| Buildings are accountable for over 40% of energy use in OECD countries. Most energy is used for indoor environment control and artificial lighting; the rest is used for the production of materials and the construction and demolition of buildings. The correct utilization of natural materials could lead to energy saving during the use of the buildings and during the phase of demolition because the less the material is subjected to transformations, the less energy cost it is. Moreover, the study of the properties of materials, in order to choose the most suitable one, allows energy saving during the building use. In particular, the utilization of local material in rural buildings minimizes the energy cost for its transport as well as its environmental... |
