The Energy Embodied in Building Materials - Updated New Zealand Coefficients and Their Significance

Following an outline of the three main methods of energy analysis the authors describe the application of a hybrid analysis method used during their recent update of the embodied energy coefficients of New Zealand building materials. Full tabulations are appended of the updated coefficients of over 100 building materials. While most of the coefficients were less than the values found in a 1983 study, over a quarter of them had risen by an average of 46% - some of the reasons for these apparent increases are attributed to the greater accuracy of the hybrid analysis method. When the effects of these changes on the total embodied energy of a 'standard' house shell were investigated, it was found to have reduced significantly - by over 50% in most cases - compared to 1983.