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Process Data set: Insulated glass unit 1m2 double glazed (en) en

Key Data Set Information
Location IE
Geographical representativeness description Europe and North America
Reference year 2025
Name
Insulated glass unit 1m2 double glazed
Use advice for data set This LCA covers the Product (A1, A2 and A3), Transport to site (A4), Construction Process (A5), End of Life (C1 to C4) and Benefits/loads beyond the system boundary (D) Stages, as indicated above. This is termed: "Cradle to gate with options, modules C1 to C4, and module D". A schematic of these stages is presented in the flow diagram below.
Technical purpose of product or process The insulated glass unit comprises one sheet of clear flat glass, one sheet of coated flat glass, filled with argon gas in the void. The unit is sealed with primary and secondary seals, and the glass sheets are separated and held in place by a spacer. The insulated glass unit is used as external and internal glazing in commercial and public sector buildings. The insulated glass unit is manufactured to the following technical standards: • Thermally toughened soda lime silicate safety glass according to EN 12150-1:2015+A1:2019 (for toughening individual glass panes). • Insulating glass unit according to EN 1279-1 (for assembly of final product).
General comment on data set Data quality: Time representativeness: The production year used in this LCA is 2023. The Ecoinvent version 3.9.1 database was used to represent energies, and wastes arising. This version of Ecoinvent was issued in March 2023. The main raw materials’ production data is from 2023 production. Time representativeness is thus assumed to be ‘Very Good’. Geographical representativeness: Data is from the area under study (Europe), where all the raw materials come from western Europe. The geographical representativeness is thus assumed to be ‘Very Good’. Technical representativeness: Data is from the processes and products under study. The same state of technology that is used by Carey Glass is that defined in the goal and scope. The processes at Carey Glass use electricity and diesel. The electricity record is for electricity generated by a mix of renewables and fossil fuel resources, plus own solar PV system. For the glass, there are two sources of EPD data: (1) Coated glass data is from a manufacturer-specific glass EPD of a production-weighted average of six coated glass products, from production locations in Europe. The market of applicability of these EPD is Europe. The primary data on this glass raw material is for the 2021 calendar year. (2) Clear Glass is from a manufacturer-specific and product-specific glass EPD for clear glass. The market of applicability of this EPD is Europe. The primary data on this glass raw material is for the 2021 calendar year. The technical representativeness is thus assumed to be ‘Good’. Allocation: The measurement of environmental impacts in this EPD uses the LCIA methodologies recommended for PEF 3.1. In this EPD, the waste processes are allocated in the relevant module. In the case of the use of secondary materials or energy recovered from secondary fuels, the system boundary between the system under study and the previous system (providing the secondary materials) is set where outputs of the previous system, e.g. materials, products, building elements or energy, reach the end-of-waste state. The modularity and the polluter payer principles have been followed. Cut-off criteria: All relevant inputs and outputs - like emissions, energy and materials - have been taken into account in this LCA, and in accordance with EN15804+A2:2019. The study covers at least 95% of the materials and energy per module and at least 99% of the total use of materials and energy of each unit process. Long term emissions have been excluded from the study.
Copyright Yes
Owner of data set
Quantitative reference
Reference flow(s)
Biogenic carbon content
  • Carbon content (biogenic): 0.0 kg
  • Carbon content (biogenic) - packaging: 0.0 kg
Time representativeness
Data set valid until 2030
Time representativeness description "2025-03-03" - "2030-03-02"
Technological representativeness
Technology description including background system the glass sheets are 6mm thick, and have a density of of 2,500 kg/m3. The void separating the two glass sheets is 20mm thick and is filled with argon gas. The U-value of the insulated glass unit is 1.1 W/m2.K.

Indicators of life cycle

IndicatorDirectionUnit Raw material supply
A1
 Transport
A2
 Manufacturing
A3
 Transport
A4
 Installation
A5
 De-construction
C1
 Transport
C2
 Waste processing
C3
 Disposal
C4
 Recycling Potential
D
Use of renewable primary energy (PERE)
Input
  • 317.5
  • 0.7666
  • 85.33
  • 0.7445
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.06187
  • 0.2367
  • 0
  • -11.44
Use of renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials (PERM)
Input
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Total use of renewable primary energy resource (PERT)
Input
  • 317.5
  • 0.7666
  • 85.33
  • 0.7445
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.06187
  • 0.2367
  • 0
  • -11.44
Use of non renewable primary energy (PENRE)
Input
  • 355.8
  • 58.12
  • 97.19
  • 53.37
  • 0
  • 0
  • 4.184
  • 3.715
  • 0
  • -234.9
Use of non renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials (PENRM)
Input
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Total use of non renewable primary energy resource (PENRT)
Input
  • 355.8
  • 58.12
  • 97.19
  • 53.37
  • 0
  • 0
  • 4.184
  • 3.715
  • 0
  • -234.9
Use of secondary material (SM)
Input
  • 1.835
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Use of renewable secondary fuels (RSF)
Input
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Use of non renewable secondary fuels (NRSF)
Input
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Use of net fresh water (FW)
Input
  • 0.132
  • 0.00668
  • 0.02079
  • 0.006423
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.0005284
  • 0.004383
  • 0
  • -0.1252
Hazardous waste disposed (HWD)
Output
  • 0.00005081
  • 0.0003338
  • 0.1501
  • 0.0003127
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.00002504
  • 0.00001739
  • 0
  • -0.0009088
Non hazardous waste dispose (NHWD)
Output
  • 0.6312
  • 2.246
  • 2.197
  • 2.268
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.1955
  • 0.9684
  • 8.5
  • -1.417
Radioactive waste disposed (RWD)
Output
  • 0.005991
  • 0.00001568
  • 0.00001612
  • 0.0000154
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.000001294
  • 0.00000736
  • 0
  • -0.0001905
Components for re-use (CRU)
Output
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Materials for recycling (MFR)
Output
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 21
  • 0
  • 0
Materials for energy recovery (MER)
Output
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Exported electrical energy (EEE)
Output
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Exported thermal energy (EET)
Output
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

