Showing papers by "Melissa M. Bilec published in 2005"

Economic and environmental implications of construction energy use and generation under new epa emission standards

Abstract: The construction industry is responsible for many environme ntal impacts, primarily air emissions, waste generation, and use of land, water, and energy . Most of the attention has focused on the environmental impacts of material selection and building operation. In this paper, we focus on the energy and environmental implications of construction, specifically on-site energy consumption including on-site electricity generation. Existing estimates of energy use and environmental emissions in the construction sector are tied to large construction vehicles, but many other engines and vehicles consume energy. We create a framework for broadly considering the energy use and environmental impacts of construction engines, vehicles, and activities. We estimate the impacts of this energy use and compare it to other known national-level impacts. Finally, we discuss the possible implications of new EPA regulations on diesel fuels and engines that may lead to a significant reduction in environmental impacts. We propose design changes for large construction equipment that would provide excess power that could be used to replace existing inefficient portable generators. If fully implemented, on -site electricity generation could be cleaner – i.e., producing fewer emissions, than the electricity grid.