Using a life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach, a study done by Preservation Green lab (part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation), compares the environmental impact of retrofitting an existing building for high performance vs. tearing down the building and replacing it with a brand new high performance one. The study also looks at the more common real world scenario of New Construction vs. continued use of a building with only average energy performance.
The underlined above is an important distinguishing factor, as it is not a straight-up comparison of a high performance retrofit to a high performance new construction. The LCA approach takes into account the demolition of a building, and all of the negative ecological impacts of that process. However, it is still somewhat suprising the clear benefits of building reuse vs demolition and re-construction. Check out the study and let us know what you think.
Either way I’m just glad that construction practices are becoming greener. I’ve looked at some new constructions and it’s amazing how green these buildings are becoming. I’ve never thought about retrofitting buildings to make them more green. Nice work.