Tying evaluation to design

After gathering feedback from project teams, this credit includes the next iteration of Pilot Credit 1: Life Cycle Analysis of Building Assemblies and Materials. The intention of this pilot is to tie LCA evaluation to design decisions, and test the availability of LCIA data from product manufacturers. Structural and envelope material selections are often the first decisions made on a project, LCA is a tool best used to analyze the impact of structural and envelope materials before the project’s design is finalized.

Energy Return on Investment

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Energy return on investment for different energy sources. Lighter color indicates range of EROI, depending on conditions. Source: Charles A.S. Hall and John W. Day, Jr. in "Revisiting the Limits to Growth After Peak Oil" in American Scientist, May-June, 2009.
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Thoughts on the Future of Petroleum

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Significant price fluctuation has been the rule with crude oil and gasoline for the past several years. As the economy picks up, many experts predict higher oil prices during 2011. Graph: Wall Street Cheat Sheet. Click on image to enlarge.

It's fitting that this first blog of 2011 takes a look into the crystal ball--at the energy source that pretty-much defines our culture.

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