lca in the building sector: methodological problems and · environmental issues (eco-preferability...

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SB07 – Turin – Italy · International Conference · Sustainable Building South Europe · 7-8 June 2007

LCA in the building sector: methodological problems and

practical solutions based on the Dutch experience

SBO7 - 8 June 2007, Turin - Italy

Leo Breedveld – 2B

SB07 Friday 8th June: LCA Buildings

www.to-be.it


LCA & buildings: methodological issues

LCA is complex tool buildings are complex products

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LCA & buildings: methodological issues

1. Life-time of a building is long and unknown

2. Buildings are site specific and many of the impacts are local

3. Buildings consist of many components: data problem

4. Manufacturing processes are site-specific (construction phase)

5. Behaviour of the users is difficult to predict (use phase)

6. End-of-life is country specific (demolition phase)

7. Multi-functionality of buildings >> functional unit

8. Conflict between environmental impacts and indoor living

environment (heating, ventilation, lighting, etc.)

9. How to assess urban infrastructure (roads, pipes, wires, green

space, treatment facilities). Building design >> infrastructure

10. How to assess building adaptability?

Functional unit?

System boundaries?

Local impacts?

Data availability?

Allocation?


Environmental relevance:� Environmental priority in NL together with

agriculture and mobility

Support of the Ministry of the Environment:� Dubo: Dutch programme to support ecodesign in

the building sector

� Support of assessment tools in the building sector

(e.g. Eco-Quantum, Greencalc)

Eco-confusion – nineties:� Conflicting views and information on

environmental issues (eco-preferability of

products, ecolabel type 1)

Dutch experiences in the building sector

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Potential and limits of LCA

LCA is primarily an

ecodesign tool and

to a lesser extend

a tool to select the

“best” alternative.

LCA does not provide

absolute answers, it

is a tool to support

eco-decisions in a

specific context


MRPI: Dutch EPD system

MRPI: certified environmental information of building

materials (EPDs):� Initiative of the building sector

� Ecolabel type 3

� Based on LCA

Driving force of MRPI:� Conflicting information is bad for the sector

� Participation of the sector (> 100 materials)

Main stakeholders:� Association of the building sector (NVTB)

� Ministry of the Environment, certification bodies

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LCA databases for building materials

� MRPI >> NEN 8006:2004 (>> CEN TC 350)

� VLCA

� Ecoinvent v1.3 – v2

� IVAM LCA database


CEN/TC 350

The programme of work within CEN/TC 350 will provide with a standardised voluntary approach for the delivery of environmental information on construction products, and to assess the environmental performance of buildings, and more generally the integrated performance of buildings in a framework document. The objective is to cover all kinds of building products and all kinds of buildings, new and existing buildings, and possibly other construction works, if appropriate.

The programme work will ensure taking into account the existing standards, particularly the ISO existing standards from ISO/TC 59/SC 17, ISO/TC 59/SC 14 and ISO TC 207 through:

� the development of a set of standards for environmental product declarations (EPD) for building products, including the implementation of the ISO/TC 59/SC 17 standard ISO 21930 as EN ISO, and the development of an European Product Category Rule (PCR),

� the development of a standard on the environmental performance of buildings, and

� the development of a technical report describing processes and scenarios related to the building life cycle in order to complement the whole concept.

The work is organised in the following way:

� AHG Framework directly managed by the TC in charge of the framework document

� WG1 Environmental Performance of buildings in charge of projects related to the assessment of the environmental performance of buildings and the use of EPD

� WG2 Building life cycle description in charge of the project related to description of building life cycle

� WG3 Products level in charge of projects related to: European PCR; Communication format; TR on generic data

The set of standards is planned to be available by 2008-2009.

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http://www.oekosiedlungen.de/_materialien/tools/mindmap.html

University of Karlsruhe

LCA tools for the building sector

� BEES

� ATHENA

� ENVEST

� BREEAM

� EcoHomes

� etc.


� Eco-Quantum

� Greencalc

� GPR

� Toolkit

Dutch tools for the building sector

www.greencalc.com/demo.htmlwww.ivam.uva.nl/uk/producten/product7.htm

www.gprgebouw.nl www.aeneas.nl/toolkit

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Eco-Quantum: scope

What is Eco-Quantum?� A tool to calculate the environmental impact of a building,

applying the LCA method (from cradle to grave)

Goals:� Eco-design tool for architects

� Policy tool for local authorities

Users and applications:� Architects and private companies in the building sector in order

to support and implement ecodesign

� Municipalities and other local authorities to support green

building initiatives


Materials Emissions Energy Waste

Eco-indicator

Abiotic depletion

Global warming

SmogOzone depletion

AcidificationNutrification

Human toxicity

Aquatic toxicity

Hazardous waste

Non hazardous waste

Energy

Eco-Quantum: impact assessment

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Need for harmonisation: PRESCO project

1. Consistent life

span

2. Consistent data

collection

3. Transparency and

simplicity are

important

criteria for the

end-user


Need for harmonisation: Dutch initiative

� The same buildings give different results with

different tools;

� Common project of Dutch tool developers to

harmonise 1 method and 1 dataset to calculate the

environmental impact of buildings (co-financed by

VROM);

� Stepwise approach: materials >> buildings;

� Small but flexible project organisation consisting of

key stakeholders (tool owners and the sector).

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Conclusions: lessons learned

� The Dutch example shows that the development of a

tool like Eco-Quantum is feasible

� MRPI is an important input for tools like Eco-

Quantum

� Flexibility is more important than the banning of

certain building products (preferability of products)

� Environmental performance of buildings and

associated norms, can be measured by tools like

Eco-Quantum

� After a long experience in the assessment of

building materials (MRPI >> NEN 8006:2004), NL is

now working hard on the harmonisation of tools for

the assessment of buildings


How to reach a broader public?

www.dekleineaarde.nlwww.ecosites.net

www.cat.org.ukTools should meet the needs of non-experts!

(Non-experts need some education)

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Thank you for your attention!

� Leo Breedveld – 2B ([email protected] / www.to-be.it)

� For further information, please feel free to contact me in Mogliano Veneto

lca in the building sector: methodological problems and · environmental issues (eco-preferability...

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