IndicatorUnit Raw material supply
A1
 Transport
A2
 Manufacturing
A3
 Transport
A4
 Installation
A5
 De-construction
C1
 Transport
C2
 Waste processing
C3
 Disposal
C4
 Recycling Potential
D
Abiotic depletion potential - fossil resources (ADPF)
  • 651.5
  • 54.67
  • 88.67
  • 50.2
  • 0
  • 0
  • 3.936
  • 3.503
  • 0
  • -217.2
Abiotic depletion potential - non-fossil resources (ADPE)
  • 0.00001374
  • 0.00001101
  • 0.0001152
  • 0.0000108
  • 0
  • 0
  • 9.06E-7
  • 9.982E-7
  • 0
  • -0.0001178
Acidification potential, Accumulated Exceedance (AP)
  • 0.09827
  • 0.03127
  • 0.02117
  • 0.01873
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.0006058
  • 0.00131
  • 0
  • -0.2048
Depletion potential of the stratospheric ozone layer (ODP)
  • 1.37E-7
  • 8.083E-8
  • 1.249E-7
  • 7.552E-8
  • 0
  • 0
  • 6.033E-9
  • 4.07E-9
  • 0
  • -4.561E-7
Eutrophication potential - freshwater (EP-freshwater)
  • 0.00007864
  • 0.00002852
  • 0.00008095
  • 0.00002739
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.000002251
  • 0.000006663
  • 0
  • -0.0003347
Eutrophication potential - marine (EP-marine)
  • 0.03001
  • 0.007868
  • 0.005438
  • 0.004694
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.0001491
  • 0.0005181
  • 0
  • -0.033
Eutrophication potential - terrestrial (EP-terrestrial)
  • 0.3441
  • 0.08598
  • 0.0558
  • 0.05083
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.001553
  • 0.004782
  • 0
  • -0.4031
Global Warming Potential - biogenic (GWP-biogenic)
  • 0
  • 0
  • -0.3296
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.33
  • 0
  • 0
Global Warming Potential - fossil fuels (GWP-fossil)
  • 50.45
  • 3.961
  • 6.086
  • 3.589
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.2771
  • 0.3869
  • 0
  • -20.39
Global Warming Potential - land use and land use change (GWP-luluc)
  • 0.01553
  • 0.002119
  • 0.004616
  • 0.00185
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.0001368
  • 0.0005077
  • 0
  • -0.005907
Global Warming Potential - total (GWP-total)
  • 50.46
  • 3.963
  • 5.761
  • 3.59
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.2773
  • 0.7174
  • 0
  • -20.4
Global warming potential except emissions and uptake of biogenic carbon (GWP-IOBC/GHG)
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential (POCP)
  • 0.07733
  • 0.02907
  • 0.02263
  • 0.0197
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.0009404
  • 0.001587
  • 0
  • -0.1107
Water (user) deprivation potential (WDP)
  • 5.425
  • 0.2065
  • 0.8074
  • 0.1983
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.0163
  • 0.1556
  • 0
  • -4.644

IndicatorUnit Raw material supply
A1
 Transport
A2
 Manufacturing
A3
 Transport
A4
 Installation
A5
 De-construction
C1
 Transport
C2
 Waste processing
C3
 Disposal
C4
 Recycling Potential
D
1This impact category deals mainly with the eventual impact of low dose ionizing radiation on human health of the nuclear fuel cycle. It does not consider effects due to possible nuclear accidents, occupational exposure nor due to radioactive waste disposal in underground facilities. Potential ionizing radiation from the soil, from radon and from some construction materials is also not measured by this indicator.
2The results of this environmental impact indicator shall be used with care as the uncertainties on these results are high or as there is limited experiences with the indicator.
Potential Comparative Toxic Unit for ecosystems (ETP-fw) 2
  • 331.6
  • 27.02
  • 31.08
  • 24.82
  • 0
  • 0
  • 1.946
  • 3.757
  • 0
  • -179.9
Potential Comparative Toxic Unit for humans - cancer effects (HTP-c) 2
  • 6.453E-9
  • 1.767E-9
  • 5.719E-9
  • 1.617E-9
  • 0
  • 0
  • 1.26E-10
  • 5.4E-10
  • 0
  • -4.333E-9
Potential Comparative Toxic Unit for humans - non-cancer effects (HTP-nc) 2
  • 2.649E-7
  • 3.453E-8
  • 1.347E-7
  • 3.358E-8
  • 0
  • 0
  • 2.793E-9
  • 3.605E-9
  • 0
  • -1.11E-7
Potential Human exposure efficiency relative to U235 (IRP) 1
  • 0.6826
  • 0.02457
  • 0.0258
  • 0.02393
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0.001995
  • 0.009543
  • 0
  • -0.2496
Potential incidence of disease due to PM emissions (PM) 2
  • 8.7E-7
  • 2.57E-7
  • 2.559E-7
  • 2.485E-7
  • 0
  • 0
  • 2.056E-8
  • 2.648E-8
  • 0
  • -0.00000214
Potential Soil quality index (SQP) 2
  • 27.86
  • 27.76
  • 28.57
  • 27.81
  • 0
  • 0
  • 2.38
  • 2.969
  • 7.208
  • -67.49