A review of bottom up studies on life cycle carbon emissions for rural dwellings

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Chinese explanation / 中文解读

中文解读待补充：本站会优先为光伏效率、钙钛矿太阳能电池、储能技术、太阳能热利用、BIPV、并网技术等高价值论文补充中文说明。

Original abstract

The low-carbon transition of the building sector plays a pivotal role in global carbon mitigation, yet rural dwellings remain a critical but underexplored field in decarbonization efforts. In 2024, a substantial population of 42.3% still resides in rural areas where housing contributes significantly to carbon emissions. Unlike standardized urban construction, rural dwellings are characterized by diverse building practices and energy structures, rendering conventional top-down, city-centric assessment methods inadequate for identifying the carbon emission characteristics and targeted reduction pathways of rural dwellings. To address this gap, this study presents a systematic, bottom-up review of 90 scientific studies encompassing 309 rural dwelling cases predominantly located in Asia and Europe (93.8% of cases). We conducted a stage-by-stage statistical analysis of life cycle carbon emissions (LCCE) to quantify contributions across different stages. Our findings revealed that while material production is the most frequently studied stage, the operational stage contributes the highest proportion of total LCCE. Furthermore, the carbon emission factors (CEFs) for materials and energy exhibit order-of-magnitude variations, highlighting a lack of a standardized CEF database. These results underscore the necessity of shifting from macro-level statistics to fine-grained, context-specific assessment frameworks. By synthesizing fragmented data and summarizing strategies for reducing embodied carbon, lowering operational emissions, and enhancing carbon sequestration, this study established a foundational roadmap for developing accurate standards and effective decarbonization policies tailored to rural contexts. The implications of this work are vital for guiding low-carbon transitions in rural dwellings.

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