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The project wizard guides you through up to ten steps. The first five — Location, Project Details, Building Details, and Calculation Prerequisites — are the same in every country. After that, the wizard inserts additional country-specific tabs (Reference Area, Standard Values, Special Conditions, A5 Installation, Operational Energy Use (B6)) when the regulation selected on the previous steps requires them, and finishes with Speckle Connection. You can move forward with Next, return with Back, or stop at any time with Discard. Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).
Which tabs you see — and which fields and dropdown values they contain — depends on the country resolved from the address on Step 2 and the calculation type you pick on Step 5. See Methodology & Compliance for the per-country rules.

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Step 1: Start a new project

From the Projects overview, open the wizard:
  • If you have no projects yet, click Add your first project.
  • Otherwise, click the + Project button in the top-right corner.
Projects page showing a welcome message and the Add your first project button.

Empty projects overview

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Step 2: Set the location

The location determines which national building regulation, stages, and standards apply to your project.
  1. Start typing the project address in Address.
  2. Pick a result from the autocomplete suggestions.
  3. Confirm that the pin on the map matches the building’s location.
Location step with an empty address field and a map of northern Europe.

Empty location step

When a valid address is selected, Real-Time LCA shows the regulation, included stages, and standards that apply to that country.
Location step with a valid Danish address and regulation guidance for Denmark.

Valid address selected — country-specific guidance appears below the map

If the address cannot be resolved to a street number and postal code, the wizard shows validation errors and the Next button stays disabled. Adjust the address until both validations pass.
Location step showing Please enter a valid street number and Please enter a valid postal code errors.

Invalid address — fix the highlighted errors before continuing

If your project does not have a real address yet, use a nearby address. The regulation framework is based on the country, not the exact street.

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Step 3: Fill in project details

Project details identify the project for collaborators and reports.
Project Details form with fields for name, number, building type, status, persons, builder, client, LCA responsible, and construction years.

Project Details step

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Step 4: Enter building details

The building details capture the heated areas that feed into operational emissions (B6).
Building Details form split into Above Ground and Below Ground with Area, Floors, and Heated area fields.

Building Details step

Provide values for both Above Ground and Below Ground where they apply:
  • Area (m²) — Footprint area on that level.
  • Floors / Basement Floors — Number of stories.
  • Heated floor area (m²) / Heated basement area (m²) — The portion of the area that is heated. Used for B6 (operational energy) calculations.
If your building has no basement, leave the Below Ground values at 0.

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Step 5: Set the calculation prerequisites

Choose the regulation or methodology that your calculation should follow. The Calculation Type controls which life-cycle stages are included, the consideration period, and the CO₂ threshold limit.
Calculation Type dropdown listing the calculation types available for the selected country.

Pick a Calculation Type from the dropdown

The dropdown lists only the calculation types available in the country resolved from the address on Step 2. Pick one, and the wizard locks the Consideration period (years), Threshold limit (kgCO₂-eq/m²/year), and Included Stages to that regulation’s requirements. Pick Custom to define them yourself.
For the full list of calculation types per country — and the rules each one applies — see Methodology & Compliance and the National compliance table. The EU Level(s) framework is available in every country.
Calculation Prerequisites step with the consideration period, threshold, and included stages locked by the selected calculation type.

Stages included in the selected calculation type are highlighted in green

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Step 6: Confirm the reference area

The reference area is what the threshold is measured against. Real-Time LCA prefills it from the heated areas you entered in Building Details.
Whether the tab is shown, and which conditions are allowed, depends on the country resolved from Step 2. The screenshot below shows the Danish Building Regulations example. See Methodology & Compliance for the per-country rules.
Reference area overview showing total reference area and the calculated area above and below ground.

Reference area summary

If your reporting requires additional reference areas (for example, a separate area for a parking facility), click + Add reference area and fill in the details.

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Step 7: Activate standard values

The Standard Values tab is where the wizard pre-populates the terminal-process emission factors that the selected regulation expects — typically the construction-site logistics and waste-removal stages (A4 and A5). The values are read-only defaults from the regulation; flip Activate standard values on to apply them to the project.
The factors, stages, and units shown on this tab come from the country’s regulation. See Methodology & Compliance for the rules behind each value. If the selected country has no standard values, this tab is skipped.
Standard values tab listing pre-populated A4 and A5 emission factors with an Activate standard values toggle.

