GREEN MATTERS
The choice of material and system can signifi cantly impact the amount of energy embodied in a building. Concrete, for example, is often cited in architecture circles as having a high embodied energy content because of the amount of energy used to produce the cement used in its mix. Just as important, but less well known, is the large amount of energy embodied in the hundreds of various products used to heat, cool and ventilate a building. Consultant Atelier Ten estimates that building services
can be responsible for up to one quarter of the carbon embodied in a typical, fully serviced offi ce building; while consultant WSP estimates this to be 15% [
https://www.wsp. com/en-gb/insights/embodied-carbon-of-building-services- in-construction] but warns that this “may be much higher”. One reason for the high embodied carbon fi gure is because there are a lot of building services installed in a typical modern offi ce. What is more, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, pipes ducts and cables are often made from metals, metal alloys and other materials with much higher embodied carbon than natural materials such as timber. Similarly, the manufacture of air conditioning plant and equipment inevitably involves complex assemblies of components, often with multiple subcomponents, many of which will have been transported over long distances adding to their embodied carbon content. Another reason is that, unlike a building’s fabric and
structure which will remain in place throughout the life of the building, a lot of plant and equipment will inevitably be replaced, often several times, over the lifetime of a building, potentially doubling or even tripling the embodied carbon associated with that system. For engineers looking to make a diff erence by selecting plant and equipment with lower-embodied carbon, the starting place would be to seek out a product’s environmental product declaration (EPDs). However, the problem with this approach is that because of the complexity of many building services products and the supply chains, very few building services equipment manufacturers currently off er EPDs. This is where CIBSE’s Technical Memoranda 65 Embodied carbon in building services: A calculation methodology is helpful. TM65 provides a consistent approach to the calculation and reporting of embodied carbon for building services plant and equipment. To be clear, CIBSE TM65 is not intended to replace a
product’s EPD. Instead, where no EPD is available, it will allow an engineer to estimate the amount of embodied carbon in that product. To support engineers and manufacturers in using TM65, CIBSE has published a digital version of the Embodied Carbon Calculator tool. To use the digital Embodied Carbon Calculator tool, a manufacturer must fi rst complete the TM65 Manufacturer Form. Using data from the manufacturer’s form, a user is then able to complete either a basic embodied carbon calculation, when limited information is available, or a more robust mid-level calculation. Once the user has added contact details and completed consent to publication
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details, the result may be used as a self-assessed value for the embodied carbon of the product.
Although TM65 is aimed at engineers in the UK and
Europe, the same methodology is applicable to air conditioning, refrigeration and MEP products manufactured and installed anywhere in the world. To this end, CIBSE has published complimentary guidance on using TM65 to calculate embodied carbon for building services in New Zealand and Australia. CIBSE is also working with its sister organisation in the United States of America, ASHRAE, on adapting TM65 for the USA, Canada and Mexico. It is also talking to organisations in Scandinavia and the Middle East about using the methodology there too. More locally, TM65 has also been included in the GLA’s whole life carbon calculation process as part of the London planning process A further benefi t to the industry is that CIBSE is using the information generated by the document to facilitate the development of an embodied carbon database for building services products. This will make it easier for CIBSE members to accelerate progress towards achieving net zero carbon buildings. CIBSE has already published a document on the embodied energy of products for heating systems in the domestic sector and is currently working on a similar publication on heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems for offi ces.
The publication of TM65 serves to highlight how CIBSE is leading the way in fi nding practical solutions to tackle this issue of embodied carbon in building services globally which encapsulates CIBSE’s philosophy of “it’s down to all of us to make a diff erence”.
All forms and information can be found on the CIBSE website.
www.CIBSE.org
www.acr-news.com • July 2023 29
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