Applicability of inventory methods for embodied energy assessment of buildings in Sub-Sahara Africa

As the knowledge and understanding of environmental impacts associated with buildings increase, methods of assessing the impacts are also improving in building research. This paper attempts to analyse how applicable the conventional and improved process and input-output inventory methods are in assessing the environmental attributes in the construction industry in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). The paper presents preliminary findings based on an extensive literature review of an ongoing PhD research to analyse embodied energy of buildings in SSA. A basic outline on how the process and input-output inventory techniques operate is presented first followed by a discussion on factors considered to limit the application of the techniques in the region. It is noted that despite the limitations the methods have, they are still sufficient for use in the absence of other alternatives. While enhancement of data for this purpose is essential for appropriate results, further improvement on the methods to suit the local needs is highly recommended