Norway: DFØ Reference Building and LCA Parameters

The Norwegian Agency for Public and Financial Management (DFØ) has updated its guidelines for calculating greenhouse gas emissions in building procurement. Here's what you need to know:

New Calculation Model: DFØ has a new reference model to help you calculate emissions, meeting the threshold values, and is aligned with the latest BREEAM NOR v6.1 standards. (Updates done in cooperation with Grønn Byggallianse)

Based on Familiar Tools: This model builds upon the previous reference building found in One Click LCA's older Carbon Designer tool (not Carbon Designer 3D).

One Click LCA Supports: One Click LCA offers tools to help you comply with these guidelines, including:

• A tool that generates Norwegian reference buildings, accessible through the older version of Carbon Designer´. (Developed and validated in collaboration with Statsbygg, together with leading Norwegian Experts from A/S Civitas and Context AS)
• An updated version of this reference building, is currently in BETA.

Find more information here: 

• DFØ’s documentation here.
• One Click LCA's Reference Buildings and tools here and here.
• One Click LCA's Updated Reference Building (in BETA) here.

In response to DFØ’s suggestions, One Click LCA has made the following updates:

• A new region in Carbon Designer 3D called "Norwegian DFØ reference building" region incorporates all the latest material changes.
• A new scenario automatically calculates replacement impacts based on DFØ guidelines. Find it in your LCA parameters.
• A new scenario incorporates DFØ's recommended transportation distances for various materials. You can select this in your LCA transportation parameters.
• A new transportation method scenario is available for inputs added directly to the data input interface. Select this in your LCA transportation parameters for precise calculations.
• New site wastage ratio scenarios help you accurately calculate waste impacts. Find these options in your LCA parameters.
• 162 new constructions that are used in the new Carbon Designer 3D DFØ reference building.

How do relevant LCA parameters affect previous and new inputs in the old and new data input interfaces?

Materials added after switching to the DFØ LCA parameters:

• All materials added in both interfaces will adopt the DFØ scenarios for service life, transportation distance, and site wastage.
• Materials added in the new data input interface will also receive updated transportation methods.

Materials added before switching to the DFØ LCA parameters:

• All previously entered materials will switch to the DFØ scenarios for service life and site wastage, regardless of the interface used (site wastage enabled in October 2024). For service life, the values edited by the users previously will not be affected by the LCA parameter switching.
• All materials that were added in the old data input interface will switch to the DFØ transportation distances, regardless of the interface that is currently being used. Transportation distances are not affected by LCA parameter changes for materials that have been added directly in the new interface.
• Transportation methods will not be updated for previously inserted resources in either interface. Remember, the new interface provides updated transportation methods for the DFØ transportation scenario for newly added resources.

What are the changes in the new DFØ reference building in Carbon Designer 3D?

The DFØ reference building in Carbon Designer 3D includes material updates as per DFØ’s documentation for reference material impacts here. Additionally, DFØ transportation, service life, and site waste scenarios in LCA parameters align with the same documentation.

Are there any differences in the results between DFØ's own tool and One Click LCA DFØ reference building?

There can be minor differences between the results returned from the two tools. The main reason is that One Click LCA has used actual EPDs instead of the exact benchmark values that DFØ mentions for some of the material types.

Which structural frame should I use in Carbon Designer 3D DFØ reference building?

The default structural frame is aligned with DFØ GWP reference value calculation. Other frames can be used for exploring alternative design options.

Which reference building and LCA parameter selections should I use? 

This depends on the project's application and end customer. 

• For Statsbygg projects, use the old Carbon Designer tool and the specified LCA parameters as per this guidance. Additionally, align with any further guidance provided by Statsbygg.
• For BREEAM NOR v6.1 projects, it is recommended to use the DFØ scenarios in LCA parameters for your calculations and also One Click LCA’s DFØ reference building for early-stage assessments. DFØ scenarios are aligned with modelling scenarios for MAT01 reference values from BREEAM NOR v6.1.