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Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a LEED certified building

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FORM 2018 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 365 (2018) 022007 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/365/2/022007
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Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a LEED certified building

Alina Vigovskaya, Olga Aleksandrova and Boris Bulgakov

Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, Yaroslavskoe shosse, 26, Moscow, 129337,
Russia

E-mail: alina.vigovskaya@gmail.com

Abstract. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a widely used tool to assess the environmental impact of
buildings and building products. When results of building life-cycle assessment are in place, there
appears an opportunity to make relevant changes in design and construction solutions to optimize
energy performance of the building and minimize impacts on environment. LCA tool can be applied in
various tasks, and is useful in case of buildings that take part in green building certification programs,
such as, for example, LEED ® (USA), BREEAM (UK), DGNB (Germany), CASBEE (Japan). The
paper describes aspects of conducting LCA for the building obtaining LEED certificate. LEED
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) – is an internationally accepted and one of the most
popular green building certification programs, that includes a set of rating systems for different types
of buildings. LEED focuses on promoting the use of LCA tools and LCA-based decision-making, thus
spurring market transformation and improving the quality of databases. There exists a wide range of
programs to perform an LCA. For the purposes of the study, the One Click LCA software was used.
The result of the study is a comparison of a created model baseline building and the proposed building
with the analysis of applied measures of improvement.

1. Introduction
Although scientists may differ on the pace of climate change, and economists may argue about the optimal
maximum mean temperature increase, they agree that climate change is happening now, the anthropogenic
emissions are contributing to this climate change, and that humanity can dramatically mitigate the impact of
climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions (Fig. 1). [1]

Figure 1. Total global emissions (GtCO2e)

Buildings account for about 40% of worldwide energy use — which is much more than transportation,
and one third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Energy is consumed during the following activities:
manufacturing of building materials, transport of these materials from production plants to building sites;
construction of the building; operation of the building; and demolition of the building (and recycling of its
parts, if applicable).
A 2012 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study found that “Specifically within commercial buildings, the

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FORM 2018 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 365 (2018) 022007 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/365/2/022007
1234567890‘’“”

use and operation phase of the material and building life cycle is so dominant that the impacts of
construction, demolition/disposal, and transportation are nearly irrelevant for most traditionally constructed
buildings.” By LCA tool it was revealed, that over 80% of greenhouse gas emissions take place during the
operational phase of buildings, when energy is used for heating, ventilation, cooling, lighting, appliances,
and other applications. From 10% to 20%, of the energy consumed is for materials manufacturing and
transportation, construction, maintenance, renovation and demolition [2], [3].
Given the massive growth in new construction in economies in transition, and the inefficiencies of
existing building stock worldwide, if nothing is done, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from
buildings will be increasing. This problem should be considered and relevant measures need to be taken to
decrease negative impacts.
Building sector has the largest potential for significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to
other major emitting sectors. Greenhouse gas reductions from buildings is common to both developed and
developing countries, as well as countries with economies in transition. It means that with proven and
commercially available technologies, the energy consumption in both new and existing buildings can be cut
by an estimated 30 to 80 percent with potential net profit during the building life- span. [4]
Sustainability in construction is not widely spread in Russia, but there are a lot of opportunities for
development in this field. There are several standards that represent general principles and requirements to
assess sustainable development of construction facilities by ecological, social and economic parameters,
considering technical and functional requirements to the project: GOST R 57274.1-2016 Sustainability of
construction works. Part 1. General framework; GOST R 57274.2-2016 Sustainability of construction works.
Part 2. Framework for the assessment of environmental performance; GOST R 57274.3-2016 Sustainability
of construction works. Part 3. Framework for the assessment of social performance; GOST R 57274.4-2016
Sustainability of construction works. Part 4. Framework for the assessment of economic performance.
There are also several international green building standards, used in construction industry in Russia, that
are voluntary (LEED® - Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, BREEAM - Building Research
Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, DGNB - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges
Bauen/German Sustainable Building Council), but development, that is occurred according to the
requirements of these standards, is aimed at reducing negative impacts on the environmental, social and
economic spheres of human life. To promote sustainable construction in Russia and use of BREEAM
standard, the Russian version of BREEAM rating system – BREEAM International New Construction 2016
was published in August 2017.
Sustainable development practices have also been actively used in the construction of international level
facilities of the Winter Olympics in Sochi at 2014 and then for the FIFA World Cup 2018. [5]
Negative impacts from construction can be controlled at the early stages of building design by using LCA
tool. That is why it is already widespread in many countries, and requires dissemination in the construction
industry in Russia.

2. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

LCA is a management tool that covers the whole life-cycle of the building, and aids in architectural decision
making.
The LCA methodology dates back to 1960s and early 1970s, and focused on issues such as energy
efficiency, the consumption of raw materials and, to some extent, waste disposal. It was developed by
industrial ecologists, chemists, and chemical engineers seeking to understand and reduce the impact of
manufacturing and process chemistry.
LCA has become a widely used methodology, because of its integrated way of treating the framework,
impact assessment and data quality. [6] Today, LCA is being promoted as a tool for analyzing the
environmental impact of buildings and making decisions to reduce these concerns.
The output of an LCA can be thought of as a wide-ranging environmental footprint of a building —
including aspects such as energy use, global warming potential, habitat destruction, resource depletion, and
toxic emissions. Of many environmental impacts of development, the one with the highest profile currently is
global warming. Global warming is the consequence of long term build up of greenhouse gases (e.g., CO2,
CH4, N2O) in the higher layer of atmosphere. Global warming is a serious problem, because it is affecting
many places around the world. It is accelerating the melting of ice sheets, permafrost and glaciers which is
causing average sea levels to rise [7], [8]. It is also changing precipitation and weather patterns in many
different places, making some places dryer, with more intense periods of drought and at the same time
making other places wetter, with stronger storms and increased flooding. [9], [10].
Using LCA tool, project team is able to highlight those building components that cause the highest
environmental impact, and whether the impact of a project is coming primarily from site selection or the

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IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 365 (2018) 022007 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/365/2/022007
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ongoing operation of the building. The method allows the designer to assess tradeoffs in building design, such
as those in selecting a steel or concrete frame or a clay masonry or stone veneer. [11]
As specified in ISO 14040 LCA is a “compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and the potential
environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycleˮ.
This tool examines the entire life cycle of a product, from extraction and acquisition of raw materials,
through energy and material production and manufacturing, to use and end of life treatment and final
disposal. Life cycle assessment framework is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Relationship of LCA stages according to standard ISO 14040 [12]

ISO 14040 describes four phases: 1) the goal and scope definition: the goal includes the intended
application, the reasons for the study, the audience, and whether the results are disclosed to the public, and
the scope defines the product to be studied, the functional unit, system boundaries, impact categories, and
treatment of uncertainty; 2) life cycle inventory analysis phase (LCI): involves compiling and quantifying
inputs and outputs for a product through its life cycle, and collection of the data necessary to meet the goals
of the defined study; 3) life cycle impact assessment phase (LCIA): evaluate the significance of the potential
environmental impacts for a product system throughout the life cycle of the product.; 4) interpretation: the
phase in which the findings of either the inventory analysis or the impact assessment, or both, are evaluated
in relation to the defined goal and scope in order to reach conclusions and recommendations.
The depth and the breadth of LCA can differ essentially depending on purposes of a particular LCA. There
are a lot of opportunities to use LCA tool and one of them is to use it in green building rating systems, such
as LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment
Method) and other.

3. Green building rating systems. LEED®

Use of sustainable development practices is the way for developers to mitigate negative impacts from
construction works. Green building rating systems aid architects and builders by providing guidelines for
green buildings and third party evaluations.
Rating systems assign point values for different measures that reduce the building’s environmental impact
and require a minimum amount of points to be certified as a green building.

3.1. BREEAM
BREEAM was developed and put into practice in England in 1990 and it is the first example of systems which
make assessment based on environmental standards. BREEAM label is provided in Figure 3.

Figure 3. BREEAM label

As defined on the website of the BREEAM rating system: “BREEAM is the world’s leading

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IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 365 (2018) 022007 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/365/2/022007
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sustainability assessment method for masterplanning projects, infrastructure and buildings. It recognises and
reflects the value in higher performing assets across the built environment lifecycle, from new construction
to in-use and refurbishment”. BREEAM does this through third party certification of the assessment of an
asset’s environmental, social and economic sustainability performance, using standards developed by BRE
(Building Research Establishment).
BREEAM measures sustainable value in a series of categories, ranging from energy to ecology. Each of
these categories addresses the most influential factors, including low impact design and carbon emissions
reduction; design durability and resilience; adaption to climate change; and ecological value and biodiversity
protection. The BREEAM categories are: Energy, Health and Wellbeing, Innovation, Land Use, Materials,
Management, Pollution, Transport, Waste and Water. [13]

3.2. DGNB
The German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen e.V.)
was founded in 2007 with the aim to promote sustainable and economically efficient building more strongly in
future. DGNB label is provided in Figure 4.

Figure 4. DGNB label

DGNB Certification System provides an objective description and assessment of the sustainability of
buildings and urban districts. Quality is assessed comprehensively over the entire life cycle of the building,
and it can be applied internationally. Fulfilment of up to 50 sustainability criteria from the quality sections
ecology, economy, socio-cultural aspects, technology, process work flows and site are certified. The system
is based on voluntarily outperforming the concepts that are common or usual today. [14]

3.3. LEED®
LEED® was developed by U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), non-profit organization that promotes
sustainability in building design, construction, and operation. LEED® is a voluntary, market driven,
consensus-based tool, a guideline and assessment mechanism, that seeks solutions to optimize the use of
natural resources, promote regenerative and restorative strategies, maximize the positive and minimize the
negative environmental and human health consequences of the construction industry, and provide high-
quality indoor environments for building occupants. LEED v4 is the current version of the rating system. [15]

