Assessing the energy efficiency potential of recycled materials with construction and demolition waste: A Spanish case study

Buildings are responsible for 40% of the overall final energy consumption in the European Union. On the other hand, the construction, energy, and industry sectors generate around 50% of the waste produced in Europe, out of which a third part is construction and demolition waste (CDW). In recent years, many research works have been carried out to analyze the viability of incorporating waste, especially CDW, as a substitute for traditional raw materials with great environmental impact. However, most of the studies found cover only the mechanical characterization of the compound, and there are very few that analyze these materials in specific building applications. This research work evaluates the energy efficiency potential of recycled materials with CDW. After an exhaustive analysis of the main existing recycled materials, an energetic evaluation of several construction solutions is carried out, as well as a comparison with traditional solutions. The findings show that the incorporation of recycled materials in several building construction elements is a success, since it not only reduces the consumption of raw materials, but also reduces the energy consumption of the building. Energy savings using recycled materials can range from 8% in a warm region (such as Seville) up to 13% in cold regions (such as Soria), which are greater in heating than in cooling.