6.2 Module A1 – A3 – Raw material supply, Transport, Manufacturing.
6.2 Module A1 – A3 – Raw material supply, Transport, Manufacturing.
Tag: Lifecycle stage: A1-A3
6.2 Modules A1–A3 – Raw materials supply, transport, manufacturing.
6.2 Modules A1–A3 – Raw materials supply, transport, manufacturing.
A-01 Distinction between wastes and by-products during the extraction and the processing stages
| Aspect | A-01 Distinction between wastes and by-products during the extraction and the processing stages | |||||||||
Description |
Several wastes and by-products are either used or generated during the production phase of building products. A waste is an output from a process that has not yet reached the end-of-waste state. A by-product is an output that is not a waste, but has low value relative to the product or co-products.How should wastes and by-products be handled? Should energy consumption for waste disposal be included? Should processing energy/water and capital equipment/machinery required for waste disposal be included? How should allocation and crediting issues be handled? | |||||||||
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related study objective |
☒ stand-alone LCA | ☒ comparative assertion | ||||||||
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related study phase |
☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |||||
| goal and scope definition | inventory analysis (LCI) | impact assessment (LCIA) | interpretation | reporting | ||||||
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relevant for |
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| new buildings | existing buildings | construction products | screening LCA | simplified LCA | complete LCA | |||||
Provisions |
If the goal of the study is to make an EPD, the rules provided by EN 15804 should be followed. This will increase consistency with other studies and with EN 15804-based EPDs.For other goal definitions (other than for EPD), ILCD and EN 15804 should be analysed and the most relevant rules should be selected. | |||||||||
Rules from: |
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Guidance |
The following guidance is relevant where an EPD is required according to EN 15804, or where the best possible consistency with EPDs that follow EN 15804 is desired. This is the agreed standard for providing EPD and LCA information for construction products, and for their use in building-level assessments; any regulation in Europe in this area will follow this standard. If there is no interest in understanding the performance of the product according to EN 15804, other approaches – of ISO 14044 and the ILCD Handbook – can be followed. However, these may lead to different results.According to EN 15804, the impacts associated with waste treatment and disposal of wastes are included in the system boundary until the end-of-waste status is achieved.As stated in G-16 Allocation, according to ISO 14040/14044, the ILCD Handbook and the EN 15804 standards, when dealing with systems involving multiple products and recycling processes, allocation should be avoided as far as possible; when unavoidable, allocation should be considered carefully, and should be justified.Allocation cannot be avoided in situations where processes cannot be subdivided and it is impossible to make one product without the other co-products, by-products or wastes.Allocation has to be handled as described in EN 15804, EN 15978 and the ILCD Handbook.
A waste may therefore become a by-product or co-product (with higher value) from the process at the system boundary, and can therefore be considered in terms of co-product allocation according to EN 15804 (see 6.3.4.2), which states: “Flows leaving the system at the end-of-waste boundary of the product stage (A1–A3) shall be allocated as co-products. Loads and benefits from allocated co-products shall not be declared in Module D (see 6.3.4.6). If such a co-product allocation is not possible, other methods may be chosen and shall be justified. Therefore, as a general rule, potential loads or benefits from A1-A3 do not appear in module D.” EN 15804 does not include the second option for avoiding allocation provided within ISO 14044, “expanding the product system to include the additional functions related to the co-products” (often known as system expansion), but does provide that any use of upstream data that does not respect the allocation principles in EN 15804 “shall be clearly stated and justified in the project report. These data shall be in line with EN ISO 14044 allocation rules.” The basic procedures and assumptions for co-product allocation used in EN ISO 14044 have been refined in EN 15804 to reflect the goal and scope of EN 15804 and EN 15643-2. This is because EN 15804 covers all construction products, and in many cases construction products use co-products, by-products and wastes in their manufacture, as well as producing them during manufacture, construction and at end of life. In this situation, where there is such interdependence, it is not possible to use the process of system expansion, as the impact both of the product and co-products and of recycled wastes is required to provide input data for the product LCA study, not just the impacts of the main product of a process. EN 15804 also requires, in 6.4.2, that “the same calculation procedures shall be applied consistently throughout the study,” which