Life cycle modules
EN 15978 divides a building’s life cycle into five stages and one module beyond the system boundary. Real-Time LCA exposes every module; whether a module is included in a calculation depends on the calculation type selected for the project.Product stage (A1–A3)
A1 covers raw material supply, A2 the transport of raw materials to the manufacturer, and A3 the manufacturing process itself. Real-Time LCA reads A1–A3 emissions directly from the linked EPD or generic dataset for each material in the Building Component Inventory; the platform exposes A1–A3 as the single combined labelA1A3 to match how most construction-product EPDs declare them.
Construction process stage (A4–A5)
A4 covers transport from the factory gate to the construction site. Real-Time LCA applies default transport distances per region and material category (see Assumptions and defaults); users can override per material. A5 covers the construction/installation process, including waste arising from cutting and installation. Real-Time LCA applies default construction-waste factors per material category that can be overridden per project.Use stage (B1–B7)
- B1 — Use — emissions from the in-use product itself (e.g. carbonation, refrigerant leakage). Not required by most calculation types. Where included, calculated automatically if the EPD declares the module; otherwise the result is zero.
- B2 — Maintenance — scheduled maintenance activities. Not required by most calculation types (included in TEK17 for Norway). Where included, calculated automatically if the EPD declares the module; otherwise the result is zero.
- B3 — Repair — non-scheduled repair. Not required by most calculation types. Where included, calculated automatically if the EPD declares the module; otherwise the result is zero.
- B4 — Replacement — re-emission of embodied carbon when a product’s reference service life is shorter than the project’s reference study period. Calculated automatically from EPD A1–A3 data, component-level RSL, and — where required by the calculation type — an end-of-life scenario for the replaced material.
- B5 — Renovation — not required by most calculation types. Where included, calculated automatically if the EPD declares the module; otherwise the result is zero. A full refurbishment scenario can also be modelled by adding a separate project for the renovation scope.
- B6 — Energy consumption for operation — operational energy use over the reference study period. Driven by user-supplied energy demand and the carbon intensity of the energy carrier.
- B7 — Water consumption for operation — operational water use. Not required by most calculation types. Where included, calculated automatically if the EPD declares the module; otherwise the result is zero.
End-of-life stage (C1–C4)
- C1 — Demolition — emissions from demolition activities.
- C2 — Transportation — transport of waste to processing.
- C3 — Waste pretreatment — sorting, crushing, separation.
- C4 — Disposal — landfilling, incineration, or other final disposal.
Beyond the system boundary (D)
Module D captures potential benefits and loads beyond the system boundary — typically credits for energy or material recovered through recycling, reuse, or incineration with energy recovery. Real-Time LCA reports module D where the EPD provides it; the value is shown separately from A–C totals because it lies outside the system boundary by definition.Functional equivalent and reference study period
EN 15978 results are reported per functional equivalent — a description of the building’s required functions over time. In Real-Time LCA the functional equivalent is captured by:- Building type and gross floor area (GFA).
- Required service life — the reference study period (RSP). The platform defaults to 50 years for every regulatory calculation type; the Custom calculation type allows other values.
- Pattern of use (where relevant for B6 modelling).
Reference Service Life and module B4
The RSL for each construction product is taken from the relevant national lifetime table — for example the BR18 lifetime table for Denmark and equivalents elsewhere. When RSL is shorter than the RSP, the platform automatically schedules replacement events. Each replacement event re-emits the A1–A3 production impacts of the new product; calculation types that also require it additionally apply an end-of-life scenario for the replaced material. Users can override the RSL per component on a project. See Browse materials for where RSL appears in the platform and Create materials for how it is captured on a custom material.Reporting indicators
For projects following EN 15978 alone (Level(s), Custom), Real-Time LCA reports the EN 15804+A2 indicator set where the underlying EPDs provide it — GWP-total, GWP-fossil, GWP-biogenic, GWP-luluc, plus other impact categories (ODP, AP, EP, POCP, ADP-elements, ADP-fossil) and resource-use / waste indicators. Regulatory calculation types restrict reporting to the indicator the regulator requires (typically GWP); see the relevant country page from the National compliance for the exact indicator and unit.Relationship to prEN 15978-1
A revision of EN 15978 is in progress under the working title prEN 15978-1. It is expected to align the indicator set with EN 15804+A2:2019 and ISO 21931-1:2022, and to incorporate the data-quality requirements of EN 15941. Real-Time LCA will be updated to track the final published revision; until then EN 15978:2011 remains the reference.Limitations
- B1, B2, B3, B5, and B7 are not required by most calculation types (B2 is included in TEK17 for Norway). Where a calculation type does require them, they are calculated automatically from EPD data if the EPD declares those modules. If the EPD does not declare them, the module result is zero and the gap should be documented in your report.
- Site clearance prior to construction is not included.
- Occupant activities are not included.