The carbon footprint calculation according to TEK17 § 17-1 shall be based on actual use of materials.
The quantities of building materials used can be found in different ways, the most common being getting the quantities from drawings or BIM. The quantities can also be sourced from cost calculations or taken directly from invoices based on what is ordered and used in the project.
The carbon footprint calculation does not need to be delivered with the general permission application but shall be finished before the certificate of completion is issued, together with all other documentation related to the project. The carbon account shall be verifiable and shall be shown in the case of a revision.
This means that there are no absolute requirements for when the carbon footprint calculation should be performed, other than that it shall include actual use of materials and the calculation shall be finished upon building completion, without having to send the carbon footprint report to the planning authority.
Limit values for the LCA
It does not seem probable that limit values for carbon footprint of a building will be included in the regulations in the near future (<2 years). The technical regulations are not frequently updated, and the new requirements for carbon footprint calculations was introduced on July 1st. It is assumed that limit values will be introduced in the long term (+5 years), but this is highly uncertain.
Methodology
Building LCA has not been common in the Norwegian construction sector. Mostly ambitious projects have done it in order to get a certification e.g., BREEAM and FutureBuilt (described later). Another driver has been requirements set in public procurement of buildings, which more and more commonly include limit values for Carbon footprint of a building. In later years, private companies, large public real estate companies, contractor trade associations in the construction industry have been important drivers for LCA in construction. This is even more increased with the EU-Taxonomy which drives especially large public companies to get a good carbon footprint to increase their competitive advantage, through certifications like BREEAM.
The regulations for LCA of buildings are thus less stringent than what the large actors are doing. This is driven mainly by a fear of reducing the competitiveness for smaller actors who might not have resources to follow stringent regulations.
BREEAM-NOR
BREEAM-NOR certification: BREEAM certifications is managed by Building Research Establishment (BRE) in the UK, the Norwegian adaption is BREEAM-NOR (Grønn byggallianse, 2023). Today BREEAM-NOR is the most used environmental certification for new buildings and major renovations in Norway. When a building is built according to BREEAM-NOR, is shows that projects have qualities beyond the minimum requirements. BREEAM-NOR shall reflect current “best practices” in Norway and be a driver for innovation for the environment and increased sustainability. In BREEAM-NOR there are nine categories that have to be taken into account.
BREEAM-NOR 2016: (BREEAM-NOR, 2016)
BREEAM-NOR V.6.0: This is the newest version of BREEAM.NOR and got published in February 2022 (BREEAM-NOR, 2022). In this manual Mat 01 is the criteria for climate gas calculations of materials:
Mat 01: absolute requirements for residential buildings, offices, schools, shops, nursing homes heated and unheated basements.
The calculation shall include building parts 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 28 in NS 3451:2009. Please note that building parts 21 and 49 should not be included.
The calculation shall include modules A1–A3, A4 and B4
All BREEAM project minimum 20% reduction (1 point Mat 01), 30% 2 points, 40% 3 points
FutureBuilt ZERO.
These criteria should contribute to the achievement of the national and international objective of a low-emission society by 2050 (FutureBuilt ZERO, 2021). The criteria should be both ambitious and readily understandable, aiming to support Norway’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50–55% by 2030 and 90–95% by 2025, compared to the 1990 level. Figure 1 illustrates the required emissions reduction by 2050. This figure displays greenhouse gas emissions for buildings today, current practices and current best practices, as well as projected reductions in accordance with national climate goals (Resch, et al., 2020).
In the starting point at the curve the emissions are based on nearly zero-energy building, emissions from materials are based on the top 25% performing exemplary building and has a one-site electricity generation from solar panels covering an arear equivalent to 10% of the heated usable floor area (BRA (Resch, et al., 2020). The criteria apply per heated usable floor area (BRA)^2 over a 60-years lifespan. These criteria apply to the year of planes building completion or the year it becomes operation. To make sure that the emissions from materials and energy, there are established a maximum criterion for emissions from building material and operation energy use.
In calculation for Built Zero buildings elements 21–29 and 49 are mandatory inclusions in the Building LCA, but it is advisable to document other building elements as well, as these may be incorporated at a later stage (FutureBuilt ZERO, 2021). The calculations rules for Built ZERO mainly follow the NS 3720 method, but there are introduced some additional elements (Resch, et al., 2020). The sum of greenhouse gas emissions associated with buildings element 21–29 and 49 calculated for life cycle modules A1-3, A5, B2-5, B6, as well as additional modules D-energy, BC-consumptions, D-reuse, B-biogenic, B-carbon, must not exceed the red FutureBuilt curve
Powerhouse
Powerhouse Paris Proof is a new standard for the buildings of the future, based on the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree target. For more information:
https://www.powerhouse.no/en/The standard lists maximum and total CO2 emissions per square meter, including the construction phase, energy in operation, materials, and disposal. FutureBuilt’s energy positive buildings definition is used as a basis for energy production.
Achieving the Powerhouse Paris Proof standard will require zero-emission construction sites, climate-friendly materials, recycling, and reuse as part of the solution, in addition to renewable energy production and energy efficiency.
To be defined as Powerhouse Paris Proof, the buildings total carbon footprint (A1-C4) must be less than the carbon budget for the specific opening year of the building. The carbon footprint budget is defined by a reference building (standard construction and energy use) for 2010 multiplied with the reduction curve for 1,5-degree target by IPCC.