Research Publications

The life cycle energy, greenhouse gas emissions and costs of a contemporary 2,450 sq. ft. residential home (referred to as the standard home, or SH) were evaluated to study opportunities for conservin...

The creation of an ultimate alternative-fuel vehicle has been a persistent dream of environmental groups, enthusiastic individuals, and businesses. Today, with the accelerated evolution of fuel cel...

A novel application in the field of Life Cycle Assessment is presented that investigates optimal vehicle retirement timing and design life. This study integrates Life Cycle Energy Analysis (LCEA) w...

While there are numerous successful campus ecology programs across the nation focusing upon implementation strategies and program coordination, such as energy conservation initiatives or recycling and...

Derived from master's thesis by the same title.

Materials move through communities in the form of products and raw materials to satisfy human needs such as shelter and transportation. Though the flows of materials into and out of communities provid...

Environmental sustainability of a product such as an automobile can be measured ultimately by its impact on the planet's life support system. This support system can be characterized in terms of na...

This study is a life cycle assessment (LCA) comparing two types of a powertrain structural component: one made of diecast primary aluminum and another hypothetical part made of semi-solid injection...

This study provides a framework upon which to base management for ecological sustainability in the University of Michigan's Housing Division (Housing). The study presents mechanisms for organizational...

Invasive species pose a serious environmental threat to this country and countries all around the world. Global commerce essential to the economic well being of the citizens of the world provides impo...

Life-cycle inventory and cost-analysis tools applied to milk packaging offer guidelines for achieving better environmental design and management of these systems. Life-cycle solid waste, energy, an...

The document presents a list of implementation strategies for "sustainable" building practices in the non-residential-buildings sector. The strategies, developed by the workshop participants, are grou...

This report (CSS99-02R2) is a second revision of CSS99-02. Model results presented in the second revised report were computed using a zero degree tilt.  Model results presented in the first revis...

This paper discusses the development of a software tool called PV-BIDPAT, that is used to evaluate, design, and plan building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) installations. The tool consists of life cy...

The document presents a list of obstacles to "sustainable" building practices in the non-residential-buildings sector. The obstacles, developed by the workshop participants, are grouped by the followi...

Proceedings from Sustainable Agriculture Indicators workshop

Concern about the environmental impacts of tourism has grown widely in the 1990s, corresponding with the rapid growth in the popularity of ecotourism (Ceballos-Lascurain, 1993). Various definitions an...

The document presents a list of sustainability indicators in the non-residential-buildings sector. The indicators, developed by the workshop participants, are grouped by the following aspects: -Env...

Federal standards that mandate improved fuel economy have resulted in the increased use of lightweight materials in automotive applications. However, the environmental burdens associated with a pro...

While the results are generally the most exciting aspects of an LCI study, the details of the LCI model that generates the results are equally significant; particularly when modeling the life cycle...