Figure 5. LEED® label

As a market transformation instrument, LEED engages building project teams in a way that connects
strategies to a defined set of goals, that are referred to as “Impact Categories”. Seven Impact Categories were
developed and approved by the LEED Steering Committee for incorporation into LEED v4. Impact Categories
answer the question: “What should a LEED project accomplish?”
x Reverse Contribution to Global Climate Change
x Enhance Individual Human Health and Well-Being
x Protect and Restore Water Resources
x Protect, Enhance and Restore Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
x Promote Sustainable and Regenerative
x Material Resources Cycles
x Build a Greener Economy
x Enhance Social Equity, Environmental Justice, and Community Quality of Life
To get LEED certificate a project team should pursue all prerequisites (mandatory requirements) and
required number of points. Prerequisites are the green building standards every project must meet. Credits

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allow project teams to customize how they pursue certification. By fulfilling credits, projects earn points that
determine its certification level: Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59 points), Gold (60-79 points) and
Platinum (80+).
For the year 2017 there are 69 projects in Russia that have LEED certificate and are going to have the
certificate in the nearest future.

4. Study
In this study, the LCA of industrial warehouse building with area of 15 000 m2 is reviewed. The LCA was
conducted to get 3 points in Materials and Resources credit of LEED certification system: Building Life-
Cycle Impact Reduction, Option 4.
The requirements of the Option 4 are: to conduct a life-cycle assessment of the project’s structure and
enclosure that demonstrates a minimum of 10% reduction, compared with a baseline building, in at least three
of the six impact categories listed below, one of which must be global warming potential. No impact category
assessed as part of the life-cycle assessment may increase by more than 5% compared with the baseline
building.
Six impact categories are:
x global warming potential (greenhouse gases), in CO2e;
x depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, in kg CFC-11;
x acidification of land and water sources, in moles H+ or kg SO2;
x eutrophication, in kg nitrogen or kg phosphate;
x formation of tropospheric ozone, in kg NOx or kg ethene; and
x depletion of nonrenewable energy resources, in MJ.
The service life of the baseline and proposed buildings must be the same and at least 60 years to fully
account for maintenance and replacement.
To conduct LCA the One Click LCA software was used. This software allows to calculate life cycle impacts
across the standard impact categories and compare those impacts to a comparable baseline building.
All building materials, applied to the project are required to be added to the software as the input data.
Types of materials and structures, that are described are the following: foundations and substructure, vertical
structures and façade (including external walls and façade, columns and load- bearing vertical structures,
internal walls and non-bearing structures), horizontal structures: beams, floors and roofs (floor slabs,
ceilings, roofing decks, beams and roof), other structures and materials (including staircase, windows and
doors). For each material in the structure the following information is required: quantity (and size, if
applicable), transport (distance between the place of sourcing and the project site, and the way of
transportation (by dumper truck, trailer combination, concrete mixer truck, ship, train, etc.), service life (as
building, 25, 30, 50 years, etc.).
Baseline building information is imported primarily. Baseline building usually represents conventional
structures and measures applied. The proposed building should comply with the requirements of the LEED
credit, so optimized materials and structures are to be used.
According to LEED specification, all the background data must be compliant with ISO14040/44 standard
and the chosen impact assessment methodology. Each material has an EPD (Environmental Product
Declaration), a document that contains all necessary information about the product during its life cycle.
Environmental product declarations (EPDs) following EN 15804 or ISO 21930 standards automatically also
follow ISO standards. In Russia there are very few EPDs available, that is why the EPDs for the project
materials was replaced by the EPDs of the same materials, but from another country or another manufacturer.
The results of the performed LCA are provided in Figure 6.

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FORM 2018 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 365 (2018) 022007 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/365/2/022007
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Figure 6. Life-cycle assessment impact measures (from LEED online)

The table shows the reduction of negative impacts compared with baseline building, and that the
requirements of the LEED credit are achieved.

5. Conclusions
The following conclusions were drawn from this study:
1. The problem of climate change is one of the most urgent problems which should be addressed with
particular attention. Construction sector has the large potential for significantly reducing
greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the impact of climate change.
2. Sustainability in construction is not widely spread in Russia, but there are already several standards
in place, and the application of international standards and green building certification systems is
becoming more popular.
3. LCA is a “compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and the potential environmental
impacts of a product system throughout its life cycleˮ, that has four phases: 1) the goal and scope
definition; 2) life cycle inventory analysis; 3) life cycle impact assessment; and 4) interpretation.
4. Green building certification systems provide tools to evaluate the applied sustainable development
practices during design, construction, and maintenance of the building. BREEAM and LEED are the
most popular green building certification systems in Russia.
5. LCA needs to be conducted when pursuing LEED certification, Materials and Resources credit:
Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction, Option 4. LCA shows how the negative impacts from the
building construction can be reduced.
In addition, it should be noted, that LCA is a very useful management tool that provides an opportunity to
assess impacts on every stage of building service life. The results, obtained from LCA should be taken into
account, and then appropriate measures are to be applied to mitigate negative impacts.

Acknowledgements
This paper was prepared with support of HPBS company (http://hpb-s.com/ru/hpbs/). The results of LCA
were received by working together on the LEED project with specialists of HPBS.

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