Operational Carbon Over Time
How buildings consume energy throughout their 50-100 year lifespan
Your Progress
Section 3 of 5The Long-Term Energy Story
While embodied carbon is a one-time hit, operational carbon accumulates year after year for 50-100 years, typically representing 65-80% of lifecycle emissions. Energy efficiency improvements compound over decades, making performance optimization one of the highest-impact climate strategies. System degradation over time means that today's efficient building becomes tomorrow's energy waster without proper maintenance and upgrades.
Energy End Uses
- 🌡️HVAC (40-50%): Heating, cooling, ventilation systems
- 💡Lighting (15-25%): Interior and exterior illumination
- 🔌Plug Loads (15-20%): Computers, appliances, equipment
- 💧Water Heating (10-15%): Domestic hot water systems
Performance Degradation
Standard Building
0.5-1% annual efficiency loss without maintenance
Well-Maintained
0.2-0.3% loss with proper commissioning
Actively Managed
Continuous improvement possible with automation
50-Year Energy Projection Tool
Model long-term energy costs and emissions for different building performance levels
Building Performance Level
Projection Timeline
50 yearsTotal Energy Use
28688
MWh over 50 years
Energy Costs
$4303k
At $0.15/kWh
CO₂ Emissions
12049
tons over 50 years
Cumulative Energy Cost Over Time
Year 0$75k
Year 5$456k
Year 10$846k
Year 15$1245k
Year 20$1654k
Year 25$2072k
Year 30$2499k
Year 35$2936k
Year 40$3383k
Year 45$3838k
Year 50$4303k
Next: Circular Economy Design
Learn how to design buildings for reuse, adaptation, and recycling