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Calculating EN15804 resource use and output indicators in Earthster

Some of the indicators require manual tracking through technology flows.

Updated over 3 weeks ago

Some of the environmental performance indicators of the EN15804+A2 impact method need to be manually tracked and added to your models.

EN15804+A2 includes several resource use and output flow indicators that are not purely derived from LCI data. While Earthster automatically calculates many of these from your model, some indicators such as PERM (renewable primary energy used as material), PENRM (non-renewable primary energy used as material), MFR (materials for recycling), MER (materials for energy recovery), and SM (secondary materials) require manual input or adjustment to ensure they match the product’s real characteristics.

Each indicator that requires manual tracking has a corresponding technology flow and needs to be added to your model to get the correct results.

List of indicators and their technology flows that require manual tracking

Abbr.

Impact category name

Unit

Technology flow for tracking manually

PERM

Resource flow information: Use of renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials - PERM

MJ

Energy content in materials @ input/renewable

PENRM

Resource flow information: Use of non-renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials - PENRM

MJ

Energy content in materials @ input/non-renewable

SM

Resource flow information: Use of secondary material - SM

kg

Materials, secondary (i.e. post-use) @ input/unspecified

RSF

Resource flow information: Use of renewable secondary fuels - RSF

MJ

Fuels, secondary (i.e. post-use) @ input/renewable

NRSF

Resource flow information: Use of non-renewable secondary fuels - NRSF

MJ

Fuels, secondary (i.e. post-use) @ input/non-renewable

CRU

Output flow information: Components for re-use - CRU

kg

Materials @ output/for re-use

MFR

Output flow information: Materials for recycling - MFR

kg

Materials @ output/for recycling

MER

Output flow information: Materials for energy recovery - MER

kg

Materials @ output/for energy recovery

EEE

Output flow information: Exported energy (electricity) - EEE

MJ

Electricity @ output/exported energy

EET

Output flow information: Exported energy (thermal) - EET

MJ

Heat @ output/exported energy

Tips for tracking and calculating the resource use and output flow indicators for EPDs

To help you with your EPD modelling, we have compiled a guidance spreadsheet with additional information about what each indicator is measuring and if it requires manual tracking and other tips.

Content of the spreadsheet

  • Resource use indicators - Guide

  • EN15804+A2 Indicators that require manual input

  • EN15804+2 - Technology flows for manual tracking - Copy-paste table

  • EN15804+2 - Impact Exchanges - Copy-paste table

Use the copy-paste tables to paste all the technology flows or the impact exchanges to your model with just a few clicks.

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