Life Cycle Inventory Templates
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. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (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.
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Sustainability in the HVAC Industry
Without the ability to measure the current impacts of commercial buildings accurately and effectively, we cannot mitigate their impacts. Our work aims to create effective, affordable, and comparable pathways for mechanical and electrical (M&E) industry stakeholders to participate in the LCA process, assuring future access to high-quality, transparent, and comparable environmental data. As identified by the Department of Energy (DOE) Decarbonization Blueprint, there is still high-quality data and accounting methods needed to achieve the Commercial Buildings Integration Program goal of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions. PNNL’s work aims to reduce costs associated with the LCA process, thereby supporting progress toward DOE’s 2050 target for reducing embodied carbon emissions in the U.S. building sector. This integrated approach not only addresses cost reduction but also enhances the availability and accuracy of crucial data, advancing the overall goal of building decarbonization.
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Sustainability in the Lighting Industry
The U.S. decarbonization strategy focuses on the building industry, which makes up over 20 percent of domestic carbon emissions. Reducing impacts of buildings and their components necessitates determining the carbon emissions associated with all their elements, not only operational emissions. While there's been work on the carbon impact of construction and building envelopes, less attention has been given to other components like lighting and power supplies. PNNL is supporting sustainability in the lighting industry by focusing on filling in data gaps for these building components, and on lighting systems integration with whole building life cycle assessment (WBLCA).
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Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment Research
Although WBLCA tools and other life cycle impact resources have advanced significantly in the last decade, PNNL has been working to address a lack of consensus on the ideal technological pathway for WBLCA. The team is also focused on bridging the information gap in M&E systems within WBLCA tools and resources, exploring best practices and potential pathways forward.
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