Modern Building Services

FEATURE Ask manufacturer if an EPD is available Ask manufacturer to complete the ‘manufacturer’ form Use ‘mid-level’ calculation method Use ‘basic’ calculation method Send CIBSE the ‘manufacturer’ form and a summary of the calculations using the ‘reporting’ form so that CIBSE can build knowledge in this area Use the EPD An EPD is available Section A is incomplete No calculations can be carried out No EPD is available Section A and B are complete Section A only is complete Embodied carbon of MEP product Easy Manufacturer involvement Detailed ‘Basic’ calculation ‘Mid level’ calculation EPD Details of the CIBSETM65methods When no EPD is available, information can be collected from the manufacturers of each product which is used to calculated the embodied carbon emissions for the MEP equipment. What information is required TM65 offers 2 calculation methods. For the ‘basic’ calculation method, only information on material content and on refrigerants used, if relevant, is needed (section A of the ‘manufacturer’ form). For the ‘mid-level’ calculation method, additional information such as energy used in manufacture and the location of the factory (sections A and B of the ‘manufacturer’ form) is needed. Carrying out the calculations CIBSE TM65 provides a step-by- step guide for carrying out the calculations. Reporting the results CIBSE would like to facilitate industry research on embodied carbon, and therefore encourages calculations to be shared by reporting results using a standard format (available from the CIBSE website). Any deviation from the CIBSE methods, either relating to methods or assumptions should be highlighted in the form. Building services engineers can get involved in this research by: Requesting EPDs and sending manufacturers the‘manufacturer’ form: Because there is currently little transparency surrounding the materials used inMEP products, gaining access to this datamay be challenging. The first step is asking for an EPD. If the manufacturer does not have an EPD for the product in question, the ‘manufacturer’ form should be sent.Themore requests for this type of data thatmanufacturers receive, themore likely it is that they will put additional resource into collating this information. Helping CIBSE build a product database: Currently there is not much information on the material composition breakdown of MEP products. Any completed ‘manufacturer’ form should be sent to CIBSE. Sharing research: If you as a consultant or engineer for products or systems calculate embodied carbon, please share the results with CIBSE, in order to form a knowledge base. As a result, research studies can be compared to find trends and to establish ‘rules of thumb’ guidance. Please also share assumptions and results in a standard format. To download the TM65 guide go to: http://bit.ly/3bo7gQO Definitions: Operational Carbon: Carbon emissions associated with the everyday energy use required to operate a building. This includes but is not limited to energy required for heating, hot water, cooking, cooling, ventilation, lighting, and equipment (e.g., fridges, freezers, computers). Embodied Carbon: Carbon emissions associated with products and construction stage, the in-use stage and the end of life of life stage of a building. • Stage A - Product and construction: extraction and processing of materials, energy and water consumption used by the factory or in constructing the product or building and any transportation relating to this. • Stage B - In-use stage: maintenance, replacement and emissions associated products, including refrigerant leakage. • Stage C - End-of-life stage: demolition, disassembly and disposal of any parts of product or building and any transportation relating to this. This includes refrigerant leakage associated with decommissioning. Louise Hamot and Clara Bagenal George from Elementa Consulting are the authors of the CIBSE TM65 Guidance. Louise Hamot Clara Bagenal MODERN BUILDING SERVICES MARCH 2021 29