prEN 15941

Sustainability of construction works - Data quality for environmental assessment of products and construction work - Selection and use of data

This document supports the data quality assessment and selection of data for product-level Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) according to the core product category rules of EN 15804 and for the environmental performance assessment of buildings according to prEN 15978 1 in a consistent way. It can also be used to assess and select data for the environmental assessment of civil engineering works according to EN 17472.
It defines data quality requirements with respect to temporal, technological and geographical representativeness for the data used to calculate the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) based indicator results of the EPD and for construction works when applying EPD, life cycle inventory data or other LCA based information, and generates a hierarchy to support the selection of the most appropriate data with regard to data quality. It also addresses the reporting of data quality at product and building level.

Nachhaltigkeit von Bauwerken - Datenqualität für die Erfassung der Umweltqualität von Produkten und Bauwerken - Auswahl und Anwendung von Daten

Dieses Dokument unterstützt die einheitliche Bewertung der Datenqualität und Auswahl von Daten für Umweltproduktdeklarationen (EPD) auf Produktebene entsprechend den Produktkategorie-Grundregeln nach EN 15804 und für die Bewertung der umweltbezogenen Qualität von Gebäuden nach prEN 15978 1. Es kann ebenfalls für die Bewertung und Auswahl von Daten für die Umweltbewertung von Ingenieurbauten nach EN 17472 angewendet werden.
Es legt Anforderungen an die Datenqualität hinsichtlich der zeitlichen, technologischen und geografischen Repräsentativität der für die Berechnung der auf der Ökobilanz (LCA, en: life cycle assessment) beruhenden Wirkungsindikatorwerte der EPD verwendeten Daten fest, sowie für Bauwerke bei Anwendung einer EPD die Anforderungen an die Datenqualität von Daten der Sachbilanz oder anderen auf der Ökobilanz beruhenden Angaben, und stellt eine Hierarchie auf, um die Auswahl der hinsichtlich der Datenqualität am besten geeigneten Daten zu unterstützen. Es behandelt außerdem die Berichterstattung über die Datenqualität auf der Produkt- und Gebäudeebene.

Contribution des ouvrages de construction au développement durable - Qualité des données pour l'évaluation environnementale des produits et des ouvrages de construction - Sélection et utilisation des données

Le présent document aide à évaluer la qualité des données et à sélectionner les données, de manière cohérente, pour les Déclarations environnementales de produits (DEP) au niveau des produits, conformément aux règles propres à la catégorie de produits de l'EN 15804, et pour l'évaluation de la performance environnementale des bâtiments, conformément au projet de norme prEN 15978 1. Il peut également être utilisé pour évaluer et sélectionner les données dans le cadre de l'évaluation environnementale des ouvrages de génie civil, conformément à l'EN 17472.
Le présent document définit les exigences relatives à la qualité des données selon leur représentativité temporelle, technologique et géographique en ce qui concerne les données servant à calculer les résultats des indicateurs ACV de la DEP et des ouvrages de construction utilisant des DEP, données d'inventaire du cycle de vie ou autres informations basées sur l'analyse du cycle de vie (ACV) et génère une hiérarchie visant à faciliter la sélection des données les plus appropriées en matière de qualité des données. Il aborde également la question de l'établissement des rapports sur la qualité des données, au niveau des produits et des bâtiments.

Trajnostnost gradbenih objektov - Kakovost podatkov za okoljsko oceno proizvodov in gradbenih del - Izbor in uporaba podatkov

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 28-Jan-2024
• ICS: 35.240.67 - IT applications in building and construction industry
• ICS: 91.010.99 - Other aspects
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 350 - Sustainability of construction works
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 350/WG 3 - Products Level
• Current Stage: 4599 - Dispatch of FV draft to CMC - Finalization for Vote
• Start Date: 23-May-2023
• Due Date: 19-Apr-2022
• Completion Date: 23-May-2023
• Mandate: M/350 AMDT - Amendment to mandate M/350 to CEN for the development or horizontal standardised methods for the assessment of the integrated environmental performance of building
• Ref Project: oSIST prEN 15941:2021 - Sustainability of construction works - Data quality for environmental assessment of products and construction works - Selection and use of data

Relations

• Revises: CEN/TR 15941:2010 - Sustainability of construction works - Environmental product declarations - Methodology for selection and use of generic data
• Effective Date: 19-Jan-2023

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN 15941:2021
01-september-2021
Trajnostnost gradbenih objektov - Kakovost podatkov za okoljsko oceno
proizvodov in gradbenih del - Izbor in uporaba podatkov

