Developing a Database of Bio-Based Materials Used in Building Envelope Applications

Lead Performer: Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Oak Ridge, TN
Partner: Passive House Institute US – Chicago, IL
DOE Total Funding: $270,000
FY22 DOE Funding: $180,000
Cost Share: $30,000
Project Term: October 2021 – March 2023
Funding Type: Cooperative Research and Development Agreement – 2021 Lab Call

Project Objective

This project will make available to the designer community key material properties of bio-based materials that would be used in building envelope applications. A bio-based material is a material comprised of substance(s) derived from living matter (biomass). The substitution of bio-based materials for those products traditionally used can aid in the decarbonization of the buildings sector. The development of this database will allow designers to evaluate the impact of these material substitutions from an energy efficiency, comfort, and durability perspective.

Globally, it is estimated that approximately 150 billion square feet of buildings are constructed yearly. The embodied carbon emissions of that construction are approximately 3.7 trillion metric tons CO₂ per year. Unlike operational carbon emissions that can be reduced over time with building energy-efficiency renovations and the use of renewable energy, embodied carbon emissions are locked in place as soon as a building is built. It is critical that we begin to use bio-based building materials as soon as possible to control embodied carbon now to meet our goal of phasing out building emissions by the year 2050.

The project will produce a database of hygrothermal and transport properties on bio-based building materials that can be readily added to and used by energy and durability simulation tools. The database will also be made available to reference databases.

Project Impact

This project seeks to address how quickly the design community develops confidence in utilizing these new bio-based products. The availability of quality data developed using consensus methods by a trusted source that can be used by simulation tools to evaluate the energy, comfort, and durability of these new materials that are deployed in opaque building envelope components will eliminate the barrier of being able to use existing design tools to evaluate these materials. By allowing designers to evaluate the energy efficiency and comfort impacts of using bio-based envelope materials, this database will accelerate the adoption of bio-based materials and the decarbonization of the energy sector.

Contacts

DOE Technology Manager: Sven Mumme
Lead Performer: Andre Desjarlais, Oak Ridge National Laboratory