Our Services

LCA Dynamics performs Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) in line with ISO 14025 and the CEN 15804, providing clear and consistent information on the environmental performance of any product or material throughout its life cycle. 

What is an EPD?

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a voluntary communication mechanism that makes LCA evaluation outcomes accessible and comparable.

An EPD is a Type III environmental declaration that can be third-party verified when complying with the ISO 14025. An EPD is the highest standard in environmental declarations compared to other eco-labels, either self-declared or third-party verified.

In an EPD, the environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the cornerstone methodology, while the EPD is the final report. LCA enables to assess the environmental performance of your product across its entire life cycle. It usually considers the whole value chain, from material extraction to manufactured product, usage stage, and end-of-life. An EPD is an LCA-based study that complies with specific Product Category Rules (PCR). PCR are guidelines unique to the product or process under assessment that frame how the LCA model and results should be organized and proposed.

Several platforms are dedicated to the registration and publishing of EPDs. The European Commission has also defined the PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) and the OEF (Organization Environmental Footprint) at the European level to standardize European efforts to a single Product declaration.

When it comes to green public procurement (GPP) and building sustainability assessment, systems like BREEAM, LEED, or DGNB, EPDs are frequently used. The use of EPDs supports shifting to a low-carbon economy by directly contrasting various components and goods. Therefore, the EPD supports a more durable market distinction by promoting product awareness and competitiveness in local and global marketplaces.

LCA Dynamics performs Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study and modeling to calculate the potential environmental impact of processes and products during their entire life cycle. Thanks to that, companies can identify the environmental "hot spots" and the possible solutions to minimize product impacts, increasing the overall environmental process performance. LCA Dynamics can also support defining Eco-design solutions customized to the company's needs.

What is an LCA?

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a widely recognized methodology for quantitively assessing the environmental impacts within a product or a process throughout its entire life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials through the use phase until the end-of-life phase.

The LCA approach allows for a reliable, consistent, transparent analysis of the production system and its environmental burden across the supply chain. When analyzing the correlations, it considers every component stage.

The LCA methodology is regulated by two international standards, namely ISO 14040:2006 and ISO 14044:2006+A2:2020, defining the framework and the guidelines for its application in LCA study.

The LCA approach implements a technological system's complexity in a model of the investigated system, allowing it to simulate the consequences of variations in the value chain considered and the effects of strategic solutions within alternative product design.

LCA's structure is based on four main phases: goal and scope, which include defining the study's aims and setting the system boundaries. The life cycle inventory collection represents inputs and outputs for each process, quantifying the impact through a selected life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) and the final phase results interpretation.

An LCA studies determine a suitable functional unit and the system's boundaries to have a standard reference for all the data and results and to set up further the base for the analysis of possible alternatives, which, when acting together, satisfy the same function.

Depending on who is commissioning an LCA analysis and the specific stages in a product system, the LCA can be undertaken from a "cradle to grave" or a "cradle to gate" or gate to gate" approach. In all these cases, the final outputs can be called "eco-profiles" of the considered product system. 

At LCA Dynamics, we can perform the calculation and report of your product and organization's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions aligned with ISO 14067 and 14064, the GHG (Greenhouse Gas) Protocol, the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), EcoVadis, or any other ESG reporting initiative.

LCA Dynamics can also help you figure out your GHG emissions in a number of different ways, such as using the Together for Sustainability (TfS) guidelines along with the GHG Protocol or other relevant PCRs, or the ISSC + add-on certification.

Moreover, we can assist you in identifying the correct methodology to follow, depending on the goal you seek. Do you need a carbon footprint certification? Is your certificate intended for a specific industry sector? Is it for ESG reporting or to comply with the latest Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)? Or maybe you are looking for a GHG calculation compliant with the TfS guidelines or the Pathfinder framework?

What is a carbon footprint?

The carbon footprint measures the total amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted directly and indirectly by human activities and is expressed in terms of CO2 equivalent units (CO2e). Individuals, companies, organizations, and even entire countries can calculate their carbon footprint to assess their environmental impact and potentially identify opportunities for reducing emissions.

For an organization, a carbon footprint calculation needs to include some of the activities under their financial or operational control, such as energy and fuel consumption, manufacturing processes, vehicle fleet fuel, and other aspects related to logistics or other sources of environmental burdens. Most corporate carbon footprint methodologies have the Standard ISO 14064 as a cornerstone, which offers technical recommendations and requirements for calculating, reporting, and verifying emissions at the organizational level (plants, subsidies, societies). The GHG Protocol offers a similar strategy and establishes a broad, globally defined methodology for accounting for GHG emissions from operations, value chains, and mitigation efforts in the public and private sectors.

