Life Cycle Analysis of a Renovation Project for Old Housing in Tashkent to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

¹ Diplomat University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
² HPBS, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
³ “Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers” National Research University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

^* Corresponding author: anya.zavaleeva@gmail.com

Abstract

The shift towards economic decarbonization through the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions has led to a focus on renovating and modernizing the existing buildings rather than constructing new ones. This research emphasizes the critical differences between the construction of new buildings and the modernization of the existing structures, specifically in the context of Uzbekistan. The country lacks a comprehensive methodology for accounting for the embodied carbon of building materials used in modernization projects. This research aims to bridge this gap by conducting a life cycle analysis (LCA) of a project focused on enhancing the thermal performance of the enclosing structures of a three to five-story multifamily residential building, commonly referred to as “Khrushchevka”. The analysis found that retrofitting buildings reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 13.5% through improved energy efficiency, despite the increase in initial emissions associated with the production and installation of insulation materials. The total reduction in carbon emissions over the entire life cycle of the reconstructed building was 24% (or 43.2 tons of CO₂), including emissions associated with the production of insulation. The payback period for emissions, which offsets the initial emissions during reconstruction, is 17 years.