The construction and manufacturing sectors account for 57% of global carbon emissions. That’s why decarbonizing the built environment is key to keeping the climate stable and reducing global carbon emissions. One effective approach to decarbonizing the built environment is through the use of environmental product declarations (EPDs) for construction products. This article explores the carbon impact of MEP and lighting systems, importance of EPDs, their impact on the lighting industry, and how they can help in producing low-carbon lighting products, lowering the impact of MEP.
The construction and manufacturing sectors collectively account for 57% of global carbon emissions. Within this, the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems, including lighting, are significant contributors. MEP systems can account for up to 50% of the embodied carbon in new buildings, making them a critical area to address for decarbonization efforts. Lighting units alone, a component of MEP, account for up to 15% of global electricity consumption and 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions throughout the life cycle of a building.
A luminaire, also commonly known as a light fixture, is an electric unit that provides illumination. It consists of various components, including the lamp, housing, and other electrical parts. The term "luminaire" derives from the Latin word "lumen," meaning light. Given the complexity and diversity of materials involved in luminaires, measuring their environmental impact is essential.
An environmental product declaration (EPD) is a standardized document that transparently communicates the environmental performance or impact of a product throughout its life cycle. EPDs are crucial in the construction industry as they support carbon emission reduction by enabling professionals to compare the impacts of different materials and select the most sustainable options.
For luminaire products, EPDs provide a detailed analysis of the environmental impacts from raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, use, and end-of-life disposal. This comprehensive approach ensures that every stage of the product's life cycle is accounted for, allowing for more informed decision-making.
The process of creating an EPD involves several stages, each contributing to the overall environmental impact of the product. These stages include:
Currently, there are over 50 million SKUs (stock keeping units) for MEP products in the European market, but less than 20,000 EPDs for these products. This major discrepancy highlights a need for further product transparency in the sector and EPDs are the most reliable way to bridge this gap.
Looking at product carbon data for a luminaire product throughout all product stages, from A1 to C4, we observe that one of the main contributors to the environmental impact of luminaires is the operational energy use stage (B6). Typically, almost 90% of the total impact of a lighting product comes from this stage. However, the ecodesign principles implemented in the raw material extraction and manufacturing stages can significantly contribute to optimizing energy consumption during the use phase. By creating EPDs, you can see hot spots in your product’s life cycle and improve its performance during the use stage, hence improving its overall environmental performance.
By obtaining consistent carbon data for all products and manufacturing sites, manufacturers can create reliable EPD documents. This helps in benchmarking products against competitors and identifying hot spots in the product's carbon footprint. With this information, companies can optimize processes and materials to reduce emissions.
EPDs help manufacturers comply with increasing carbon regulations and gain accreditation and green certification. These credentials differentiate products in the market and can be a decisive factor in securing contracts. By providing transparent and verifiable carbon data, manufacturers meet the growing demand for sustainable products.
The Luminaires EPD Generator offers several features that simplify and enhance the EPD creation process:
In the journey towards a more sustainable future, decarbonizing the lighting industry is a critical step. Luminaire EPDs provide a transparent and standardized way to measure and reduce the environmental impact of lighting products. By leveraging tools like the One Click LCA Luminaires EPD Generator, manufacturers can create accurate and reliable EPDs, optimize their products, and meet the growing demand for sustainable solutions.