Relationship between embodied energy (EE) and operational energy (OE) in buildings depending on the component under examination. Options are: (1) no link, when a material with higher/lower embodied energy bears no implication over the operational energy consumption of the building; (2) direct proportionality, when a material with higher embodied energy also causes greater operational energy demand due to a worse thermal performance; and (3) inverse proportionality when a component with higher embodied energy reduces the operational energy demand. This latter case would be the only one where an increase in embodied energy can produce beneficial effects on operational energy. However, as the bottom part of the figure shows, operational energy savings do not materialise immediately. Instead, the whole life energy balance starts with the embodied energy ‘premium’, which is annually compensated by the lower operational energy demand of the option with higher embodied energy. It will take a number of years before the embodied energy premium is recovered. This means that the embodied energy ‘premium’ is causing a surge in emissions due to the current, carbon-intensive, energy grid to save emissions in the future on a likely decarbonised energy grid. [Source: authors’ own].