beef – has high embodied energy due to: Production of feed for animals; Length of time to grow animals to maturity compared with plants; The feeding of animals The animals weight which is a factor in transport emissions. Buy food with less package – energy goes into making this packaging Purchase goods that are made from recyclable materials where possible i.e. Earth Saver range in Corporate Express; Use Aluminium foil sparingly and reuse where possible.