Sustainability of construction works - Data quality for environmental assessment of

products and construction works - Selection and use of data

Nachhaltigkeit von Bauwerken - Datenqualität für die Erfassung der Umweltqualität von

Produkten und Bauwerken - Auswahl und Anwendung von Daten
Contribution des ouvrages de construction au développement durable - Qualité des
données pour l'évaluation environnementale des produits et des ouvrages de
construction - Sélection et utilisation des données
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 15941
ICS:
13.020.20 Okoljska ekonomija. Environmental economics.
Trajnostnost Sustainability
35.240.67 Uporabniške rešitve IT v IT applications in building
gradbeništvu and construction industry
91.010.99 Drugi vidiki Other aspects
oSIST prEN 15941:2021 en,fr,de

2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
oSIST prEN 15941:2021
---------------------- Page: 2 ----------------------
oSIST prEN 15941:2021
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
prEN 15941
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
June 2021
ICS 35.240.67; 91.010.99 Will supersede CEN/TR 15941:2010
English Version
Sustainability of construction works - Data quality for
environmental assessment of products and construction
works - Selection and use of data
Nachhaltigkeit von Bauwerken - Datenqualität für die
Erfassung der Umweltqualität von Produkten und
Bauwerken - Auswahl und Anwendung von Daten

This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee

CEN/TC 350.

If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations

which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other

language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC

Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,

Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,

Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and

United Kingdom.

Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are

aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without

notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels

© 2021 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 15941:2021 E

worldwide for CEN national Members.
---------------------- Page: 3 ----------------------
oSIST prEN 15941:2021
prEN 15941:2021 (E)
Contents Page

European foreword ............................................................................................................................................ 5

1 Scope .......................................................................................................................................................... 6

2 Normative references .......................................................................................................................... 6

3 Terms and definitions ......................................................................................................................... 7

4 Abbreviations ......................................................................................................................................... 8

5 Types of data ........................................................................................................................................... 8

5.1 General...................................................................................................................................................... 8

5.2 Types of generic data for use at product, building and construction works level ........ 8

5.3 Source of data for use at building level ......................................................................................... 9

5.4 Types of EPD ......................................................................................................................................... 10

6 Data quality criteria ........................................................................................................................... 11

6.1 General.................................................................................................................................................... 11

6.2 International Reference Life Cycle Data format ...................................................................... 12

6.3 Time-related coverage ...................................................................................................................... 12

6.3.1 General.................................................................................................................................................... 12

6.3.2 General time related aspects .......................................................................................................... 12

6.3.3 Time-related criteria for construction products and buildings ........................................ 12

6.3.4 Time related meta data for ILCD data sets ................................................................................ 13

6.4 Geographical coverage ...................................................................................................................... 14

6.4.1 General geography-related aspects ............................................................................................. 14

6.4.2 Geography-related criteria for construction products and buildings ............................. 15

6.4.3 Geography related meta data for ILCD data sets ..................................................................... 15

6.5 Technological coverage .................................................................................................................... 16

6.5.1 General.................................................................................................................................................... 16

6.5.2 Technology-related criteria at product level ............................................................................ 16

6.5.3 Technology related criteria for Data quality at building level ........................................... 17

6.5.4 Technology related meta data for ILCD data sets .................................................................... 17

6.6 Criteria related to Precision ........................................................................................................... 18

6.7 Precision related meta data for ILCD data sets ........................................................................ 19

6.8 Criteria related to Completeness .................................................................................................. 19

6.8.1 General.................................................................................................................................................... 19

6.8.2 Criteria related to Completeness at product level .................................................................. 20

6.8.3 Criteria related to Completeness at building level ................................................................. 20

6.8.4 Completeness related meta data for ILCD data sets ............................................................... 20

6.9 Criteria related to Consistence ...................................................................................................... 21

6.9.1 General.................................................................................................................................................... 21

6.9.2 Consistency related meta data for ILCD data sets ................................................................... 22

6.10 Sources of the data ............................................................................................................................. 23

6.11 Meta data for ILCD data sets related to Sources of data ........................................................ 23

7 Data Quality at Product level .......................................................................................................... 24

7.1 Assessing Data Quality at product level ...................................................................................... 24

7.1.1 General.................................................................................................................................................... 24

7.1.2 Relevant data ........................................................................................................................................ 25

7.1.3 Assessing data quality of average or specific data .................................................................. 25

---------------------- Page: 4 ----------------------
oSIST prEN 15941:2021
prEN 15941:2021 (E)

