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Process Data set: Ecotherm® triple glazed window (en) en

Key Data Set Information
Location IE
Geographical representativeness description Ireland
Reference year 2021
Name
Ecotherm® triple glazed window
Technical purpose of product or process This EPD is carried out for the Munster Joinery Ecotherm triple glazed windows. The raw materials for the Ecotherm windows comprise: glass, argon, uPVC and aluminium profiles, warm edge spacer, foam filler and associated hardware (hinges, handles, recievers and gears). The windows are manufactured in accordance with I.S. EN 14351-1:2006 +A1:2010 Windows and doors - Product standard, performance characteristics. The three main production processes at Munster Joinery are (a) the cutting and assembly in the factory of the double and triple glazing sheets (b) cutting and forming of profiles (wood and aluminium) and extrusion and forming of uPVC for uPVC profiles and (c) the assembly of these, with insulation, spacers, and fixings in the final window assembly. The glazing starts with the cutting of the glass to the required specifications. The glass sheets are bonded into double or triple glass sheets by sealing the layers to a warm edge spacer and filling the space between the layers with argon gas. For uPVC profile frames, the construction of the frame starts with the uPVC extrusion process. Relevant profiles are filled with an insulating foam. Profiles are then cut to the desired specific length. For the aluminium and wood profiles, these profile sections are cut to size/shape and jointed together. Profiles are welded or jointed together, creating the window frames. In the final window assembly the glazing is placed in the window and the hinges, locks, receivers and gears are attached.
General comment on data set Data flows have been modeled as realistically as possible. Data quality assessment is based on the principle that the primary data used for processes occurring at the production site is selected in the first instance. Where this is not available, other reference data is selected from appropriate sources. The dataset is representative for the production processes used in 2020. The process descriptions and quantities in this study are reproducible in accordance to the reference standards that have been used. The references of all sources, both primary and public sources and literature, have been documented in the LCA report. The ‘polluter pays’ and ‘modularity’ principles have been followed. The cut-off criteria of section 6.3.5 of EN 15804 have been followed. Allocation of electricity types and amounts to the various manufacturing processes has been provided by Munster Joinery; allocation of impacts to the products is based on the product composition mass. The measurement of environmental impacts uses the CML 2 baseline method In addition, to facilitate the reproducibility of this LCA, a full set of data records has been generated which can be accessed via the EcoChain tool. This data portfolio contains a summary of all the data used in this LCA, and correspondingly, in the Munster Joinery Ecochain account. Indicator values for the glass are from the glass manufacturer’s EPDs [10], which were developed using the GaBi database. As this EPD is based on Ecoinvent database, there can be a lack of consistency between GaBi and Ecoinvent indicators such as toxicities, ozone depletion and hazardous waste disposal, although there is good agreement on global warming potential.
Copyright Yes
Owner of data set
Quantitative reference
Reference flow(s)
Time representativeness
Data set valid until 2026
Time representativeness description "06.08.2021" - "06.08.2026"
Technological representativeness
Technology description including background system A1. Raw materials supply This module considers the extraction and processing of all raw materials and energy which occur upstream to the Munster Joinery window manufacturing process, as well as waste processing up to the end-of waste state. A2. Transport of raw materials to manufacturer This includes the transport distance of the raw materials to the manufacturing facility via road and sea. A3. Manufacturing This module covers the manufacturing of Munster Joinery windows and includes all processes linked to production such as: production of double and triple glazed sheets, extrusion of uPVC profiles, cutting of wood and aluminium profiles, and assembly of window units. Use of electricity (renewables) and fuels (biomass) used for production is taken into account, as well as treatment of wastes generated from production. A4 and A5. Transport and installation This module covers road transport of the Munster Joinery windows from production plant to construction site in Ireland and instalation in the building. References transport: Road transport: Transport, freight, lorry 7.5-16 metric ton, EURO6 | Europe Distance by road: 126 km Capacity utilisation: 64% Installation of the window in the building uses 80ml of oil-based bedding mastic Reference: market for bitumen seal, polymer EP4 flame retardant | Global C2, C3, and C4. End of Life C1 In the deconstruction/demolition phase it is assumed that the windows are removed manuallyfrom building, thus no energy or materials are required for module C1, and the impacts assumed to be zero. C2 In the transport phase it is assumed that these materials travel 50km to their destinations (waste processing or disposal). C3, C4 In the Waste Processing phase, the following assumptions are made for recycling, landfilling and incineration, based on the default end-of-life scenarios in the windows PCR I.S. EN 17213:2020 (Annex B).

Indicators of life cycle

IndicatorDirectionUnit Raw material supply
A1
 Transport
C2
 Waste processing
C3
 Disposal
C4
Use of renewable primary energy (PERE)
Input
  • 378
  • 0.132
  • 13.3
  • -4.28
Use of renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials (PERM)
Input
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Total use of renewable primary energy resource (PERT)
Input
  • 378
  • 0.132
  • 13.3
  • -4.28
Use of non renewable primary energy (PENRE)
Input
  • 3.93E+3
  • 12
  • 136
  • -4.99
Use of non renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials (PENRM)
Input
  • 2.3E+2
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Total use of non renewable primary energy resource (PENRT)
Input
  • 4.16E+3
  • 12
  • 136
  • -4.99
Use of secondary material (SM)
Input
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Use of renewable secondary fuels (RSF)
Input
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Use of non renewable secondary fuels (NRSF)
Input
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Use of net fresh water (FW)
Input
  • 4.57
  • 0.00183
  • 0.289
  • 0.0437
Hazardous waste disposed (HWD)
Output
  • 0.543
  • 0.00000809
  • 0.1
  • -0.0000187
Non hazardous waste dispose (NHWD)
Output
  • 40.9
  • 0.439
  • 2.51
  • -28.9
Radioactive waste disposed (RWD)
Output
  • 0.00983
  • 0.0000753
  • 0.000293
  • 0.0000245
Components for re-use (CRU)
Output
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Materials for recycling (MFR)
Output
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Materials for energy recovery (MER)
Output
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Exported electrical energy (EEE)
Output
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Exported thermal energy (EET)
Output
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

IndicatorUnit Raw material supply
A1
 Transport
C2
 Waste processing
C3
 Disposal
C4
  • 4.71E+3
  • 11.2
  • 147
  • 7.94
  • 0.546
  • 0.00000298
  • 0.0046
  • -0.00297
  • 1.76
  • 0.00178
  • 0.0662
  • 0.00135
  • 0.156
  • 0.000283
  • 0.0113
  • 0.00026
  • 347
  • 0.745
  • 13.5
  • 8.74
  • 0.00000715
  • 1.34E-7
  • 6.84E-7
  • -2.92E-8
  • 0.15
  • 0.000353
  • 0.00579
  • -0.000253