Standard values for terminal processes — toggle on to apply them to the project

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Step 8: Set special conditions

Special Conditions lets the project exclude the additional material impact caused by site-specific constraints — for example, ground or foundation conditions called out in the national regulation. Approval is usually case-specific, so only enable this if you can document that your building qualifies.
Whether the tab is shown, and which conditions are allowed, depends on the country resolved from Step 2. The screenshot below shows the Danish Building Regulations example. See Methodology & Compliance for the per-country rules.
Special Conditions step with explanatory text and an Enable Special Conditions toggle in the top-right.

Special Conditions — toggle Enable Special Conditions if your building qualifies

Once the project is created and the building has been modeled, open Material Mapping to mark the specific construction types that the special conditions apply to.

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Step 9: Enter A5 installation data

The Installation (A5) tab captures the energy and waste generated on the construction site itself — heat supply, electricity supply, machinery fuel, and the average waste percentage.
The data sources available in each dropdown, the supply types you can pick, and whether all three sub-blocks (heat, electricity, machinery) are required depend on the selected country and calculation type. See Methodology & Compliance for the rules behind A5.

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Heat supply

Pick a Data Source to load the emission factor, then choose the matching Supply Type (for example, District Heating, Electricity, or Line Gas) and enter the expected Consumption (kWh). The Emissions (kgCO₂-eq/kWh) field auto-fills from the data source.
Heat supply Supply Type dropdown showing District Heating, Electricity, and Line Gas.

Heat supply — Supply Type options depend on the selected data source

Heat supply Data Source dropdown grouped into Built-in data sources (BR18 projections) and Custom data sources.

Heat supply — pick a Data Source to load the emission factor

Heat supply with BR18 (2025) projection selected, Supply Type set to Electricity, and Consumption of 25 kWh.

Heat supply filled in — Emissions is read-only and Consumption is required

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Electricity supply

Use the same Data Source / Supply Type / Consumption pattern for site electricity.
Electricity Supply Data Source dropdown grouped into Built-in and Custom data sources.

Electricity Supply — Data Source dropdown lists built-in and custom factors

Electricity Supply Supply Type dropdown open with Electricity highlighted.

Electricity Supply — Supply Type dropdown is filtered by the picked data source

Electricity Supply with BR18 (2025) projection selected and a Consumption of 15 kWh.

Electricity Supply filled in

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Machinery fuel

If the project tracks machinery fuel separately, pick a Data Source for the fuel emission factor.
Machinery Fuel Data Source dropdown showing Tabel 8.2 – Emissionsfaktorer for brændstof.

Machinery Fuel Data Source dropdown

Then choose an Emission Factor (for example, Diesel) and enter the volume in (L) Liter or the mass in (Kg) Kilogram. The wizard fills in Total Emission and Total Scaled Emission for you — click Add to commit the row.
Machinery Fuel row with Diesel emission factor, 65 L / 54.14 kg, 223.60 kgCO₂-eq Total Emission, and 2.24 Total Scaled Emission.

Machinery Fuel — enter a litre or kilogram value to see the calculated emission

Added fuel rows show up underneath the form. Use the bin icon to remove a row.
Machinery Fuel section with a committed Diesel row showing inputs of 65 l / 54.14 kg and the calculated emissions.

Machinery Fuel — added row listed below the form

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Waste on average (%)

The trailing Waste on average (%) field captures the project’s average construction waste. When set, the A5 data from each material’s EPD (or the generic fallback) is overwritten by this percentage multiplied by the emissions from A1–A3, A4, C3, and C4 for that material.

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Step 10: Enter operational energy use (B6)

The Operational Energy Use (B6) tab is where you record the building’s expected operational heat and electricity demand. Real-Time LCA uses these to calculate B6 over the consideration period.
Whether B6 is required, which supply types are available, and which data sources apply depend on the selected country and calculation type. See Methodology & Compliance for the rules behind B6.
For both Heat Supply and Electricity Supply the form follows the same shape as A5: pick a Data Source, choose the matching Supply Type, enter the annual Consumption (kWh/m²/year), and optionally add a Description.
B6 Operational Energy Use Heat Supply Data Source dropdown showing BR18 (2023) projection 2023–2040, BR18 (2025) projection 2025–2075, and Custom data sources.

Operational Energy Use — Data Source dropdown grouped into Built-in and Custom data sources

B6 Operational Energy Use with Heat Supply set to a custom Copenhagen district heating source and Electricity Supply set to a custom Local Energy Supply source.

