Multiobjective Optimization of Building Performance: Integrated Analysis of Primary Energy Consumption, Carbon Emissions, and Embodied Water

The construction sector contributes significantly to global energy consumption, carbon emissions, and freshwater depletion. Addressing these pressing challenges requires the development of sustainable and energy-efficient building designs. However, this task is complex due to the interdependencies within the energy-carbon-water nexus of buildings. This study introduces an innovative genetic framework employing a multi-objective optimization approach that integrates EnergyPlus with extensive databases on embodied energy, carbon emissions, and embodied water. The proposed methodology enables a holistic assessment and optimization of total primary energy use, total carbon emissions, and embodied water simultaneously. By varying design parameters related to building geometry and envelope characteristics, the framework identifies the optimal building configuration. The methodology is applied to a commercial building prototype located in Dallas, Texas. The optimized design achieves substantial improvements compared to the baseline, with reductions of 57% in total primary energy, 56% in total carbon emissions, and 46.8% in total embodied water.