As building decarbonization becomes more urgent, there is a critical need for high-quality sustainability data for lighting and electrical products. There has been a rapid growth of embodied carbon software and methodologies, but they don’t always meet the standards of high-quality data required for reliable results. PNNL leverages its extensive expertise and leadership in life cycle assessment (LCA) and building sustainability to empower lighting industry stakeholders with trusted and reliable data for lighting and electrical products. Our work aims to develop and support more effective, affordable, and comparable pathways for lighting industry stakeholders to participate in the LCA process, whether they are lighting manufacturers, industry organizations, or specifiers.
PNNL’s Role
The goal of this research is to improve the standardization and comparability of LCAs for electrical products and systems, starting with a focus on the lighting industry and expanding the methodologies and approaches to other electrical products to support WBLCA.
Luminaire LCI Template Development
The Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) template for luminaires is a workbook/template designed to reduce barriers for the lighting industry to participate in data-driven sustainability. There are certain barriers limiting the development of luminaire LCAs, including that the LCA process can be expensive and confusing, and LCA information for certain components (such as drivers and small electronics) can be difficult to obtain. This LCI template aims to overcome these barriers and thus increase the adoption, comparability, and accuracy of LCAs and facilitate the creation of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). The goal of this template is to support the reduction of embodied carbon, greenhouse gas emissions, and other environmental impacts within the lighting industry.
By streamlining, simplifying, and standardizing the data collection and reporting process, this LCI template for luminaires supports the DOE’s vision for a net-zero U.S. building sector by 2050. This template is tailored specifically for luminaires–addressing some of the component and materials gaps that are specific to luminaires, with a North American geographic scope.
Rooftop Unit LCI Template Development
The LCI template for rooftop units (RTUs) helps the mechanical and electrical industry participate in data-driven sustainability. The LCA process can be expensive and confusing, with hard-to-get information on certain components. This LCI template aims to simplify the process, making it easier to create accurate LCAs and EPDs, thereby reducing carbon emissions and other environmental impacts. By standardizing data collection and reporting, this template supports the DOE’s vision for a net-zero U.S. building sector by 2050 and is tailored specifically for RTUs in North America.
Resources
- LCI Template for Luminaires
- To obtain a copy of the beta version of the LCI template for luminaires, email your request to LCI-template@pnnl.gov and provide your contact information (i.e., name, email, and organization)
- Read more on the Life Cycle Inventory Templates page
- DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy page on the Life Cycle Inventory Template for Luminaires
- LCI Template for RTU
- To obtain a copy of the beta version of the LCI template for RTUs, email your request to LCI-template@pnnl.gov and provide your contact information (i.e., name, email, and organization)
- Read more on the Life Cycle Inventory Templates page
- Publications (below are a few relevant items)