How Soler & Palau uses EPDs to reduce carbon in HVAC

Industry

Ventilation systems manufacturing (HVAC)

Company Size

1000+ employees

Headquarters

Barcelona, Spain

Results

EPD COVERAGE

98% of carbon footprint in use phase

Cradle-to-grave EPDs now capture the full environmental impact of Soler & Palau’s ventilation products, including Module B6 operational energy, which accounts for up to 98%.

MATERIAL CIRCULARITY

Up to 85% recycled plastic

EPD data drives product development. Soler & Palau uses only recycled aluminium in its factories and has developed a product line containing up to 85% recycled plastic.

How Soler & Palau uses EPDs to reduce carbon in HVAC

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Challenge

EPD declarations for HVAC systems often omit Module B6 — the operational energy use phase — making it impossible to compare products on whole-life carbon or make informed procurement decisions. Without a standardized, cradle-to-grave methodology, the dominant source of environmental impact in ventilation systems remains invisible.

Solution

To rectify this blind spot, Soler & Palau, with One Click LCA support, has implemented cradle-to-grave EPDs guided by:

Comprehensive life-cycle framework: Modules A1 through C4, plus Module D
Product-specific energy modelling, aligned with product use scenarios

This approach aligns with real-world performance and enables HVAC engineers and specifiers to evaluate whole-life environmental performance and make better-informed choices.

Harmonized product category rules (PCRs) are also necessary to make EPDs more decision-useful across manufacturing. These should enforce use phase energy inclusion for all active systems, alignment on declared service life and operating profiles, and regionally relevant assumptions for grid emissions.

Outcome

Cradle-to-grave EPDs now give Soler & Palau full visibility of carbon across their product range, driving targeted improvements: EC motors for operational efficiency, recycled aluminium and up to 85% recycled plastic for circularity, and 100% green electricity across all production sites. For HVAC manufacturers, adopting whole-life EPDs is no longer optional — and One Click LCA provides the tools to produce them at scale.

“Declaring Module B6 is key to obtaining a complete picture of the environmental impact of a ventilation system.”

Martí Roig Rabadà Product Sustainability Manager Soler & Palau

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Why most EPDs for HVAC systems fail to reflect real-world carbon impacts

Indoor air quality is in the spotlight — essential for health and a key aspect under the new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). Since COVID-19, the relevance of mechanical ventilation has increased significantly.

However, this comes with a carbon cost. Mechanical ventilation systems often operate continuously to ensure good indoor air quality. Over their lifetime, energy consumption can represent more than 90% of the product’s total carbon footprint: yet some EPDs still overlook these use-phase emissions.

Under current LCA methodologies, construction products that are also electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) such as HVAC systems are not obliged to declare the environmental impact of the use phase (Module B). As a result, there is inconsistency among HVAC EPDs: some include the operational energy use phase (Module B6), while others do not, depending on the specific EPD program and Product Category Rules (PCR) applied. This exclusion conceals the primary source of environmental impact.

In ventilation systems, operational energy use is the dominant impact category. For example, Soler & Palau’s TD EVO ECOWATT PF inline extract fan emits 1,564 kg CO₂e over a 17-year period, with 98% of this footprint occurring during the operational energy use phase (Module B6), based on the EU electricity mix. Even if the equipment were operated in Norway, which has one of the cleanest energy grids in the world, the use phase impact would still represent a significant portion of the environmental footprint.

From disclosure to decarbonization: how Soler & Palau uses EPD data

The value of EPDs extends to product development. Soler & Palau applies the cradle-to-grave insights to drive reductions in both embodied and operational emissions of its products. This has led to targeted optimizations:

Energy efficiency: Improving equipment efficiency is the most effective way to reduce environmental impacts in HVAC. Soler & Palau has launched product versions with EC motors that adjust power consumption to supply exactly the required airflow.
Material circularity: The company is committed to increasing the use of recycled materials in its products. Soler & Palau uses only recycled aluminium in its factories and has developed a product containing up to 85% recycled plastic.
Manufacturing optimization: All company sites (production facilities and offices) use 100% green electricity, and solar capacity installed is increasing.

This strategy is aligned with growing regulatory pressure. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), and the EU’s Construction Products Regulation (CPR) could soon mandate full life-cycle environmental data, including operational impacts, for HVAC and other building systems.

Whole-life carbon data is now essential in HVAC

In ventilation systems, operational energy use accounts for the majority of carbon emissions over their entire lifecycle — yet some EPDs exclude it. Soler & Palau’s cradle-to-grave EPDs, developed with One Click LCA, address this gap with full life-cycle coverage and product-specific energy modelling.

This approach aligns with evolving regulations, supports more accurate and comparable carbon data, and provides transparent information to customers. For HVAC manufacturers, adopting whole-life EPDs is no longer optional — and One Click LCA provides the tools to produce them at scale, with reliable results and efficient performance.