The rapidly growing construction industry has accelerated water and energy scarcity in China, threatening its sustainable development. This study integrates multi-regional input-output (MRIO) and... Show moreThe rapidly growing construction industry has accelerated water and energy scarcity in China, threatening its sustainable development. This study integrates multi-regional input-output (MRIO) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) to investigate the water-energy nexus in the construction industry at the provincial level through the entire industrial supply chain. Results show that the construction industry accounts for 8.97% and 27.20% of virtual water and embodied energy in China, respectively. The western area experiences the most energy- and water-intensive construction processes given its backward economy and outdated technological development. The northern area faces great challenges with regard to energy intensity improvements, whereas the central regions suffer from large pressure relating to inefficient water use. The manufacture of non-metallic mineral products, smelting, and the pressing of metals are the largest suppliers of virtual water and embodied energy. The efficiency assessment results demonstrate that Jiangsu and Zhejiang are two DEA-effective regions. China has achieved a relatively high level of scale efficiency but suffers from backward technology. Show less
The construction industry has grown as the major energy consumer in China's economy with the rapid development of urbanization, continually increasing the stress on the environment, healthcare, and... Show moreThe construction industry has grown as the major energy consumer in China's economy with the rapid development of urbanization, continually increasing the stress on the environment, healthcare, and economy. Therefore, this study developed an integrated framework for embodied energy quantification of China's buildings from a multi-regional perspective. This article builds on previous work on embodied energy quantification and develops an optimized algorithm that illustrated how the technological difference and the regional features are calculated as indices of embodied energy quantification at the project level, using multi-regional input-output (MRIO) analysis, structural path analysis (SPA), and process-based LCA model as the underlying methods. The structure of the proposed framework using calculative modules as well as the data sources are specified. The application of the analytical framework in real building cases demonstrates that it can provide valuable information of detailed embodied energy distribution through the whole supply chain. The implementation of the proposed framework can facilitate decision-makers to examine the effects of changes in geographical location, building type, and building structure on the total embodied energy consumption. Show less
