Building LCA in Denmark
Interviewees’ background
Four LCA specialists were interviewed. The first LCA specialist (LCA-specialist-1), is an engineer at the authority and holds an MSc degree in sustainability. The specialist has been actively involved in sustainable roles since 2019. The second LCA specialist (LCA-specialist-2) has an MSc in architectural engineering and specialises in LCA and sustainability at a large engineering company. The third LCA specialist (LCA-specialist-3 holds an MSc in Architectural Engineering and works as an LCA specialist at an architectural company. The fourth LCA specialist (LCA-specialist-4) has a BEng in Architectural Engineering, is employed by an association and has extensive experience working as a sustainability expert in various companies.
National building LCA regulation
As of January 2023, performing an LCA analysis has become a mandatory requirement for obtaining a building permit for most types of buildings in Denmark. Additionally, a voluntary sustainable class system has been in place since 2021. There are expectations that a proposed plan to progressively reduce the allowable amount of CO2 emissions by 2029 will be implemented. Currently, the requirement entails a 10% reduction, but it is foreseen that by 2029, the requirement will entail a significant 90% reduction (LCA-specialist-1).
This mandatory requirement applies to buildings with an area exceeding 1000 square meters. For buildings with an area less than 1000 square meters, there is a demand for a declaration of compliance. Certain types of buildings, including cottages, retrofitting and transformation projects, as well as unheated buildings and structures in terrain, are exempt from LCA requirements. Infrastructure facilities are not included in the requirements, but administrators of state own roads and railway has started own initiative call InfraLCA (LCA-specialist-1).
To secure a building permit, an LCA calculation is not required. The as-built LCA declaration must be submitted as a part of the completion report before the building can be put into use. LCA calculations are in practice conducted at a minimum during the building permitting phase and before the building is occupied. However, in numerous projects, they are continuously updated throughout the design and construction phases (LCA-specialist-2).
In Denmark, it is mandatory to provide BIM (Building Information Modeling) models for state, regional, municipal, and social housing projects to the client. Nevertheless, it is neither mandatory nor feasible to submit BIM models as a prerequisite for obtaining a building permit (BIM-specialist-1).
Methodology
Building LCA calculations should adhere to the standards set forth in EN 15978:2012, and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) should align with EN15804 +A1 or +A2.
LCA calculations are initiated during the design phase, although it's worth noting that certain certifications only necessitate an as-built LCA calculation to ensure the intended environmental goals are met upon completion of the building (LCA-specialist-2).
These LCA calculations are typically carried out by architects, engineering firms, or LCA specialists, and there is a general consensus regarding the responsible party for conducting the calculations (LCA-specialist-2). There can be discussions between architects and engineers regarding whether the responsibility for LCA calculations and any necessary changes should rest with one party or be divided between them (LCA-specialist-3).
The impetus for LCA calculations often comes from government regulations, particularly since they are mandatory for all new buildings. However, it's important to note that LCA calculations were initiated before becoming a prerequisite for building permits, driven either by client demand for LCA calculations or by a desire to achieve certifications such as DGNB, Svanemærke, or similar standards (LCA-specialist-2 and LCA-specialist-3). These certifications often require the inclusion of LCA calculations as part of the documentation.
System boundaries
In 2023, there is a requirement for buildings over 1.000 m2 to achieve a maximum of 12.0 kg CO2 equivalents per square meter per year, with an expected progressive reduction leading up to 2029. In the same year, a voluntary low emission class imposes even stricter limits, allowing only 8.0 kg CO2 equivalents per square meter per year. It is anticipated that by 2029, the requirements will be further tightened to 7.5 kg and 5.0 kg CO2 equivalents per square meter per year for all new buildings and low emissions buildings, respectively. The assessment period for these calculations spans 50 years. For the government's LCA requirements, modules A1, A2, A3, B4, B6, C3, C4, and D are to be included. (LCA-specialist-1).
Operational energy use calculation
For assessing building energy consumption during operation, the mandated approach is to utilise the "SBI-anvisning 213 "/BE18 energy calculation programme, which is in compliance with the regulations outlined in 2018/844/EU (BIM-specialist-3). The concept uses an energy frame that includes delivered energy to the property for heating, ventilation, hot water, cooling, and potential lighting, multiplied by the relevant energy factor for each energy carrier. The factor is 0.85 for district heating, 1.8 for electrical heating, and 1.0 for all other types of heating multiplied with its efficiency.
It is important to note that while Module D should be calculated, its results should not be included in the total when determining compliance with the specified threshold.
Level of detail in calculating and reporting building LCA
Throughout the design phase, generic and product-type-specific Global Warming Potential (GWP) values are employed, as dictated by regulations. These values may differ from the GWP of the actual installed products and materials.
It's worth noting that the Global Warming Potential (GWP) data provided by the authorities includes some numbers from 2018 that have not been updated to reflect the most current values (BIM-specialist-3).
Accepted data sources
The authorities provide emissions data in BR18's table 7 and EPD. The table containing emissions data is available in CSV or Excel format. The authority does not provide a predefined format for emission data. In most cases, emission data from product-specific EPDs is manually transferred to LCA tools (LCA-specialist-2).