7.1.4 Assessing data quality of generic data ........................................................................................ 26

7.1.5 Assessing data quality of the final EPD ....................................................................................... 26

7.2 Selecting data at product level ....................................................................................................... 26

7.2.1 General ................................................................................................................................................... 26

7.2.2 Selecting raw data .............................................................................................................................. 27

7.2.3 Selection of specific and generic data generally ...................................................................... 29

7.3 Reporting data quality at Product Level .................................................................................... 32

7.3.1 General ................................................................................................................................................... 32

7.3.2 Reporting data quality in the project report ............................................................................ 32

7.3.3 Reporting data quality in the EPD ................................................................................................ 33

7.3.4 Other data quality information in the EPD ................................................................................ 35

7.3.5 Providing the EPD in ILCD format ................................................................................................ 35

8 Data quality at building level ......................................................................................................... 36

8.1 General ................................................................................................................................................... 36

8.2 Assessment during specific design and decision steps/stages .......................................... 36

8.3 Assessing data quality at building level ..................................................................................... 37

8.3.1 General ................................................................................................................................................... 37

8.3.2 Geography Related ............................................................................................................................. 37

8.3.3 Technology Related ........................................................................................................................... 37

8.3.4 Time related ......................................................................................................................................... 38

8.3.5 Completeness ....................................................................................................................................... 38

8.3.6 Consistency ........................................................................................................................................... 43

8.3.7 Plausibility ............................................................................................................................................ 43

8.3.8 Precision ................................................................................................................................................ 43

8.4 Selection of environmental data and other information ..................................................... 43

8.4.1 General ................................................................................................................................................... 43

8.4.2 Selecting data - EPD data .................................................................................................................. 43

8.4.3 Use of EPD data .................................................................................................................................... 44

8.4.4 Adaptation from gate to grave information (Modules A4 to C4) and Module D .......... 45

8.4.5 Selecting data to describe the building ....................................................................................... 46

8.4.6 Selection of data for the building assessment- Environmental Data for products and

processes ............................................................................................................................................... 46

8.4.7 Quantity data ........................................................................................................................................ 47

8.4.8 Adjustment factors ............................................................................................................................. 48

8.5 Data quality evaluation of the building’s environmental performance ......................... 48

8.5.1 General ................................................................................................................................................... 48

8.5.2 Data quality evaluation during Type 1 Assessments ............................................................. 48

8.5.3 Data quality evaluation during Type 2 and Type 3 assessments ...................................... 49

8.5.4 Summarizing data quality ............................................................................................................... 49

8.5.5 Data quality evaluation of quantification .................................................................................. 50

8.5.6 Data sets and tools ............................................................................................................................. 50

8.6 Reporting data quality at building level ..................................................................................... 50

8.7 Building LCA Assessor ....................................................................................................................... 53

Annex A (informative) Relationship between definitions used in this document and those in

EN 15804 and PEF and Level(s) ..................................................................................................... 54

Annex B (informative) Mass Balance ........................................................................................................ 60

Annex C (informative) Examples of reporting data quality in EPD ............................................... 63

Annex D (informative) Examples of the use of a data selection hierarchy at building level

depending on goal and scope and data quality assessment ................................................ 65

---------------------- Page: 5 ----------------------
oSIST prEN 15941:2021
prEN 15941:2021 (E)

Annex E (normative) Avoiding double counting in the selection of specific and generic

data .......................................................................................................................................................... 69

Annex F (informative) Data quality scheme for building level based on Level(s) ................... 72

Bibliography ....................................................................................................................................................... 73

---------------------- Page: 6 ----------------------
oSIST prEN 15941:2021
prEN 15941:2021 (E)
European foreword

This document (prEN 15941:2021) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 350

“Sustainability of construction works”, the secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.

This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede CEN/TR 15941:2010.

In comparison with the previous edition, the following technical modifications have been made:

— addresses both specific and generic data;

— addresses the assessment of data quality in relation to time, geography, technology, precision,

completeness, consistency and sources of data;

— addresses the selection of data based on assessment data quality through the generation of a

hierarchy;

— addresses the assessment, selection and use of data at both product and building level, and its

applicability to all construction works including civil engineering works;

— addresses the avoidance of double counting through the selection of data, particularly in relation to

electricity;

— addresses the reporting of data quality at product level in the Project Report and the EPD;

— addresses ease of data transfer at product level by addressing the use of a common LCI –

nomenclature;

— addresses the reporting and communication of data quality information at building level;

— addresses the responsibilities of data providers to make data quality information available;

— no longer provides guidance on the pre-verification of generic data.