means that different allocation procedures should not be applied to one upstream dataset than are used for other co-products entering or leaving the system boundary. Where possible, if there is more than one output from a system, the system should be broken down until the system studied is producing only one output. This is the case where a factory produces two separate products on two production lines – here submetering or other mechanisms such as monitoring should be used to split the inputs and outputs of the system between the two production lines. However, there are many situations where a system produces two or more outputs. For example, the production of cut stone always results in the production of broken stones and dust; and the production of sawn timber always results in the production of sawdust, bark and waste timber, which can be chipped. In these instances, the other outputs can be considered as co-products, by-products or wastes, and the allocation should reflect the main purposes of the process. If the wastes are disposed of, and never reach the end-of-waste state, the impacts of disposal are included within the system boundary. If the wastes, after recycling processes, reach the end-of-waste state, the impacts until they reach this state should be included within the system boundary, and the secondary product produced is considered as a co-product for co-product allocation. If the co-product or by-products are never considered as waste, then they are both considered for co-product allocation at the point where they leave the system. If the co-products have a similar value (i.e. the comparable prices per unit are within 25% of each other), then EN 15804 states that the impacts can be allocated on the basis of the physical unit of production. If the co-product’s value varies by more than 25%, then the co-product allocation should be based on economic value, according to EN 15804. All the outputs at the system boundary (including wastes that have been treated to reach the end-of-waste state) are considered in terms of the percentage of revenue (income) they bring to the system. Comparison of revenue from products should be undertaken using the market value of the normal unit of production (e.g. kg or MJ), based on normal pricing units and long-term averages (3 or 5 years) if prices fluctuate. The impacts of the system are then split between them on the basis of these percentages. For example, in the case of an iron ore mine that produces iron ore and stone that can be used for aggregate, for each kg of iron ore produced and sold for X per kg to be smelted into iron, there may be T tonnes of stone produced and sold for Y per tonne that can be further crushed and used as aggregate. The impacts of the iron ore mine extraction system are then split between the co-products as follows: Revenue from iron ore: 1 kg × X/kg = X Revenue from stone: T tonnes × Y/tonne = YT Total revenue/kg iron = X + YT Proportion of impact allocated to iron ore = X/(X + YT) Proportion of impact allocated to stone = YT/(X + YT) Note that this approach to co-products and co-product allocation, provided in EN 15804, is different from that described in the ILCD, where a physical causality is assumed for both the iron ore and the stone, and the impacts of extraction would be allocated between the co-products on the basis of mass. For both the iron ore and the stone, further processing of the iron ore (smelting of the iron ore) would be completely allocated to the iron, and further processing of the stone (crushing to form aggregate) would be completely allocated to the aggregate. Where the product studied is of high value, a conservative approach in simplified and screening LCA could be to omit the allocation phase and keep all impacts with the high-value product. Where the product studied is a low-value co-product or by-product, it is important to consider the impacts allocated from the production process, as they may still be significant for the low-value product, even if they are only a very small proportion of the high-value product’s impact. The market value of co-products may change over time, but it is the relation between them over time that is relevant, not the actual values. The actual overall revenue may be sensitive, but it is the percentage of revenue that is required for allocation. Rather than data for the whole plant, it could be considered at the cost of 1 kWh electricity and the cost of the resulting fuel ash etc. It may be clear, for instance, if the fuel ash is not a waste, that its relative value is less than 1% of the cost of the electricity. Where co-products have incompatible units, e.g. mass and energy, it is essential to use economic allocation. Wherever possible, market-value data should be obtained from the supplier of the waste or secondary material, or from a relevant local trade association. In many situations an estimate can be made of the values of the different co- products, goods and services, including waste-processing services, if relative values cannot be obtained from the suppliers. If market prices are not known, there are several reliable sources on many product prices, including historical prices and expected prices in terms of futures. The web is a unique source of price data. Hundreds of websites are available on most commonly traded products. The relevant search term for market price is ‘fob’ (free