By SHINYA TAKAGI/ Staff Writer
July 7, 2022 at 18:32 JST
University students measure house poles at a renovation site in Fuchu, western Tokyo, in February. (Shinya Takagi)
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from renovating a house are about half the amount from demolishing and rebuilding one, according to a new study by a real estate development company.
Sumitomo Realty and Development Co. conducted the study along with a group of researchers at the University of Tokyo and Musashino University involving three houses it was renovating.
The amount of CO2 emissions from the entire construction work was 47 percent less than the amount seen in rebuilding from scratch.
“Though there is a margin of error, we could show for the first time that there is a certain degree of a CO2 reduction effect,” said Tsuyoshi Seike, a professor at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences at the University of Tokyo.
The researchers itemized and compiled a database on the amount of CO2 emissions caused by discarding old house poles, foundations and integrated kitchens, among other things, and manufacturing them anew.
The researchers then examined how much of CO2 emissions could be reduced when these items and systems were reused by renovating a house.
The CO2 emission reduction effect will fluctuate about 10 percent, in actuality, as materials will differ depending on the house, Seike said.
“Conducting a study on homes is difficult and rare because it is hard to obtain consent from clients,” Seike said.
Seike added that researchers will study the differences in longevity and energy-saving performance in the future.
The company hopes to use the findings to publicize the merits of renovating homes while working toward decarbonization and expanding its businesses.
Suga’s 2030 goal for greenhouse gas asks housing, industry for cuts
July 27, 2021
Lumber prices surge as builders in Japan shun Russian wood
April 19, 2022
Seeking more room, Japanese condo buyers ask for ‘doma’ spaces
November 19, 2021
Japan’s world ranking in meeting SDG goals falls to 19th
June 2, 2022
Entrepreneur gets creative for benefit of firm and employees
June 7, 2022
Keidanren seeks state bonds, not carbon tax, for the environment
April 27, 2022
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
A peek through the music industry’s curtain at the producers who harnessed social media to help their idols go global.
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