This document has been prepared under a mandate given to CEN by the European Commission and

the European Free Trade Association.
---------------------- Page: 7 ----------------------
oSIST prEN 15941:2021
prEN 15941:2021 (E)
1 Scope

This document supports the data quality assessment and selection of data for product-level

Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) according to the core product category rules of EN 15804 and

for the environmental performance assessment of buildings according to prEN 15978-1 in a consistent

way. It can also be used to assess and select data for the environmental assessment of civil engineering

works.

It defines data quality requirements with respect to temporal, technological and geographic

representativeness for the data used to calculate the LCA based indicator results of the EPD and for

construction works when applying EPD, life cycle inventory data or other LCA based information and

generates a hierarchy to support the selection of the most appropriate data with regard to data quality.

It also addresses the reporting of data quality at product and building level.
2 Normative references

The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content

constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For

undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.

EN 15804:2012+A2:2019, Sustainability of construction works - Environmental product declarations - Core

rules for the product category of construction products

prEN 15978-1, Sustainability of construction works — Assessment of environmental performance of

buildings — Calculation method

EN ISO 14021, Environmental labels and declarations - Self-declared environmental claims (Type II

environmental labelling) (ISO 14021)

EN ISO 14044, Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Requirements and guidelines (ISO

14044)

EN ISO 14067:2018, Greenhouse gases - Carbon footprint of products - Requirements and guidelines for

quantification (ISO 14067:2018)

European Commission – Joint Research Centre – Institute for Environment and Sustainability.

International Reference Live Cycle Data System (ILCD) Handbook – Nomenclature and other conventions.

2010. EUR 24384 EN. Luxembourg. Publications Office of the European Union; 2010, ISBN 978-92-79-

15861-2
---------------------- Page: 8 ----------------------
oSIST prEN 15941:2021
prEN 15941:2021 (E)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.

ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:

— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
average data

data representative of a product, product group or construction service, provided by one or more

suppliers

Note 1 to entry: The product group or construction service can contain similar products or construction services.

[SOURCE: EN 15804:2012+A2:2019]
3.2
downstream process
process that follows a given life cycle stage
[SOURCE: EN 15804:2012+A2:2019, modified – for upstream process see term 3.9]
3.3
generic data
data that is not site or enterprise specific

Note 1 to entry: This refers to data that is not directly collected, measured, or estimated by a company, but sourced

from a third party LCI database or other sources. Generic data includes industry average data (e.g. from published

production data, government statistics, and industry associations), literature studies, engineering studies and

patents, and may also be based on financial data, and contain proxy data, and other generic data.

3.4
product system

collection of unit processes with elementary and product flows, performing one or more defined

functions, and which models the life cycle of a product
[SOURCE: EN ISO 14040:2006 ]
3.5
raw data

data determined by direct measurement, estimation or calculation from the original source

[SOURCE: Sonnemann & Vigon (Ed.), UN 2011]
3.6
scenario

collection of assumptions and information concerning an expected sequence of possible future events

[SOURCE: EN 15804:2012+A2:2019]
As amended by EN ISO 14040:2006/A1:2020.
---------------------- Page: 9 ----------------------
oSIST prEN 15941:2021
prEN 15941:2021 (E)
3.7
specific data

data representative of a product, product group or construction service, provided by one supplier

[SOURCE: EN 15804:2012+A2:2019]
3.8
unit process

smallest element considered in the life cycle inventory analysis for which input and output data are

quantified

Note 1 to entry: Data processed by mathematical relations from raw data [Sonnemann and Vigon (Ed.), UN 2011].

[SOURCE: EN ISO 14040:2006 ]
3.9
upstream process
process that precedes a given life cycle stage
[SOURCE: EN 15804:2012+A2:2019, modified – for downstream process see term 3.2]
3.10
proxy data

approximate data used if no system specific data (3.7) or generic data (3.3) are available

EXAMPLE Data for production of acetic acid used in lieu of data for production of formic acid or selection of a

generic data set of electricity from one region to represent another region.
Note 1 to entry: Data can be site specific or average.
[SOURCE: ISO 21930:2017]
4 Abbreviations
EPD Environmental Product Declaration
PEF Product Environmental Footprint
5 Types of data
5.1 General

This clause describes different categories of data and some different data sources that are commonly used

in developing EPD and in the environmental performance assessment of buildings and other construction

works.