Heat and Electricity Supply filled in with custom data sources

Two additional fields sit beneath the supply blocks:
  • Exported electricity (kWh/m²/year) — annual electricity exported back to the grid, subtracted from the B6 total.
  • Energy numbers validated by + Date of energy validation — record who signed off on the input numbers and when.
Calendar widget set to June 2026 with the 1st selected and Clear / Today shortcuts.

Date of energy validation — calendar picker

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Using custom data sources

Both the A5 and B6 Data Source dropdowns are grouped into two sections: Built-in data sources (the regulation’s own projections) and Custom data sources (factors your tenant has created). Custom factors are useful when you have a verified local emission factor — for example, the district heating utility in your project’s region — that the regulation’s default does not reflect.
B6 Heat Supply Data Source dropdown showing Built-in BR18 projections and Custom sources Local Energy Supply and Copenhagen Local Heating.

Data Source dropdown with built-in and custom sources side by side

To add or edit a custom data source, open Manage custom data sources from the footer of the dropdown.
Manage custom data sources modal listing tenant-wide custom emission factors with a New custom data source button.

Manage custom data sources — the list shows everything available to this tenant

Click + New custom data source, pick a Type (the supply type the factor applies to), enter the Name, Emission value (kgCO₂-eq/kWh), and an optional Description, then click Create.
New custom data source form with the Type dropdown open.

New custom data source — Type dropdown lists the supply types the factor can be picked for

New custom data source form with Name set to Copenhagen Local Heating, Type set to District heating, and Emission value 0.0013 kg CO₂-eq / kWh.

Filled-in custom data source ready to create

Manage custom data sources modal showing the newly created Copenhagen Local Heating entry.

The new source is now available in every project's Data Source picker for that supply type

Custom data sources are tenant-wide. Once created they show up in every project’s Data Source dropdown that matches the supply type — across A5, B6, and any future project.

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Step 11: Choose a Speckle connection

The last step decides how 3D model data flows into the project.
Three cards: Without 3D model, New Speckle Connection, and Existing Connection.

Three Speckle connection options

Best for early-phase or non-modeled projects.
  • Input manual constructions, materials, and quantities.
  • Upload constructions and quantities from Excel.
  • Drag and drop materials from the material database.
  • Create LCA calculations and documentation.
  • Create variance comparisons.
  • Invite users into your project.
Connect this project to a fresh Speckle stream.
  • Everything from Without 3D model.
  • Connect with your 3D modeling environments.
  • Enable Real-Time data streaming into the platform from multiple sources.
  • Enable the 3D viewer in the platform.
  • Send data back to the 3D model (coming soon).
Reuse a Speckle connection that is already used by another project.
  • Everything from New Speckle Connection.
  • Send data from 3D models to more than one Real-Time LCA project.
  • Run variance studies across projects.
Click Choose Option on the card that matches your case.

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Configure the Speckle models

If you chose New Speckle Connection or Existing Connection, configure which Speckle models the project should listen to.
Model Configuration step showing suggested models, a model search, selected models, and Parameter Mapping with BIMTypeCode = BIMTypeCode.

Speckle model configuration

  1. Under Suggested Models, tick any of the common discipline models that apply (for example, arkitektur, konstruktioner, mekaniske installationer).
  2. To add a model that is not in the suggestions, type its name in Model and click + Model.
  3. Review the list under Selected Models and untick anything you do not need.
  4. Under Parameter Mapping, choose which Classification System in your model maps to the Real-Time LCA Parameter. The default mapping is BIMTypeCode = BIMTypeCode.

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Step 12: Create the project

When all steps are complete, click Create project. Real-Time LCA processes the configuration — this can take a moment.
Loading modal saying Your project is in good hands with our trusty robots. Take a break, grab a coffee, and let them do the heavy lifting.

Project creation in progress

When the project is ready, you land on the Ready to save screen.
Ready to save screen with tutorial videos for Revit, Rhino, ArchiCAD, and Grasshopper, plus Invite Users and Go to Project buttons.

Project ready — explore the connection guides or jump straight in

From here you can:
  • Watch a short video on how to send 3D models from Revit, Rhino, ArchiCAD, or Grasshopper.
  • Click Invite Users to add collaborators.
  • Click Go to Project to open the project dashboard.