OVERVIEW
Life-cycle assessment, or LCA, is the science of quantifying environmental impacts through the entire process of creating, transporting, using, and disposing of a product or material. The methods are well developed, but there are blind spots.
The creator of life-cycle assessment famously stated, “All models are wrong, but some are useful.” That’s important to keep in mind as you attempt to compare the impacts of two different building designs or two different products.
These resources about LCA help explain:
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what types of data are usually reliable in an LCA
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how to get the info you need from an environmental product declaration
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where LCA can go wrong
- the politics of LCA and how it relates to product and building certifications
IN-DEPTH
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Cladding Industry Agrees to One Rulebook for Conducting LCAs
News Brief
One set of rules, called PCRs, now governs environmental reporting for all cladding products, regardless of whether they are wood, vinyl, or metal.
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White Roofs in Cold Climates a Mistake, Says LCA Study
News Brief
While roofs with solar panels are a plus, researchers suggest white roofs in Canada do more harm than good because of steep heating penalties.
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Carbon and Financial Payback Mismatched in Retrofits
News Brief
Lighting, windows, or the chiller? Choosing a retrofit package is all the more tricky when dollar and carbon ROI are at odds.
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New Thinkstep Launchpad for Sustainability Apps Bolstered by LCA Data
News Analysis
Rebranded as thinkstep, the life-cycle assessment firm PE International promises a new platform to integrate product data and more.
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Vinyl Roofing Membrane EPD Details Cradle-to-Grave Impacts
News Analysis
More trade groups are publishing industry-wide environmental product declarations to meet LEED v4 requirements.
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Whole-Building Life Cycle Assessment: Promises and Pitfalls
Webcast
Whole-building life-cycle assessment (WBLCA) promises improved performance with reduced environmental impacts. Yet in practice it can bog projects down with confusing or even conflicting priorities, complicated by mountains of data.
BuildingGreen has arranged for four widely respected practitioners to share their LCA expertise, taking you from big-picture questions—Why should I worry about embodied impacts?—to practical details—How can I get good data on my building's concrete mix?
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Life-Cycle Assessment for Dummies? New LCA Guides Available
News Brief
Two new resources explain the strengths and limitations of life-cycle assessments for practitioners and the general pubic.
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Switching to Portland Limestone Cement Could Reduce Emissions
News Brief
A life-cycle assessment of PLC shows a 12% improvement in environmental performance over ordinary portland cement (OPC) when used in concrete mixes.
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Architects Push for Clearer EPDs with 2030 Challenge
News Analysis
Input from practitioners is needed, says Architecture 2030, to develop a more readable format for life-cycle data and environmental product declarations.
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UL, USGBC Team Up to Standardize LCA Rules
News Brief