Annex A provides an overview of how the definitions in this document differ from those in EN 15804, PEF

and Level(s).

5.2 Types of generic data for use at product, building and construction works level

Typical sources for generic data for upstream processes are:
— Generic EPDs to EN 15804 (e.g. industrial sector EPDs);

— Industry average life cycle data from LCI databases that have been critically reviewed;

---------------------- Page: 10 ----------------------
oSIST prEN 15941:2021
prEN 15941:2021 (E)
— ISO 14044 LCA studies that have been critically reviewed;
— Other data sets to EN 15804 that have not been peer reviewed or verified;

— Industry average life cycle data from LCI databases that have not been critically reviewed;

— Industry association reports and governmental statistics;

— Data from literature, scientific papers, literature studies, engineering studies and patents.

5.3 Source of data for use at building level

Table 1 provides an overview of the types of data used at building level based on the different life cycle

stages.
Table 1 — Types of data for use at building level
Environmental LCA- Types and quantities Examples of data use
based data for …
A1–3 Construction products Type of products
Building components Gross amount of
products
HVAC-Systems
Losses
A4 Transport processes Transport mode
Transport distances
Load factor
Fuel type
A5 Construction processes Type of construction
process
Amount of construction
process
Amount of waste and its
further handling
B1 Non-energy related Type and amount of Identification of
emissions construction products for dangerous substances
surfaces inside and
Aging of products
against outside
environment
Carbonation
B2 Maintenance processes Frequency Maintenance strategy
Type and amount of Service level
activity
B3 Repair processes Frequency Repair Strategy
Construction processes Probability of repair
Type and amount of
activity
B4 Like A1-A3, A4, A5, Like A1-A3, A4, A5, Replacement strategy
C1, C2, C3-C4 and D1 C1, C2, C3-C4 and D1
---------------------- Page: 11 ----------------------
oSIST prEN 15941:2021
prEN 15941:2021 (E)
Environmental LCA- Types and quantities Examples of data use
based data for …
B5 Like A1-A3, A4, A5, Like A1-A3, A4, A5, Refurbishment strategy
C1, C2, C3-C4 and D1 C1, C2, C3-C4 and D1
B6.1 Operational energy Energy demand (heating, Climate conditions
supply cooling, air conditioning,
User behaviour
hot water supply,
Management quality
lightning)
B6.2 Operational energy Energy demand (e.g. User behaviour
supply elevator)
B6.3 Operational energy Energy demand (e.g. User behaviour
supply cooking)
B7 Water supply Water demand User behaviour
Wastewater treatment Waste water collection
B8 Transport processes Transport mode
Other processes and Transport distance
services
C1 Deconstruction Type and amount of Deconstruction strategy
processes deconstruction processes (demolition versus
deconstruction)
C2 Transport processes Transport mode
Transport distances
C3 Waste processing Type of processes and Strategy
amount of material
C4 Disposal processing Type of processes and Strategy
amount of material
(coefficients for transfer
to environment)
D1 Benefits and loads form Type and amount of Strategy for using the
materials for reuse and potential
recycling-potential
recycling
new production (A1-A3)
Type and amount of
processes
D2 Benefits and loads from Type and amount of
exported utilities and exported energy
avoided impacts
Alternative energy
supply
Other data such as technical characteristics are not covered here.

NOTE Modules A4-D2 are scenario based. In some countries these modules use pre-defined defaults.

5.4 Types of EPD
Table 2 provides a description of the different types of EPD.
---------------------- Page: 12 ----------------------
oSIST prEN 15941:2021
prEN 15941:2021 (E)

Table 2 — Types of EPD with respect to the specificity of types of information (adapted from

ISO 21930:2017, Annex B)
Description Examples

1. Manufacturer 1A Declaration of a specific EPD for a specific concrete mix produced at a

specific EPD product from a single plant single ready-mix plant of one manufacturer.

1B Declaration of a specific EPD of a specific concrete mix produced at
product as an average from several (or all) of the plants of one
several of the manufacturer.
manufacturer’s plants.
This can include different sites of one company
with the same production processes.
1C Declaration of an EPD of the average concrete (or a group of
average product from a concretes) produced at a single ready-mix
manufacturer’s plant. plant of one manufacturer.
1D Declaration of an EPD of the average concrete mix (or a group of
average product as an concretes) produced at several (or all) of the
average from several of the plants of one manufacturer. This can include
manufacturer’s plants. different sites with different production
processes.

2. Generic EPD 2A Declaration of a specific Declaration of an extruded polystyrene

produc
...