USA: CALGreen and LCA Requirements

We are pleased to announce the release of a new report template for projects created with the LCA for CalGreen tool. This new feature introduces the capability to generate a single design report, expanding the reporting options beyond the previously available comparative report. How this will help you: 

• Single Design Results Reporting:
  The new report template allows users to automatically populate and download results for a single design within a project.
• Comprehensive Data for Pathway 3:
  • The report provides evidence supporting Pathway 3 of the Life Cycle Assessment credit for CalGreen.
  • It includes Global Warming Potential (GWP) values for different product types. These values are compared against the threshold criteria for various tiers, aligning with the requirements of Pathway 3.
• Embodied Carbon and Full LCA Results:
  In addition to Pathway 3-specific details, the report also includes overall embodied carbon and full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) results for the selected design.

This new reporting feature enhances the flexibility of the LCA for CalGreen tool, offering detailed insights to streamline compliance with CalGreen sustainability standards.

This will be available after our January Release.

The California Green Building Standards Code (CalGreen) is a part of the California Building Standards Code and aims to improve public health, safety, and general welfare by enhancing the design and construction of buildings. It establishes minimum mandatory standards, as well as voluntary tiers, for residential and nonresidential buildings to achieve more efficient use of resources and to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an essential tool within CalGreen for evaluating the environmental impacts of building materials and construction practices over their entire life cycle, from extraction to disposal.

Life-Cycle & Results Scope

Ensure that the scope of the analysis is a cradle-to-grave assessment which includes environmental impacts associated with the following life-cycle modules:

• Product stage: Modules A1-A3
• Transportation to site: Module A4
• Construction installation: Module A5 (can be left blank if unknown)
• Use stage: B1-B5
• End of life stage: C1-C4

Regarding the building components included in this tool, it should be noted that the assessment considers the building envelope, structural elements (including footings and foundations), interior ceilings, walls, floors, and exterior finishes. There are two exceptions: plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and control systems, as well as interior finishes, which are not required to be included.

Considered Buildings and compliance pathways

These requirements will be incorporated into the 2022 Intervening Cycle updates of the California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) Part 11, Title 24, and will take effect statewide on July 1, 2024. Nonresidential commercial buildings larger than 100,000 square feet and school buildings exceeding 50,000 square feet must adhere to one of three compliance pathways that CALGreen tool in One Click LCA covers all:

Building Reuse: Reuse at least 45% of an existing structure and its exterior. When combined with new construction, the total added area must not exceed double the area of the existing structure. (Section 5.105.2)
Performance: Conduct a whole building lifecycle assessment (WBLCA) showing at least a 10% reduction in embodied carbon emissions compared to a baseline project design. (Section 5.409.2)
Prescriptive: Provide environmental product declarations (EPDs) for specified materials (steel, glass, mineral wool, concrete) that collectively demonstrate a lower global warming potential than a specified threshold (175% of Industry-Wide EPD GWP Limits). (Section 5.409.3)

How to complete an assessment in One Click LCA

1. Create a new design

2. Fill in the building materials query of the design either manually or by import. Add all of the materials required by the calculation scope (see above).

You are allowed to use either generic data, manufacturer-specific EPDs (recommended) or similar products from another manufacturer. Use net quantities (amounts of material installed in the building); the on-site losses of materials would be included in module A5.

This information will be used to calculate the raw material harvesting, transportation and manufacturing impacts in A1-A3.

3. Once the correct materials and quantities are provided, set the transportation distances from material manufacturer to the project site and transport methods.

The default transportation distances can be set up from the project’s LCA parameters page. If they are chosen, any material will use the average distance unless a more specific one is given in the query. This information will be used to calculate the impacts of material transportation in A4.

4. Finally, check the material service life.

This information will be used to calculate the material replacements for B2-B5.

Material service life means how long each material will last in your building. If the service life is less than 60 years the material will have to be replaced. From an environmental impacts point of view, this means additional emissions from the production of new material that is needed to replace the old one.

Each of the materials in One Click LCA database has a default service life. However, as the exposure conditions of the materials may vary, it may be good to check that the service life matches the condition of your building. It is especially important to check the external wall and roof material service lives’ as the weather conditions may vary greatly between areas.

5. In the next step, you need to enter the input data in the "Construction Site Operations" tab. This section will help you generate results for the C1 and A5 stages.

6. To calculate B1 emissions, another query tab called "Emissions and Removals" should be completed in the CalGreen tool. This section considers emissions related to refrigerant leakage and the carbonization of cementitious materials.

7. The "Maintenance" query tab collects data related to the building's annual maintenance activities, such as cleaning and preventive and regular product servicing. These activities are accounted for in the life-cycle module B2. This section includes data on annual electricity use, water use, fuel use for maintenance, and the annual replacement of parts as part of preventive and regular maintenance.

8. For the final steps of data input, fill in the calculation period and building area queries. The building area information will be used to divide the results into a separate row, helping you understand how the results compare to other projects. The gross floor area is required.