Boundary determination is one of the carbon footprint's most complex aspects because it includes organizational and operational boundaries. Although guidelines such as the GHG Protocol offer a detailed approach to how to deal with direct and indirect emissions, defining the attributable activities can still be a complex task. Such complexity calls for the LCA Dynamics team's professional expertise to properly assess which facilities, activities, and direct and indirect emissions to consider, as well as which approach is best suited given data availability.

At LCA Dynamics, we offer comprehensive services in sustainable building certifications, also known as green building rating tools. These certifications evaluate and recognize buildings that meet specific sustainability criteria, rewarding companies and organizations for constructing and operating environmentally friendly structures. By establishing standards, these certifications stimulate the market, influence government regulations, guide workforce training, and shape corporate strategies.

Scope and Types of Certifications

Sustainable building certification systems vary in scope, encompassing the entire lifecycle of a building: planning and design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. They cater to different building types, including residential, commercial, and entire neighborhoods, with specific tools designed for each context.

Importance of Sustainable Building Certifications

Sustainable building certifications are vital for several stakeholders:

• Building Developers and Financiers: They provide assurance of a building's quality and sustainability.
• Tenants and Owners: They ensure a healthy, comfortable living or working environment, along with efficient resource consumption.
• Real Estate Brokers: They offer clear information about a building's quality and environmental impact, facilitating comparisons with other properties.
• Building Managers: They help reduce maintenance costs through certified, sustainable buildings.
• State and Municipal Institutions: They demonstrate best practices in construction, achieving optimal socio-economic and environmental performance.

Key Aspects of Building Sustainability

Sustainable building practices consider social, environmental, and economic aspects, aiming to reduce the building's footprint through efficient use of energy, water, waste, and materials. Core sustainability indicators include:

• Carbon emissions
• Material use
• Water consumption
• Health and comfort
• Climate change impacts

Buildings with high energy efficiency rely on renewable energy sources and are designed to ensure a healthy, comfortable indoor environment using environmentally friendly materials. Many also incorporate innovative technologies such as grid flexibility, renewable energy systems, energy storage, demand response, and smart charging.

Our Certification Services

LCA Dynamics specializes in preparing the necessary assessment reports for various certification systems, including BREEAM, LEED, and Passive House (PH).

BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method):

• Daylight Modeling and Calculations (HEA01): Assess daylight levels using "Daylight factor and uniformity" calculations.
• Indoor Air Quality (HEA02): Analyze indoor comfort and air quality.
• Thermal Comfort Analysis (HEA04): Evaluate thermal comfort.
• Reduction of Energy Use and Carbon Emissions (Ene 01): Recognize improvements in energy performance.
• Energy Monitoring (Ene 02a): Analyze energy metering systems.
• Low Carbon Design (Ene 04): Identify opportunities for passive design solutions.
• Dynamic Energy Modeling: Perform dynamic modeling of building energy consumption and develop energy efficiency strategies.
• Air Quality Measurement and Modeling (HEA02): Measure and model air quality parameters with indoor air quality plans.
• Energy Consumption Simulation (ENE01): Simulate energy consumption.
• Passive Design Analysis (ENE04): Assess passive design strategies and maximum emission reductions.
• Water Efficient Equipment (Wat 04): Identify and mitigate building water demand.
• Life Cycle Impacts (Mat 01) and Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products (Mat 03): Evaluate construction material LCA impacts and prepare EPDs. Conduct life cycle cost assessments.
• Ecology Report and Site Selection Justification (LE01): Prepare ecology reports and justify site selection.
• Long Term Impact on Biodiversity (LE05): Minimize the long-term impact on biodiversity.
• Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (WST05): Develop climate change adaptation strategies.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design):

• Documentation and Assessments: Provide documentation and assessments to meet LEED certification requirements, ensuring buildings are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work.

Passive House (PH):

• Energy Consumption Calculations: Perform energy consumption calculations using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP).
• Thermal Bridge Modeling and Calculations: Model and calculate thermal bridges.
• Energy Balance Optimization: Conduct calculations to optimize the building's energy balance.
• Economic and Life Cycle Cost Assessment: Provide economic justification and life cycle cost assessments.
• Comfort, Climate, and Energy Analysis: Analyze comfort, climate, and energy options, including the use of heat pumps, solar energy, and other renewable sources.

By choosing LCA Dynamics, you can ensure your buildings meet the highest standards of sustainability, contributing to a healthier, more efficient, and environmentally responsible built environment.

When discussing quantitative environmental impact evaluations, LCA is the recommended methodology. But when tackling planetary system problems, focusing only on the environmental impacts is not enough anymore; we need to switch to a more holistic approach, evaluating the sustainability of our products.

Sustainability evaluation is a still evolving and complex process. It should comprehend a triple-bottom approach and should be done under a specific context. To evaluate those social and economic impacts, the life cycle thinking approach has two additional methodologies: Life Cycle Cost evaluation and Social Life Cycle Assessment— both well-established and now standardized methods.

Life Cycle Cost evaluation

Social Life Cycle Assessment