Environmental impact analysis of five family houses in Eastern Slovakia through a life cycle assessment

This study performs a life cycle assessment (LCA) of five new family houses in Eastern Slovakia to compare them in terms of the materials and technologies used. The main goal of the analysis is to investigate and highlight the expectable reduction rate of environmental impact resulting from using green materials and technologies. Their environmental impact is determined by using eToolLCD software. The life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) categories of global warming, ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication and photochemical ozone creation potential are determined within the cradle-to-grave boundary. The examined family houses are built of conventional materials such as aerated concrete blocks, expanded polystyrene (EPS) for thermal insulation and roofing mineral wool, as well as natural materials such as clay, straw, wood, cellulose and vegetation for the roofs. Family houses built of natural materials are characterized by negative emissions of CO_2eq in the product phase. Results show that especially the product phase contributes greatly to all environmental impact categories for houses built of conventional materials, such as aerated concrete blocks, mineral wool for thermal insulation, reinforcement concrete and ceramic or concrete tiles.