Reducing the environmental impact of our buildings is a major challenge for all of us in the construction industry. To achieve this, it is essential to have a consistent and reliable source of information about the various impacts a construction product may have across its lifespan. Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are designed to provide this, capturing a variety of product life cycle assessment (LCA) data in a single document which can support specifier choice and help manufacturers to identify product improvements.
What is an EPD certificate?
EPD certificates are often likened to the nutritional labels you see on the back of food packets. They give clear, independently verified information about the environmental impacts of a construction product across its lifespan based on a life cycle assessment (LCA) including:
- global warming potential (GWP);
- ozone depletion potential (ODP); and
- acidification potential (AP)
Here in the UK, EPDs can either be carried out under BS EN 15804: 2012 + A1: 2013 or BS EN 15804: 2012 + A2: 2019. These documents set a series of so-called core Product Category Rules (core PCRs) – essentially ensuring products are assessed using consistent methods and data quality requirements. The requirement for particular categories of products (e.g. insulation) may vary depending on their use.
Since the start of 2022, new EPDs have to be completed under the 2019 version of BS EN 15804. All existing certificates completed under the 2013 version will remain valid for the full 5-year period.
What is Covered in a BS EN 15804 LCA?
Both versions of BS EN 15804 are broken down into modules which cover different stages in a product’s lifespan:
- A1-3 (raw material extraction and production stage)
- A4-5 (construction process stage)
- B1-7 (use stage)
- C1-4 (end of life/disposal routes)
- D (reuse, recycling)
Under the 2013 version, only modules A1-3 are compulsory (a cradle-to-gate approach), whereas in the 2019 version the LCA must also look at modules C1-4 and D. This is known as a cradle-to-gate with options approach. It encourages manufacturers to operate more circular business models, giving careful thought to what will happen to products at the end of a building’s life. This can include a whole range of measures such as operating waste take back schemes and altering the chemical composition of products to allow them to be upcycled or downcycled.
Learn more about life cycle assessments
How to read an EPD certificate
BS EN 1804 EPD certificates can be loosely broken down into four sections:
- General information
- This gives a general overview of the EPD type and format including:
- the name of the independent assessor (operator) carrying out the EPD (e.g. BRE);
- the PCRs used (e.g. EN15804 : 2021 + A1: 2013);
- commissioner of the LCA (typically the manufacturer);
- EPD type (such as cradle-to-gate with options); and
- a table of the modules covered.
Product information
The next section gives more detailed information about the product including:
- a product description;
- technical information (such as thermal conductivity in the case of insulation);
- product contents (what materials and chemicals are used to manufacture it);
- manufacturing process; and
- information about the installation method, use and end of life.
LCA Rules
This section sets out the scope for the LCA and, in particular, its boundaries. Given the complexity of modern supply chains, the scope of an LCA could be huge. For example, the process of getting raw materials to the manufacturing site may include various steps such as extraction, transportation and process, each with their own inputs and environmental impacts. The boundary rules make it clear what is and isn’t included within the EPD. There is also additional information about how sources and quality assessments for the product data are used in the LCA.
LCA Results
Finally, there are a number of tables showing the results from the LCA. The indicators being assessed are listed across the top of the table, these vary depending on the version of BS EN15804 being used (there are 13 core indicators and a further 6 environmental indicators in the 2019 version). These results for each indicator are split out into the different modules.
How can EPDs be used?
In contrast with the old Green Guide to Specification, EPD certificates are long and detailed documents which aren’t designed to allow direct product comparisons. To take full advantage of the data they contain, they should be used as part of a Building Life Cycle Assessment (Building LCA). As the name suggests, Building LCA approaches require project teams to look at the environmental impacts of the building as a whole. When used correctly, it should allow specifiers to compare not only the environmental impact of different products but also entire construction methods and building designs.
With the rise of Level 2 BIM, it is becoming increasingly simple to carry out this type of analysis. Tools are now available which take the product quantity data from a BIM model and cross reference it against a database of product EPDs. The outputs can then be used to generate a whole-building assessment of environmental impacts. BRE Global is supporting this through IMPACT, a specification and database of product LCA data which can be used by software developers to create whole-building assessment tools. A number of IMPACT approved tools are now available to specifiers.
Building LCAs are expected to become the norm for buildings in the years to come and are already a key requirement for leading sustainability standards such as BREEAM. The growth in product EPDs will help to support this process – empowering specifiers to cut the environmental impacts of our buildings.
Kingspan Insulation EPD certificates
You can access all Kingspan Insulation BS EN 15804 verified EPD certificates via the BRE database.
