Level(s) Carbon or Life Cycle Assessment

• Level(s) Carbon +A1 -> This tool uses +A1 data only.
• Level(s) Carbon +A2 -> This tool uses +A1 and +A2 data. (GWP only)
• Level(s) LCA +A1 -> This tool uses +A1 data only. 
• Level(s) LCA +A2 -> This tool uses +A2 (full indicators) data only. (Do note that the 'material-locked' end-of-life parameter will not work in the new Level(s) LCA tool as these do not generate +A2 impacts, use market-based or EPD eol instead.)

Level(s) is a European approach to assess and report on the sustainability performance of buildings, throughout the full life cycle of buildings. The Level(s) tool is in compliance with EN 15978 and EU Taxonomy.

The framework for the Level(s) certification has been organized into three levels, with various levels of assessment and reporting:

• Level 1. Conceptual design

The simplest level entails an assessment of the early-stage design and other concepts but does not include a whole building assessment.

• Level 2. Detailed Design and Construction

Assessment of the detailed design.

• Level 3. As-built and in-use

Assessment of the performance of the final design, along with construction operations and operational emissions.

The premise of the various levels is that it represents the journey of a building, from initial concept to design and construction, followed by the completed and in-use building. The more levels that are addressed, the more accurate the results are to the performance of the finished construction.

Life-Cycle & Results Scope

The calculation includes the life cycle modules of A1-A5, B1-B7, C1-C4, and D. The displayed results depend on your chosen Level(s) tool. 

Level(s) life-cycle carbon (+A1/+A2)

Suitable for Level 2 and 3 calculations and includes the following result impact categories:

• Global warming (kg CO2e)
• Biogenic carbon storage (kg CO2e bio)

Level(s) life-cycle assessment (+A1 only)

Suitable for Level 2 and 3 calculations and includes a range of environmental indicators. 

Level(s) life cycle assessment (+A2 only)

Suitable for Level 2 and 3 calculations and includes a range of environmental indicators. 

Data Scope

All tools allow the use of generic and Type III EPDs. 

• Level(s) Life Cycle Carbon (+A1/+A2) -> CML (En15804+A1) and PEF data (EN15804+A2) 
• Level(s) Life Cycle Assessment (+A1 only) -> CML data
• Level(s) Life Cycle Assessment (+A2 only) -> PEF data (EN15804+A2)

Assessment Scope

The minimum scope of building parts and elements to be included in your Level(s) calculation is shown below. Construction products that are procured and installed by the building occupiers are excluded from the scope.

Building parts	Related building elements
Shell (substructure and superstructure)
Foundations (substructure)	Piles Basement Retaining walls
Load-bearing structural frame	Frame (beams, columns, and slabs) Upper floors External walls Balconies
Non-loadbearing items	Ground floor slab Internal walls, partitions, and doors Stairs and ramps
Facades	External wall systems, cladding and shading devices Façade openings (including windows and external doors) External paints, coatings, and renders
Roof	Structure Weatherproofing
Parking facilities	Above ground and underground (within the curtilage of the building and servicing the building occupiers)
Core (fittings, furnishings and services)
Fittings and furnishings	Sanitary fittings Cupboards, wardrobes, and worktops (where provided in residential property) Ceilings Wall and ceiling finishes Floor coverings and finishes
In-built lighting system	Light fittings Control systems and sensors
Energy systems	Heating plant and distribution Cooling plant and distribution Electricity generation and distribution
Ventilation system	Air handling units Ductwork and distribution
Sanitary systems	Cold water distribution Hot water distribution Water treatment systems Drainage system
Other systems	Lifts and escalators Firefighting installations Communication and security installations Telecoms and data installations
External works
Utilities	Connections and diversions Substations and equipment
Landscaping	Paving and other hard surfaces Fencing, railings, and walls Drainage systems

The main items needed are as follows:

• a completed Level(s) building description (see Level(s) User Manual 2 for details)
• the complete bill of quantities for the building design(s)
• a calculation software tool with the correct functionalities – Fulfilled with your One Click LCA Building license
• access to databases and EPDs that have good coverage of the construction products planned to be used – Fulfilled by One Click LCA’s resource database

Completing a Level 1 assessment

This level is for those who do not intend to calculate the life cycle GWP emissions of their building project. Instead, incorporate some important life cycle concepts into design concepts and, later, into detailed designs. Further guidance for this step can be found in the relevant Level(s) guidance documents.

Completing a Level 2 assessment

This Level is for those who intend to calculate the life cycle GWP emissions of their building project.

Building Materials

Create your project and a new design in One Click LCA and fill in the building materials query of the design either by manually adding them or by importing your materials. Ensure that you include all the materials required by the calculation scope as detailed above.

Identify your material or similar resource data from the One Click LCA database, including EPDs, and use representative average data and additional data to fill any gaps.

If not already set during your material import, select the correct category or ‘Building Part’ for your included materials and set accurate transportation distances for your materials between the manufacturer location and the project site, selecting the appropriate transportation method. If you do not have accurate transportation data, the default transportation distances selected in the LCA parameters for your project can be used.

Check the default material service life is accurate, and manually adjust if required.

Adjust the localisation of each material as needed (Expert feature). This information will be used to compensate for any material data chosen from another area to match your project’s local material manufacturing conditions.

Energy Consumption

Fill in the annual energy consumption by choosing the local energy data and inputting annual consumption based on your energy calculations. Only the energy bought from external sources will be reported.

Any renewable energy produced in the building and exported to the grid will not be considered in your calculation totals but declared as a benefit of the building (D stage).

Water Consumption

Fill in the annual water consumption. If you do not have a local water treatment system, choose “Clean + wastewater” and fill in cubic meters. You can use an estimation of the water consumption if it has not been modelled.

Construction Site Operations

Add your site impacts either by choosing a suitable construction site scenario in sections 1 and 2 OR by adding project-specific energy, water, waste etc. into sections 3 to 7.

Calculation Period

Add the assessment period or expected life of the building. If you are following the Level(s) framework, the calculation period should be set to 50 years.

Emissions and Removals

Input any refrigerants, concrete carbonisation, and vegetation carbon withdrawals that you wish to account for. 

Building Area

Finally, add the Gross Internal Floor Area of your design. This should exclude any parking or motor vehicle circulation areas but include basements.

Results

Interpret the results, which could include analysis of different designs, the identification of hotspots, the identification of any trade-offs and accounting for uncertainty and the quality of data.

If possible, make improvements to the design until reaching a design freeze prior to going to market to select a contractor.

Your design's full results can be downloaded from the Results page by clicking ‘More actions’ and ‘One Click LCA results report’.

Completing a Level 3 assessment

The same steps and instructions as defined in Level 2 can be equally applied to the building assessment after its construction or renovation. The only difference would be that the design data is supported by the certainty of materials procured and technical building systems installed instead of being based on a design only.