Abstract:Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) to EN 15804 provide information about embodied carbon of construction products – their life cycle greenhouse gas emissions - alongside reporting use of renewable and non-renewable primary energy and secondary fuels amongst other environmental indicators. As the number of EPD to EN 15804 increase, they become a useful data resource to consider these impacts. As we move to reduce the embodied carbon of products, we also need to use renewable energy resources efficiently t… Show more
“…Considering the carbon impacts from the non-renewable energy involved in the A1, A2, and A3 stages, especially for EPD 2 and EPD 3 from Italy, high carbon emissions are expected to correspond to high non-renewable energy use. Anderson and Moncaster 43 revealed that, depending on the renewable energy used in the grid, the energy demand might differ due to transmission losses and lower thermal efficiency therefore, the energy demand might vary based on different electricity grid systems. Therefore, even though the PER was higher in EPD 2 and 3 from Italy than in other EPDs, their GWP results were one of the highest, which might be related to the non-renewables involved during the material production, which may have higher primary energy demand due to transmission losses hence higher embodied impact.Figure 9.GWP, PER, and PENR comparison of the reviewed EPDs.…”
Until recently, reducing the energy required to service a building (the operational energy) was the main aim of controlling carbon emissions from the built environment. It is now recognised that the energy required to make a building (the embodied energy) also has a crucial role in creating a net zero carbon future. The methodologies for quantifying embodied carbon are less developed than those for operational carbon, and more research is required to refine the embodied carbon metrics used when a building’s whole-life carbon emissions are calculated in a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). One such metric is the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), a document which can be used in different countries to quantify a product's environmental performance. EPDs are crucial data for conducting an LCA study of a building. However, despite recent efforts to standardise them, there are still inconsistencies between EPDs produced by different countries or manufacturers, even for materials with similar thermal and physical properties. This study considered some of the reasons for variations in EPDs for one product type, expanded polystyrene insulation (EPS). Factors such as (i) the LCA databases and software generators used for the EPDs, (ii) material mixes and manufacturing methods, (iii) country energy production mixes, and (iv) transportation distance from material source to the factory were considered in the analysis. As a case study, this paper examined the effects of selecting different EPDs for expanded polystyrene insulation on the final LCA results from the retrofit of a mid-rise residential building in Turkiye. Differences in EPDs demonstrated a fourfold difference between the highest and lowest upfront carbon impact results of building retrofit. This size of discrepancy indicates the need to choose the most appropriate EPD for a building/location when performing an LCA. Practical Applications Selecting an EPD when conducting an LCA for a new building or retrofit is generally left to the assessor’s judgment and knowledge, which varies greatly depending on the assessor’s background, especially in the construction sector. This study suggests an informed decision-making method over an example of EPS insulation material when the EPD options were none or limited to building locations like Turkiye.
“…Considering the carbon impacts from the non-renewable energy involved in the A1, A2, and A3 stages, especially for EPD 2 and EPD 3 from Italy, high carbon emissions are expected to correspond to high non-renewable energy use. Anderson and Moncaster 43 revealed that, depending on the renewable energy used in the grid, the energy demand might differ due to transmission losses and lower thermal efficiency therefore, the energy demand might vary based on different electricity grid systems. Therefore, even though the PER was higher in EPD 2 and 3 from Italy than in other EPDs, their GWP results were one of the highest, which might be related to the non-renewables involved during the material production, which may have higher primary energy demand due to transmission losses hence higher embodied impact.Figure 9.GWP, PER, and PENR comparison of the reviewed EPDs.…”
Until recently, reducing the energy required to service a building (the operational energy) was the main aim of controlling carbon emissions from the built environment. It is now recognised that the energy required to make a building (the embodied energy) also has a crucial role in creating a net zero carbon future. The methodologies for quantifying embodied carbon are less developed than those for operational carbon, and more research is required to refine the embodied carbon metrics used when a building’s whole-life carbon emissions are calculated in a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). One such metric is the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), a document which can be used in different countries to quantify a product's environmental performance. EPDs are crucial data for conducting an LCA study of a building. However, despite recent efforts to standardise them, there are still inconsistencies between EPDs produced by different countries or manufacturers, even for materials with similar thermal and physical properties. This study considered some of the reasons for variations in EPDs for one product type, expanded polystyrene insulation (EPS). Factors such as (i) the LCA databases and software generators used for the EPDs, (ii) material mixes and manufacturing methods, (iii) country energy production mixes, and (iv) transportation distance from material source to the factory were considered in the analysis. As a case study, this paper examined the effects of selecting different EPDs for expanded polystyrene insulation on the final LCA results from the retrofit of a mid-rise residential building in Turkiye. Differences in EPDs demonstrated a fourfold difference between the highest and lowest upfront carbon impact results of building retrofit. This size of discrepancy indicates the need to choose the most appropriate EPD for a building/location when performing an LCA. Practical Applications Selecting an EPD when conducting an LCA for a new building or retrofit is generally left to the assessor’s judgment and knowledge, which varies greatly depending on the assessor’s background, especially in the construction sector. This study suggests an informed decision-making method over an example of EPS insulation material when the EPD options were none or limited to building locations like Turkiye.
“…The importance of inclusion in policy was evident in the consideration of heritage, and heritage is now a driver for retention on some masterplan sites even without this regulation (Baker et al 2021). Decisions on the case study sites were made over a decade ago, and subsequent developments in understanding mean that there is now a growing recognition of the importance and extent of embodied carbon (Anderson & Moncaster 2022). If the inclusion of embodied as well as operational environmental impacts gains more weight within policy, particularly at the national level, it would seem highly likely to become a key driver towards the retention of buildings.…”
Current adaptation theory tends to consider individual buildings or the city level, which cannot address decisions related to masterplan developments on large brownfield sites. This paper investigates the drivers for building demolition or retention and adaptation decisions at the masterplan scale. Expert interviews and three case studies are used to explore how and why decisions to demolish, or to retain and adapt, are made at this scale. The research compared three different geopolitical contexts: Cambridge in the UK; Eindhoven in the Netherlands; and Sydney in Australia. Additional factors and complexities that should be considered at the masterplan scale are identified. The theoretical underpinnings of urban development processes are used to explain these complexities in relation to four existing models and demonstrate that no one model is adequate to describe the interactions. With increasing awareness of climate change impacts, it is critical that demolition decisions on masterplan developments are reviewed in the light of retaining carbon as well as heritage.
Practice relevance
This research demonstrates the different and specific concerns applying to demolition and retention on masterplan scale sites compared with the individual building scale. Although the evidence shows that decisions are context specific, the criteria as identified and categorised within this research offer a useful tool for stakeholders when establishing their priorities and approaches to decisions to demolish or retain and adapt within a masterplan context. This should help to avoid contested decisions and can help community groups hoping to have an influence over the long-term decisions, as well as developers looking to retain good relationships with the local community. The identified criteria can support planners and local authorities responsible for approving masterplan developments to better understand the factors relevant to each decision, including the importance of retaining flexibility throughout to enable response to changing circumstances.
“…In 2023, extensive works have been reported in a LCA based doctoral work 12 exploring the role of EPD's in reducing embodied carbon to facilitate sustainable design and construction. This research offers an update on the availability of embodied carbon data and discusses the multi-organizational moves in the UK on assembling more EPD-led material information.…”
Section: Review Of Databases and Assessment Toolsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…This database aims to provide access to a large number of EPD's. The author 12 points out that there is insufficient know-how of scope and availability of EPD's in the UK.…”
Section: Review Of Databases and Assessment Toolsmentioning
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