on board at the location of the supplier, without insurance or transport.) The other price type is ‘cif’, stating a specific place of deliverance: e.g. ‘cif Chicago’ for the price of steel as delivered in Chicago. Sources of relevant and appropriate data will vary, depending on material and location, and should be considered on a case-specific basis. Manufacturing waste that is recycled into the same cradle-to-gate process can be considered as closed-loop recycling where there is a matching input, but all impacts must be reported in Modules A1–A3. Where the waste output is not sufficient to match the linked recycled input, then additional upstream data for the recycled input must be used. Where the output is more than sufficient to produce the recycled input, then the additional output flow, at the system boundary (end-of-waste state) should be considered as a co-product for co-product allocation. |
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A-01 Use and adaptation of available cradle-to-gate and cradle-to-grave LCA or EPD data for building products and technical equipment
| Aspect | A-01 Use and adaptation of available cradle-to-gate and cradle-to-grave LCA or EPD data for building products and technical equipment | |||||
| Description |
Different LCA data describing the impacts of raw materials supply, transport and manufacturing (cradle-to-gate data) can be used in practice, depending on the goal and scope, on their availabilities in LCA or EPD databases, and on the geographical location of the building. In addition, they need to be adapted, e.g. information for the gate-to-grave impacts, or adaptation of the cradle-to-gate data to a different context.Which LCA or EPD data should be used in a building LCA study? How can they be adapted if they are not fully appropriate? | |||||
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related study objective |
☒ stand-alone LCA | ☒ comparative assertion | ||||
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related study phase |
☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |
| goal and scope definition | inventory analysis (LCI) | impact assessment (LCIA) | interpretation | reporting | ||
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relevant for |
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| new buildings | existing buildings | construction products | screening LCA | simplified LCA | complete LCA | |
| Provisions |
The practitioner should use existing LCA or EPD databases for selecting cradle-to-gate data or cradle-to-grave data. As far as possible, the practitioner should use a single database for deriving all the data on building products and technical equipment, or otherwise make sure that the building products and technical equipment data are based on identical assumptions.The adaptation of cradle-to-gate data should use consistent rules for building LCA modelling. | |||||
| Rules from: |
EN 15978:10.2.2 Adaptation of cradle to gate (product stage) information
10.2.3 Adaptation from gate to grave information (Modules A4 to C4) and Module D |
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| Guidance |
The choice of LCI/LCIA datasets depends on the goal and scope of the study. Please refer to the corresponding general aspects (in the inventory analysis section). The existing LCA data should be handled with care, as they may have different system boundaries. They also can be used in different contexts, which means they will need to be adapted.1) Guidance for the use of existing databases on building products or technical equipment
Generally speaking, the use of a single database is highly recommended when conducting a building LCA study, so as not to bias the results (e.g. in comparative assertions). Existing LCA or EPD databases are often not comparable, owing to differences in assumptions and methodologies. However, some data (e.g. for technical equipment) may not have been calculated using the same rules (or the same PCR) as other data (e.g. building products). The use of two different databases can be justified in this case if the main conclusions of the study are not affected by the use of data coming from different sources. Alternatively, the practitioner may prefer to rely on a single database, even if not all the building products and technical equipment have corresponding LCI/LCIA data. 2) Adaptation of cradle-to-gate data for a building LCA study The cradle-to-gate data can be adapted either for the production stage (e.g. French or German cradle-to-gate data used in a neighbouring country) or for the additional life cycle stages (Modules A4, A5, C and D). Sometimes data are already presented as cradle-to-gate data: for example, the French EPD database (INIES) provides for some EPD cradle-to-grave results without information for the cradle-to-grave stage. In this case, the practitioner should carefully check whether the scenario and the boundaries for the gate-to-grave stages are relevant for the goal and scope of the study (e.g. according to EN 15804). 3) Use of scenarios for gate-to-grave data for a building LCA study Scenarios are needed to assess the cradle-to-grave impacts depending on the goal and scope of the study (please refer to the corresponding aspects in every life cycle stages for each study type). Even if cradle-to-grave data are available (e.g. French EPD for building products), the scenarios included in these data should be checked for consistency with the scenarios representative of the building under study. If the EPD is broken down into different life cycle stages, the practitioner can then select the cradle-to-gate EPD information and adapt the gate-to-grave information. Scenarios for gate-to-grave impacts need to use default values (or else specific values) especially for: Modules A4 and A5:
