Effect of Decarbonisation Policies and Climate Change on Environmental Impacts due to Heating and Cooling in a Single-Family House

• Main Authors: Daniel González-Prieto, Yolanda Fernández-Nava, Elena Marañón, Maria Manuela Prieto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-04-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: energy transition; electric generation; decarbonisation; climate change; heating and cooling energy demand
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/9/3529

Climate change is associated with global warming. This paper discusses the environmental impacts of the decarbonisation plan proposed by the Spanish Government, comparing the current situation with those foreseen for 2020 and 2030. Furthermore, climate change will vary the thermal demands of buildings. The paper thus investigates the heating and cooling demands of a type of single-family house located in eight Spanish cities with very different climates and altitude. The combined effects of the decarbonisation plan and climate change are analysed based on the environmental impacts caused by the electricity required to meet thermal demands. Both effects led to a reduction of the damage in the categories Human Health (59–68%), Climate Change (57–67%) and Resources (54–65%). However, the damage to Ecosystem Quality will increase (5–28%) as a result of the greater impact on this damage category from the energy production scenario for 2030, although thermal requirements in households will decrease.