Scenario-based energy and environmental assessment for climate-responsive and low-carbon building design

Purpose This study aims to generate evidence-based guidance for climate-responsive residential building design by comparing the energy and carbon performance of alternative wall-envelope materials across diverse climatic contexts. Design/methodology/approach A residential prototype was modelled as a case study and assessed for embodied carbon, cradle-to-grave environmental impacts and operational energy demand under projected future climate scenarios for the 2020s, 2050s and 2080s, incorporating anticipated changes in the electricity supply mix. Wall material alternatives were subsequently prioritised using a multi-criteria performance comparison. Findings Adobe bricks, AAC blocks and fly ash bricks demonstrated the highest overall efficiency across embodied carbon, operational energy and life-cycle impact parameters. Climate-aligned grid decarbonisation could reduce operational carbon emissions by up to 39%. In contrast, neglecting climate change results in an underestimation of electricity consumption by 9% over a 75-year building life-cycle. Originality/value This study evaluates wall material performance by combining future climate-responsive energy simulation with life-cycle environmental assessment in a scenario-based analysis. The results across multiple Indian climatic zones provide context-specific insights for low-carbon residential design.