Urban retrofit of the Leipzig-Grünau District. A screening LCA to measure mitigation strategie

Abstract

The work proposes and verifies an integrated approach to the redevelopment of the disadvantaged Grünau district in Leipzig, combining microclimatic mitigation strategies on buildings and urban scales with Life Cycle Assessment screening. The application of the LCA showed that, compared to an increase in the impact of retrofitting solutions, the strong reduction of energy consumption (-58%) during the use stage leads to an overall decrease of the total GWP. Nonetheless, some major issues connected to occupant comfort were not totally captured by the environmental dimension. Consequently, it is crucial to develop new approaches and schemes based on combining LCA with other appropriate performance criteria in order to more broadly assess the sustainability of a district.