Low Embodied Energy

Embodied energy is the total expenditure of energy involved in the creation of both the building and its constituent materials. Similarly, embodied carbon is the amount of carbon emitted through building construction, including the entire cycle of material extraction, fabrication, transportation, and final assemblage.

Note that the energy expended to build the structure is 15 to 40 times its annual energy use. Current ratings systems, in measuring annual energy/operating costs, do not account for this embodied energy.

Natural materials (i.e. wood, stone, lime-based plaster) which require minimal processing and manufacturing have lower embodied energy when compared to petroleum-based products, or metals which require more energy for extraction and fabrication.