14.02.2023
Technology and Knowledge
EPDs for MEP products
As a key industry for the energy transition and thus with massive responsibility towards future generations, building services possess a major lever for the sustainable development of the building sector. Taking this into account, building services design experts wish to use products that conserve resources and save CO2*. Sustainability thus becomes a permanent factor in all decisions about whether to opt for one system or another.
This can only be done with reliable data that is prepared in an understandable way and is easy to work with. This is exactly what you get from us in the form of our intuitive calculation tools and verified Environmental Product Declarations, abbreviated to EPDs.
*CO2 oder CO2e?
The abbreviation CO2 is often used as a substitute for greenhouse gases.
Strictly speaking, it would be more correct to use the term CO2 equivalence or the abbreviation CO2e, which we use below.
Good reasons to work with sustainability data
Selecting air conditioning products based on sustainable considerations is no longer just an illusion. It is about tangible benefits for the environment, for future generations, but also for everyone involved in projects.
Changing the Game
Life Cycle Assessment data for construction products is important when it comes to the sustainable certification of buildings. This is because more and more construction projects are using only building materials the environmental impact of which can be proved. This trend will also continue to advance in building services. Qualitative product data will thus become a selection criterion for building services designers and builders.
Our reliable sustainability documentation makes it easier for them to work with the certification process, and ensures that they collect valuable points for the sought-after building certificate.
But sustainable building services and construction sectors mean more than just bureaucracy. It is nothing less than a game-changer when building services design experts select products based on their environmental impact, as well as performance and price. Efficiency, resource-conserving materials, short transport routes and extensive recycling are becoming relevant design parameters. Sounds obvious? Get on board!
Environmental Product Declaration
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) ) provide information about the environmental impact of a product. EPDs are standardised and verified so that they can be used as evidence in certification processes for sustainable buildings etc. Building services designers simply pass on the EPD for the respective product to the building certification auditor.
EPDs are already widely used in some areas of the construction industry. Examples include building materials or the window industry. Kampmann is an absolute pioneer in the field of complex building services equipment. We are confident that EPDs will also be essential for building services in future in terms of sustainable building certification.
Air conditioning technology for DGNB, BREEAM, LEED etc.
Our EPDs make it easier for you to work towards sustainable building certification. EPDs are a recognised practice in all popular systems, including DGNB, BREEAM or LEED. The certified documents are simply passed on to the auditor in the certification process.
And that's in our Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)
Our audit does not end with the life cycle of a product. The ongoing use or recycling of products after their original use is also taken into account in our life cycle assessments: From cradle to cradle. This gives you an end-to-end picture of the cycle that our trench systems, unit heaters, fan coils etc. go through.
Products with EPDs
We are constantly working to expand our broad-based product range to include new EPDs. We currently offer the following products with Environmental Product Declarations. All EPDs are externally verified. The data for our Katherm trench systems applies to a “1 kW heat output” functional unit of measure. This means that in the certification process, for example, the verified EPD data (based on 1 kW of heat output) is scaled up.
With our Venkon fan coils, each individual variant has a specific EPD. You will find it in the product selection for download.
Katherm NK
- Heating
Katherm QK
- Heating
Katherm HK
- Heating
- Cooling
- Ventilate
Venkon
- Heating
- Cooling
- Ventilate
EPDs for unit heaters and co.?
Can’t yet find the right one? We are still working on verified EPDs for our other products. However, we can provide you with information about the material-based CO2e footprint of almost all our products. Please get in touch with us.
Abbreviations in EPDs
We have to admit: that an EPD is not exactly a holiday read. Anyone who does not work as a sustainable building certification auditor will understandably find it difficult dealing with the many abbreviations and technical terms. We have therefore compiled a glossary of key environmental impact terms for you.
| Environmental Impact | Explanation |
|---|---|
| GWP Global warming potential |
The global warming potential expresses the contribution to the warming of ground-level layers of air, i.e. the so-called greenhouse effect. |
| ODP Stratospheric ozone depletion potential |
The depletion potential of the stratospheric ozone layer illustrates the reduction of ozone in the stratosphere and the destruction of the ozone layer by the emission of ozone-depleting substances. |
| AP Acidification potential of soil and water |
The acidification potential describes the toxic effect of acidifying substances on the soil, bodies of water, living organisms and buildings. The reaction of acid gases in the atmosphere results in “acid rain”, which leads to a reduction in biological diversity. |
| EP Eutrophication potential |
Eutrophication (over-fertilisation) refers to the transition of bodies of water and soils from a nutrient-poor state to a nutrient-rich state, in particular through the emission of phosphates and nitrates. This leads to damage to ecosystems, resulting in increased mortality and loss of species. |
| POCP Photochemical ozone creation potential |
The photochemical ozone creation potential quantifies the formation of ground-level ozone, which leads to contamination of the layers of air and damage to human health and ecosystems. The environmental impact is also referred to as “summer smog”. |
| ADPE, ADPF Abiotic resource depletion potential |
The abiotic resource depletion potential expresses the consumption of the world's non-fossil resources (ADPE) or fossil fuels (ADPF). |
| WDP Water footprint |
The water footprint expresses the amount of water consumed or polluted during the life cycle of a product. |
| PM Potential occurrence of diseases due to particulate matter emissions |
This impact category takes into account the adverse effects on human health caused by the emission of particulate matter and its precursors. |
| IR Potential impact by human exposure to U235 |
This impact category describes the effects of ionising radiation emitted by atoms in the form of electromagnetic waves or particles. |
| ETP – FW Freshwater ecotoxicity potential |
The freshwater ecotoxicity unit of comparison considers the total pollution of freshwater resulting from the air, drainage from land and the direct release of chemicals into water. |
| HTP-C, HTP-NC Human toxicity potential: carcinogenic / non-carcinogenic |
The human toxicity potential unit of comparison describes the health-damaging impact on humans of a chemical unit released into the environment. This includes cancer (HTP-C) and other health impacts (HTP-NC). |
| SQP Potential soil quality index |
The soil quality index considers the change in soil quality due to changes in land use, which lead to surfaces being sealed and contaminated. |