From LCA and EPD to BREEAM
How environmental performance contributes to sustainable certification
At Solarix, we work every day on the development of aesthetic and sustainable solar facades. Our ambition is not only to generate energy with our products, but also to make them as circular and environmentally friendly as possible. To take steps in this direction, we have a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) carried out on our products. This gives us insight into the environmental impact and allows us to implement improvements to make our solar panels even more sustainable.
Based on a Life Cycle Assessment, the EPD (environmental Product Declaration) is drawn up, a nice part of which is the Environmental Cost Indicator (MKI) that provides an overview of the environmental impact of our facade panels. The Solarix solar facade panels that were included in our latest EPD calculation, with dimensions of 890 x 1790 mm, achieve a score of €15,452 in environmental costs with a lifespan of 25 years. Converted per m², this amounts to a score that is very favourable within the solar industry - the lower the environmental costs, the better. This motivates us to continue to reduce the impact of our products.
Because the MKI score can be abstract for many, we will explain the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and the life cycle analysis in more detail on this page. Discover how the Solarix EPD works, how you can use it to calculate the Environmental Performance of Buildings (MPG) and what you should pay attention to. We will also show how the EPD can contribute to achieving ambitious sustainability labels such as BREEAM.
Download the Solarix Environmental Declaration
Sustainability
Influence of EPD on environmental performance of buildings and achieving ambitious quality marks such as BREEAM
An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is an essential source for calculating the Environmental Performance of Buildings (MPG), a requirement for sustainable construction projects. The MPG score plays an important role in certifications such as BREEAM, with which buildings can demonstrate and minimize their ecological impact.
For the integration of solar energy in the facade, Solarix not only offers aesthetic and functional solar panels, but also the necessary technical documentation. The Solarix datasheet provides valuable input for calculating the energy generation of a building, which contributes to a positive BENG score (Almost Energy Neutral Building). A favorable BENG score in turn strengthens the sustainability qualification within the BREEAM certification. In this way, Solarix not only helps architects and developers with innovative facade solutions, but also with achieving ambitious environmental standards.
See below in the overview how both the EPD and a Solarix Datasheet can contribute to achieving a sustainability label such as BREEAM.
What is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?
A life cycle analysis calculates the environmental impact of a material, product or construction. These environmental impacts (together the environmental profile) are first weighted and then aggregated into one integral number: the environmental costs in euros. The environmental costs are also called shadow costs.
What is an EPD and how do you use it?
An EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) is an environmental product declaration that maps the environmental impact of a product throughout its entire life cycle. It is based on a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and is presented in a standardised document. This makes it easy to compare different materials.
An EPD is used for:
Environmental performance assessments of buildings
Comparisons between products within the same product category
Sustainability analyses in construction projects
EPDs can be found on the website of the manufacturer, the body that issued the EPD, or in a national database such as the National Environmental Database (NMD).
Which indicators are used to determine environmental impact in an EPD?
In Europe, EPDs must comply with the EN 15804 standard, which ensures uniformity and comparability. The environmental impact indicators are divided into three categories:
Environmental impact: Climate change (GWP – Global Warming Potential), acidification (AP – Acidification Potential), eutrophication (EP – Eutrophication Potential), ozone depletion (ODP – Ozone Depletion Potential) and smog formation (POCP – Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential)
Material use: Primary energy use (renewable and non-renewable), water use and material use
Waste categories and output streams: Waste generated and recycling and reuse potential
What are the different categories mentioned in the EPD?
The National Environmental Database distinguishes between three categories of environmental declarations:
Category 1: Tested, brand-specific data (property of the manufacturer)
Category 2: Tested, sector-specific data (property of the sector)
Category 3: Untested, generic data with a 30% increment factor
The Solarix EPD falls under Category 1, which means that it has been independently tested and meets the strictest requirements.
How do I read the EPD score and can I use it in my MPG calculation, for example?
The score of an EPD is expressed in an ECI (Environmental Cost Indicator), also called MKI (Milieukostenindicator) in the Netherlands. This score is used in MPG (MilieuPerrestatie Gebouwen) calculations. The MPG is determined by:
Adding the ECI/MKI score of all applied products
Dividing this by the floor area and the lifespan of the building
Which components are included in the determination of an EPD?
An EPD looks at the entire life cycle of a product, divided into phases:
Production phase (A1-A3): Extraction of raw materials, transport to production location and production process
Construction phase (A4-A5): Transport to construction site and installation process
Use phase (B1-B7): Maintenance and repair and energy consumption during use
End-of-life phase (C1-C4): Demolition and processing, transport to waste processing and recycling or dumping
For Solarix products, the production phase (A1-A3) and the end-of-life phase (C1-C4) have the greatest environmental impact.
