Verification of the Environmental Product Declarations of translucent roofing panels
ITeC has verified the Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) of six different types of synthetic boards for skylights, reviewing the production process, the input data of raw materials, the output data of the finished product, as well as waste and emissions. Those checks have also been used to update the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of each product.
Social Life Cycle Assessment of construction projects developed by a public administration
A public administration wants to encourage construction projects under its responsibility to include a Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) calculation. It has requested that ITeC verify whether these S-LCAs can be produced using TCQi software with the data included in the BEDEC database, as this would make the calculation easier for project designers without compromising the accuracy of the results.
Reduction in energy demand achieved by components with built-in photovoltaic panels
The annual electricity demand of an apartment building and an office building has been obtained after running simulations on digital models. Another set of simulations has assessed the amount of energy that could be collected by means of different construction elements (railings, canopies, etc.) that have built-in photovoltaic panels. With this data it is possible to quantify how much the electricity demand of each building can be reduced depending on its location and the configuration of the solar collectors.
Verification of the Environmental Product Declaration of an acoustic insulation material
ITeC has carried out the verification of the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) of an acoustic insulation, validating its “cradle to grave” Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) that covers the stages of product manufacturing, installation, use and end of life. Specific data from the factory have been used to inventory the manufacturing phase, and generic data from reliable sources for the other phases following the CML-2001 method.
Top Sec project: self-sustaining green roofing
Southern European cities are facing hotter summers and longer droughts. Against this backdrop, Top Sec project aims to develop and demonstrate naturalised green roofs with no need for irrigation and minimal maintenance. The key component for making them self-sustaining is an innovative substrate made from biochar derived from municipal organic waste sludge. Different water retention techniques and plant species will be also tested to identify the most efficient choices.
SIRCULAR project: People-centric building solutions for decarbonization and circularity
This project will develop building solutions and digital tools for decarbonizing existing buildings, using an overall people-centric approach to prioritize the needs and well-being of individuals and communities. The goal is to make decarbonisation and circularity understandable and desirable not just for construction professionals, but also for the end users who are not experts in these fields. It will be tested on demo sites in Estonia, Spain, Greece and Germany.
Environmental Product Declarations of paints produced in different factories of the same company
A paint and coatings manufacturer is completing the process of obtaining Environmental Declarations (EPDs) for its products for the construction market. It has commissioned ITeC to carry out a life cycle analysis (LCA) of 6 of these products, which are manufactured in 9 plants located in 7 countries. As LCA depends on the raw materials, energy and production process used in each factory, it has been necessary to model each of the 9 situations individually.
Analysis of the emissions of a city of 300,000 inhabitants
One of the Spanish cities among the top-15 in terms of population has launched a plan to reduce the municipality’s emissions. The first step is measuring the current status, so ITeC has been commissioned to apply its energy calculation tools to assess the CO2 emissions of the existing building stock. The information will be made public using Open Street Maps and Leaflet technology, so anyone contemplating a renovation can calculate how much it will reduce the carbon footprint of the building in question.
Calculation of the carbon footprint in the forestry sector
A public entity with responsibilities in the field of forestry management has requested advice from ITeC to ensure that their carbon footprint calculation methods are the right ones for the entity’s purposes. ITeC has prepared a tailored training program to update the staff’s knowledge and skills using the BEDEC Sustainability database and the TCQiGMA software. Particular attention has been paid to the correct assessment of sustainability in public tendering.
INDICATE project: collecting building-level WLC data in Europe
Europe is facing a big challenge when it comes to decarbonise its buildings: the lack of data to support policymaking and strategic business decision-making. The goal of INDICATE is to collect Whole Life Carbon (WLC) data from real buildings to support the demand for product-level life cycle assessment (LCA) and to set WLC benchmarks. Data collection must be coherent (all project partners will agree on a common methodology) and comprehensive (different building systems, climatic zones and use cases will be represented on the sample)
