title: Life cycle based analysis of demands and emissions for residential water-using appliances.
abstract: Environmental impacts of energy and water demand and greenhouse gas emissions from three residential water-using appliances were analyzed using life cycle assessment (LCA) based approach in collaboration of economic input-output model. This study especially focused on indirect consumption and environmental impacts from end-use/demand phase of each appliance. Water-related activities such as water supply, water heating and wastewater treatment were included in the analysis. The results showed that environmental impacts from end-use/demand phase are most significant for the water system, particularly for the energy demand for water heating (73% for clothes washer and 93% for showerheads). Reducing water/hot water consumption during the end-use/demand phase is expected to improve the overall water-related energy burden and water use sustainability. In the analysis of optimal lifespan for appliances, the estimated values (8-21 years) using energy consumption balance approach were found to be lower than that using other methods (10-25 years). This implies that earlier replacement with efficiency models is encouraged to minimize the environmental impacts of the product.
authors.affiliation: Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA. mlee011@fiu.edu
authors.forename: Mengshan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Berrin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tansel
mesh_terms: D004777:Environment; D006794:Household Articles / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006798:Housing; D007221:Industry; D014881:Water Supply