Embodied carbon in building services: a calculation methodology (TM65)

Louise Hamot and Clara Bagenal George

• Publisher: The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781912034901
• eBook ISBN: 9781912034918
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Construction & Architectural Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

This document outlines the need for assessments of embodied carbon of products linked to mechanical, electrical and public health (MEP) systems, to increase knowledge and facilitate research in whole life carbon in MEP systems. In this document, embodied carbon is understood as the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) associated with the making of a product, its installation, its maintenance, repair, replacement, and then its end of life. It covers the whole life cycle, excluding operational aspects and the potential recovery, reuse or recycling of materials. The embodied carbon associated with MEP design can be significant in a building lifetime due to the materials that MEP equipment are made of and high replacement rates.This document provides guidance on how to use environmental product declarations (EPDs) for MEP products. Where EPDs are not available, this document provides guidance on how to estimate the embodied carbon of MEP products.This guidance provides a consistent approach for: — the data required from manufacturers— an embodied carbon calculation methodology for MEP products, depending on how much information from manufacturers is available— the way in which embodied carbon assessments are reported.The purpose of this guide is to help the industry take a first step together to evaluate embodied carbon emissions in MEP design, alongside operational carbon emissions. The intention is that consultants and engineers that use this guidance will feedback their findings to CIBSE on the embodied carbon of MEP products. This will help to inform further iterations of this guide, as well as establishing guidance on actions that reduce the embodied carbon associated with MEP systems.It is important to note that asking manufacturers for EPDs should be the first step to establishing the embodied carbon of MEP products. The calculations presented in this guide should be used only when EPDs are not available.

Table of contents

• Embodied carbon in building services: a calculation methodology
• Contents
• 1 Introduction
• 2 MEP embodied carbon reductions
• 3 Environmental product declaration (EPD)
• 4 Embodied carbon calculation methods
• 5 Worked examples
• 6 Extension of the method for advanced users
• 7 How to move forward
• Appendix A: Further information on EPDs and other MEP embodied carbon data
• Appendix B: Manufacturer data collection
• Appendix C: Differences between an EPD and the CIBSE calculation methods
• Appendix D: Evidence base
• References