All Project Settings
Last updated
Last updated
The following settings are applied at project-level, meaning they are applied to the baseline and all scenarios within the project. This is done so that all scenarios, including the baseline, have the same underlying assumptions, and thus, can be comparable.
To refine the project, click All Project Settings in the left-hand panel.
One of the leading causes of misalignment between wbLCA results is that they cover different project scopes. For instance, one model may contain only "structure, foundation, and envelope" while another will contain "structure, foundation, envelope, interiors, MEP, and site."
EPIC allows project teams to refine the scope of analysis by including or excluding LCA stages or parts of the building to meet reporting goals or to facilitate comparison with other projects.
Any decarbonization measures in excluded parts of the project scope are still saved with the project, but will become temporarily unavailable as long as they are out of scope. When their scope is restored, the values will reappear as last entered.
Select an analysis period to determine over how many years the analysis takes place.
A4-A5 (Construction Process) Turning off this toggle will remove construction process emissions—counted in the A4 and A5 life cycle stages—from the EPIC model. This toggle will enable and disable the "Jobsite" decarbonization measures in the right-hand panel.
D, Biogenic Carbon Storage, and Avoided Emissions Turning off this toggle will remove biogenic carbon stored in timber structural elements, carbon sequestered in landscape, and emissions avoided by excess energy production from on-site renewable from the EPIC model.
Structure Structure and Foundations are always included.
Enclosure Turning off this toggle will remove the embodied carbon associated with cladding, glazing, and roofing from the EPIC model, and disable the "Enclosure" decarbonization measures in the right-hand panel.
Interior Turning off this toggle will remove the embodied carbon associated with interior fitouts from the EPIC model, and disable the "Interior" decarbonization measures in the right-hand panel.
Services Turning off this toggle will remove the embodied carbon associated with MEP and PV Arrays (the energy generated by PV panels will still be included), and disable the "Services" decarbonization measures in the right-hand panel.
Refrigerants Turning off this toggle will remove the emissions associated with refrigerant use in the building, and disable the "Refrigerants" decarbonization measures in the right-hand panel.
Sitework Turning off this toggle will remove all site and landscaping from the EPIC model, and disable the "Sitework" decarbonization measures in the right-hand panel.
Modify the unit system for the project's calculations.
Select a name for your project.
Project Location
The year that construction is completed and building operation begins. This is the year to which construction emissions are attributed and the EPIC model begins calculating operational carbon emissions.
The country in which the project is located. Note: a project's country cannot be modified after creating a project.
The postal code in which the project is located.
The use category from the list below most reflective of the project’s main use. This is used to determine the building's energy use and its structural requirements.
If the primary use comprises less than 100% of the program, a secondary program may be selected for the remainder. This program will affect the EUI (resulting in a ‘blended EUI’) but will not affect the estimate of the building’s structural system.
The number of building floors above grade. These floors will be assessed using the selected structural system.
The total constructed floor area above ground.
The number of building floors below grade. These floors will be assessed as having a reinforced concrete structural system.
The total constructed floor area below ground.
The total site area, including the building footprint and landscaping. The site area cannot be smaller than the building's footprint.
If the site is not previously developed, it is a greenfield site and the project incurs an emissions penalty for the site disturbance. The magnitude of this penalty is equivalent to the site area’s sequestration potential with low-sequestration plantings.
The future of the electric grid is uncertain. EPIC gives the user the choice between three future scenarios, each derived from NREL's CAMBIUM model.
Expected decarbonization. Average estimates for inputs such as technology costs, fuel prices, and demand growth. No inclusion of nascent technologies. Electric sector policies as they existed in September 2022, with the assumption that the Inflation Reduction Act’s Production and Investment Tax Credits do not phase out. This metric is described in NREL's Cambium model as "Midcase."
Slow Decarbonization. Average estimates as in the mid-case scenario, but with an assumption that battery and renewable energy costs are high. This scenario assumes that the thresholds set by the Inflation Reduction Act’s Production and Investment Tax Credits are not met and, as such, they do not phase out. This metric is described in NREL's Cambium model as "High Cost of Renewable Energy."
Rapid Decarbonization. Average estimates for inputs such as technology costs, fuel prices, and demand growth. Nascent technologies are included. Electric sector policies as they existed in September 2022, with the assumption that the Inflation Reduction Act’s Production and Investment Tax Credits do not phase out. High-level assumption that the national electricity grid's carbon emissions in 2050 are 5% of their 2005 level. This metric is described in NREL's Cambium model as "95% decarbonization by 2050."
For a given scenario, there are multiple methods to account for the emissions associated with a building. Two metrics are provided in EPIC, both derived from NREL's CAMBIUM model. Both metrics use GWP-100 characterization factors.
Average Emission Rate (AER). By default, EPIC measures annual emission factors by summing the total generation of all resources in a given year and putting them on a MWh basis. This average emission rate also includes 'precombustion emissions from the leakage of fossil gas in the energy supply chain. This metric is described in NREL's Cambium model as "AER Load: Combustion + Precombustion."
Long-Run Marginal Emission Rates (LRMER). LRMER emissions are described by NREL as emission rates for “of the next unit of electricity considering the grid’s structure as variable.” This emission metric is preferable to a simple average emission rate because buildings are long-lived assets whose demand for energy has a marginal influence on the evolution of the energy grid. This metric is described in NREL's Cambium model as "LRMER: Combustion + Precombustion."
Annual and end-of-life refrigerant leakage rates are typically a model assumption, not a carbon reduction measures. In c.scale, there are two options for leakage assumptions.
| Reporting Scheme | Annual Leakage | End-of-Life Leakage |
|---|---|---|
LEED
2%
10%
CIBSE TM65 (Type 2)
4%
2%
