Environmental product declarations (EPDs) are becoming essential for specification, procurement, and compliance requirements in HVAC. Yet some declarations omit the most critical source of emissions and environmental impact — operational energy.
Indoor air quality is in the spotlight — essential for our 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.
“As buildings are better sealed for energy efficiency, well-designed ventilation solutions are more important than ever to ensure health and well-being at home, in schools, and in workplaces.”
Martí Roig Rabadà, Product Sustainability Manager at Soler & Palau
However, this comes with a carbon cost. Mechanical ventilation systems often operate continuously ensuring good indoor air quality. Over their lifetime, energy consumption can represent more than 90% of the product’s total carbon footprint — yet still some EPDs 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.
To rectify this blind spot, Soler & Palau, with One Click LCA support, has implemented cradle-to-grave EPDs guided by:
This approach aligns with real-world performance and enables HVAC engineers and specifiers to evaluate whole-life environmental performance and make better-informed choices.
“Declaring Module B6 is key to obtaining a complete picture of the environmental impact of a ventilation system.”
Martí Roig Rabadà, Product Sustainability Manager at Soler & Palau
Even when operational emissions are included in the LCA, comparisons between products can remain unreliable without standardized methodologies. Active equipment such as ventilation systems have a wide range of power consumption values. Therefore, standardized rules are needed to define the usage scenario and to select the emission factor of the grid.
“When LCA assumptions differ, you can’t compare impacts reliably,” Martí emphasized. Harmonized product category rules (PCRs) are necessary to make EPDs more decision-useful across manufacturing. These should enforce:
These elements are essential to assess HVAC product carbon footprints with confidence.
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 them to targeted optimizations:
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.
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.