"Preservation saves energy by taking advantage of the nonrecoverable energy embodied in an existing building and extending the use of it"
- ASSESSING the ENERGY CONSERVATION BENEFITS of HISTORIC PRESERVATION: Methods and Examples, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
TEARDOWNS
Teardown not only describes the process of razing a historic structure, but is also used to describe the building that replaces it.
A new "teardown" is marked by its oversized footprint and often visually jarring design. In our experience, the average sq. ft.
of a teardown is a bit more than double the size of the existing home.
Visit the National Trust's Teardown Resource Guide
to learn more.
This calculator combines the functionality of the embodied energy concept models with the demolition debris calculator.
This calculator will only work with one building type (zoning being what it is, we are assuming a like building is being replaced).
Begin by choosing construction and building type of the existing building. Next enter the sq. ft. of the
existing building and new construction. Click calculate to get the amount of energy lost and spent in demolition and
construction, as well as the tons of debris generated. Approximate equivalents in gallons of gas and individual waste,
respectively, are also displayed.
