Embodied Energy and Carbon Analysis of Solar Kilns for Wood Drying

Abstract

This article includes the assessment of indicative life-cycle embodied energy and embodied carbon values for the construction and maintenance of two different wood-drying solar kilns (Oxford and Boral) with the same timber load capacity over an assumed service life of 20 years. The model developed in this study was analyzed using the computer software “SimaPro 7.1.8 version”; the key data libraries used were the Australian life cycle inventory library and the ecoinvent library (with data, where appropriate, adapted to the Australian region). Embodied impacts (i.e., embodied energy and embodied carbon) for the two kilns, by life cycle stages, were discussed. The total life-cycle cumulative embodied energy and embodied carbon were also discussed as functions of kiln service lives. A sensitivity analysis was included in this report in order to assess the robustness of the results against the uncertainties associated with the model assumptions and the effects of alternative material use on the life-cycle embodied impacts for the two solar kilns. In general, the Oxford kiln was found to have 37% and 43% lower life-cycle embodied energy and embodied carbon values, respectively, than the corresponding values for the Boral kiln.

Keywords:

• Energy analysis
• Solar drying
• Wood drying