Environmental Product Declarations as Data Source for the Environmental Assessment of Buildings in the Context of Level(s) and DGNB: How Feasible Is Their Adoption?

Abstract

This study aims to examine the feasibility of using environmental product declarations (EPDs) as a data source for life-cycle assessment (LCA) in two sustainable building assessment schemes–the pilot version of the European framework Level(s) and the German system DGNB (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen). An EPD is a standardized and third-party certified label to communicate product-specific environmental data based on LCA. Some green building rating systems consider it a robust LCA data source and encourage its use over generic data. This work evaluates the environmental profile of the envelope of an office building in the context of level(s) and DGNB adopting EPD as a data source. The results indicate that the EPDs did not cover the mandatory scope of the schemes. Furthermore, there was a lack of EPDs appropriate to the geographical context of the case study, leading to the adoption of EPDs of products from places other than the building site and an overestimation of the environmental impacts of transportation. Moreover, the need for EPDs considering suitable and comprehensive scenarios as well as life-cycle stages beyond the product stage is highlighted. This gap, in fact, hinders the performance of a complete LCA within the analyzed building assessment schemes when relying solely on EPDs as a data source. With this paper, we wish to encourage the further development of EPDs related to the integration of more life-cycle modules and more comprehensive scenarios, considering the direction of the latest amendment of the ISO 15804 for EPDs of construction products.

Achieving zero carbon emissions in the construction sector: The role of timber in decarbonising building structures

“…EPDs are a growing source of environmental data in the building products market, and are increasingly being used for (1) environmental performance assessment of buildings and (2) product comparison for procurement decisions during the later stages of building design 58 . Several studies show that EPDs represent an advantage when used as LCA data source compared to generic data 69 .…”

Thermal-Energy Analysis and Life Cycle GHG Emissions Assessments of Innovative Earth-Based Bamboo Plastering Mortars

“…In general, the best strategy for the design of zero or near-zero energy buildings and the retrofitting of existing buildings is: firstly, Sustainability 2021, 13, 10429 2 of 24 reducing energy demands by considering efficiency measures, especially those acting on the envelope and equipment; and secondly, introducing renewable energy systems [4,5]. Regarding the envelope, the incorporation of insulating materials has shown to be an efficient practice for reducing operational energy use, principally in temperate and cold climates [6][7][8][9].…”

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) of construction products in Spain: Current status and future challenges

“…The LCA method is he scientifically valid method to estimate the embodied impacts produced throughout the life cycle of a building [3]. The environmental data regarding the building elements, materials, and process plays a major role therein, and therefore the existing EN 15978 standards [5] for building LCA propose Environmental Product Declarations as verified certification to communicate the environmental performance of a specific product [6]. Moreover, EPDs can reduce IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1078/1/012128 2 uncertainties in the LCA results, due to the use of specific product information [7].…”

“…The implementation of LCA in the building design process is currently undergoing a phase of considerable growth, especially in the field of Green Building Rating Systems (GBRS) [6]. In the context of Europe, the use of EPDs to conduct the LCA is mandatory to meet a variety of requirements.…”

“…In the European context, the use of EPDs in building LCA current practice implies several limitations. The review of existing studies in the field [6,[13][14][15] suggests that there are two types of limitations. The first is related to the EPD market, derived from the costs and times of the certification process [13], which can limit accessibility to all types/scales of manufacturing firms.…”