Module B – Use stage: – the reference service life of the product (in years); – other aspects (if relevant). Module C – End-of-life stage – the share of end-of-life scenarios i.e. landfill, recycling, incineration (w/o heat recovery) for each type of building material; – the corresponding LCA data. Module D – Benefits and loads beyond the system boundary – the share of reuse, recovery and recycling potential for each type of building material. – the corresponding LCA data Guidance for each module (and corresponding parameters) can be found in the corresponding chapter (Modules A, B, C and D); if not, he practitioner can use the scenarios proposed in building LCA tools (such as EQUER or ELODIE in France), or in building certification schemes. |
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A-02 Accounting for technical building equipment – screening and simplified LCA
| Aspect | A-02 Accounting for technical building equipment – screening and simplified LCA | |||||
| Description |
Different types of technical building equipment can be included in building LCAs: e.g. boilers for heating, air-conditioning systems for cooling, duct networks for ventilation, solar panels for hot water, lifts, lighting etc. The development of energy-efficient buildings has meant that the relative share of the embodied impacts has recently increased, leading to more consistent modelling of the related impacts of building products and technical equipment. In addition, the LCA model should be consistent: if, for example, the PV-related energy consumption is included within Module B6, then the impacts of the PV manufacture should be accounted for in Modules A1–A3. | |||||
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Related study objective |
☒ stand-alone LCA | ☒ comparative assertion | ||||
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Related study phase |
☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |
| goal and scope definition | inventory analysis (LCI) | impact assessment (LCIA) | interpretation | reporting | ||
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Relevant for |
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| new buildings | existing buildings | building products | screening LCA | simplified LCA | complete LCA | |
| Provisions |
For screening and simplified LCA, accounting for technical building equipment is optional, owing to potentially missing data.If LCA or EPD data are available for technical equipment (e.g. in generic LCA databases) at the European or national level, they should be included, using these data as default values. | |||||
| Rules from: |
EN 15978:7.5.2 Description of the physical characteristics of the building | |||||
| Guidance |
The practitioner should use default values for the technical building equipment for screening and simplified LCA. Such default values should come from available LCA generic databases (e.g. Ecoinvent, ELCD, ESUCO), or otherwise may be defined with the relevant stakeholders. | |||||
A-02 Transport of staff in the supply of raw materials
| Aspect | A-02 Transport of staff in the supply of raw materials | |||||||
| Description |
Is it relevant to consider the transport of staff during the extraction and manufacturing life cycle stages? | |||||||
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related study objective |
☒ stand-alone LCA | ☒ comparative assertion | ||||||
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related study phase |
☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |||
| goal and scope definition | inventory analysis (LCI) | impact assessment (LCIA) | interpretation | reporting | ||||
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relevant for |
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| new buildings | existing buildings | construction products | screening LCA | simplified LCA | complete LCA | |||
| Provisions |
Typically, the transport of staff is not included, owing to its lack of significance in relation to the use of energy within the cut-off rules. National EPD programmes may have individual rules on this matter, and for improved consistency with the EPDs of one programme (e.g. of the national EPD programme),it may be advisable to apply such rules. | |||||||
| Rules from: |
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| Guidance |
Screening and simplified LCA: Transport of staff in the supply of raw materials should not be included.Complete LCA: Unless the energy used for transport of staff for any individual process is likely to exceed 1% of the primary energy requirement for that process, it is not necessary to collect data from staff on their journey to and from the extraction or manufacturing site. Significance could be reviewed if necessary by considering costs as a proxy for primary energy, although it should be recognized that petrol and diesel are often highly taxed relative to electricity and natural gas. | |||||||
A-03 Transport of raw materials to the manufacturer
