Embodied energy is the energy required to manufacture products, including all associated processes such as mining, transport and manufacturing. Conventionally, the energy embodied in a building includes the energy used directly to assemble the building (the direct energy) and the energy used indirectly in the manufacture of building materials (the indirect energy). An embodied energy ˇ®pathway' is defined as the seperate amount of embodied energy for one product such as concrete that may be used in the process under consideration such as construction. Many items and processes are neglected in the conventional embodied energy analysis method: process analysis. A complete model of embodied energy pathways of Australian residential buildings is therefore required, to enable case specific process analysis data to be put in context. Another existing embodied energy analysis method, input-output analysis, provides a complete model of the embodied energy of products because it is inclusive of all upstream energy purchases. However, it is unreliable due to many inherent assumptions and, due to its structure, embodied energy pathways cannot easily be determined. A technique for breaking down the input-output model into embodied energy pathways has been developed by the author. The benefits and limitations of substituting case specific process analysis data into the input-output model are discussed for t he case of Australian residential buildings.

• building: residential, house, home
• embodied energy

1. A framework for implementing ISO 14000 in construction
2. Building materials selection: greenhouse strategies for built facilities
3. Using national input-output data for embodied energy analysis of individual residential buildings