Can Computer Models Encourage "Greener" Homebuilding?

Computer-based models called Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools are designed to help users evaluate the environmental impact of building materials and then choose the most environmentally friendly products. Given the potential importance of these tools for America's homebuilders, HUD commissioned the National Association of Home Builders Research Center to convene a forum of LCA experts to discuss LCA issues and the current state of LCA tools. Life Cycle Assessment Tools To Measure Environmental Impact: Assessing Their Applicability to the Home Building Industry presents the results of the forum's examination. It critiques LCAs and suggests how they could be made more useful.

In the past decade various organizations have developed LCAs to evaluate environmental impacts and performances of various building materials. To date, architects, designers, product manufacturers, and builders and engineers in the commercial building industry are the primary LCA users. Forum participants were interested in how LCA tools evaluate potential environmental impacts of various building products and designs. Their consensus was that LCA tools are not ready (and may not be for some time) for homebuilders to use as a practical resource. The major concern is that presently there is no way to ensure the accuracy of the information produced by LCAs.

The report is divided into three sections. Section I contains background information on LCA tools and the purpose of the LCA forum, section II provides information on each of the tools highlighted during the forum, and section III contains feedback from participants on current LCA tools and recommendations for making them more useful to the residential home building industry. For example, the report recommends giving users guidance on factoring LCA results into their overall decisionmaking about building products—on addressing tradeoffs between environmental and other factors, such as product costs, buyers' preferences, and the extent to which local market values "green" construction. In addition, the report contains several informative attachments, including a list of LCA tool descriptors and definitions of related acronyms.

Order Life Cycle Assessment Tools To Measure Environmental Impact from HUD USER for $5. Use the order form. The report can also be downloaded from the HUD USER website at www.huduser.gov.