| Aspect | A-03 Transport of raw materials to the manufacturer | |||||||
| Description |
Several raw materials are needed for manufacturing a building product. Depending on the number of raw materials and the availabilities of information from the suppliers, it may be difficult to account for the transport of raw materials in an accurate way. However, this stage of the life cycle may be relevant if the suppliers are located far away from the manufacturing plant.How should the transport of raw materials to the manufacturer be considered for a product LCA? | |||||||
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related study objective |
☒ stand-alone LCA | ☒ comparative assertion | ||||||
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related study phase |
☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |||
| goal and scope definition | inventory analysis (LCI) | impact assessment (LCIA) | interpretation | reporting | ||||
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relevant for |
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| new buildings | existing buildings | construction products | screening LCA | simplified LCA | complete LCA | |||
| Provisions |
Transport of raw materials to the manufacturer should be included in Module A2 though it may be considered not relevant according to the cut-off rules (e.g. from EN 15804). Concerning the use of data, the provisions on data quality as given above should be considered (data quality, ILCD entry level, use of consistent data sources for comparative assertions). | |||||||
| Rules from: |
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| Guidance |
Within Modules A1–A3, transport is generally a significant impact only for materials with very low manufacturing impact – aggregates and timber, for example. Module A2 includes only transport to the manufacturing site from the previous production or extraction process. Earlier transport journeys are included in Module A1. Module A2 is mandatory in any cradle-to-gate EPD. National EPD programmes may have more specific rules on this topic. The main issue for the practitioner is collection of data on the distances between suppliers and the manufacturer. Generally speaking, these data should be available, and should be requested. However, if data are missing, it is recommended that default values, e.g. from national EPD programmes and PCR, be used; otherwise the practitioner’s own default values should be used (which should be subjected to sensitivity analysis). | |||||||
A-03 Accounting for technical building equipment – complete LCA
| Aspect |
A-03 Accounting for technical building equipment – complete LCA |
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| Description |
Different types of technical building equipment can be included in building LCAs: e.g. boilers for heating, air-conditioning systems for cooling, duct networks for ventilation, solar panels for hot water, lifts, lighting etc. The development of energy-efficient buildings has meant that the relative share of the embodied impacts has recently increased, leading to more consistent modelling of the related impacts of building products and technical equipment. In addition, the LCA model should be consistent: if, for example, the PV-related energy consumption is included within Module B6, then the impacts of the PV manufacture should be accounted for in Modules A1–A3. | |||||
|
Related study objective |
☒ stand-alone LCA | ☒ comparative assertion | ||||
|
Related study phase |
☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |
| goal and scope definition | inventory analysis (LCI) | impact assessment (LCIA) | interpretation | reporting | ||
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Relevant for |
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|
|
 |
 |
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| new buildings | existing buildings | building products | screening LCA | simplified LCA | complete LCA | |
| Provisions |
For complete LCA, technical building equipment should be included. If LCA or EPD data are available at the European or national level, they should be included using specific data (e.g. based on industry EPD); otherwise, if no specific data are available for the context of the study, generic data should be used as proxy.This aspect is considered in accordance with the LCA study type: all of the technical equipment should be included in the context of a complete LCA, unless they fall under cut-off criteria. | |||||
| Rules from: |
EN 15978:7.5.2 Description of the physical characteristics of the building | |||||
| Guidance |
The practitioner should use detailed calculation for complete LCA based on specific data (e.g. EPD), or else generic data (e.g. taken from generic LCA databases) for the technical systems:
The practitioner should be aware that these elements of a building can have a significant impact. Studies in the UK have estimated that the as-installed embodied impact of mechanical and electrical services is a little over 100 kg CO2e/m2 in offices, but can be as high as 240 kg CO2e/m2, with proportions of as-built embodied carbon for all buildings ranging from 4% to 25%, depending on building type. Similar conclusions were reported in the French HQE performance study [Lebert 2012], and in a recent scientific paper. |
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Back to 4.2. Module A1 – A3