THE ELEMENTA BLOG
Material intelligence, in writing.
Embodied carbon, circular construction, and the decisions that shape a building's impact — before formal assessment.
6 October 2026 · News · Whole-life carbon
INDICATE LIFE: Whole-Life Carbon Benchmarks for Austria
INDICATE LIFE is developing national whole-life carbon benchmarks for Austria, Croatia, Italy and Luxembourg; Austria's set covers 67 reference buildings.
22 September 2026 · Embodied Carbon · EPD
PET Felt vs Wood-Wool Acoustic Panels: Carbon From EPDs
Two third-party EPDs side by side: wood-wool 25 mm at −2.9 kg CO₂e/m² cradle-to-gate (fossil +4.0), PET felt 9 mm at +2.5 (fossil +2.5). Which to compare.
22 September 2026 · Circular Construction · Case Study
Anatomy of a Circular Claim: Industrial to Coworking
A brewery became 4,690 m² of coworking with 'around 70 % recycled or sustainably sourced' materials. What that claim needs to be checkable, element by element.
22 September 2026 · Embodied Carbon · EPD
Biogenic Carbon in EPDs: Why a Negative A1–A3 Isn't a Saving
Under EN 15804+A2, stored biogenic carbon enters as −1 and leaves as +1. A negative cradle-to-gate GWP shows what is stored, not what is saved.
22 September 2026 · Embodied Carbon · Pre-assessment
Estimating Embodied Carbon at Concept Stage, Without EPDs
Before products are chosen there are no EPDs. Estimate from quantities × generic factors, report a range, state the modules. Method, sources and tools.
22 September 2026 · Tools · Comparison
One Click LCA Alternatives: Which Tool for Which Job
One Click LCA is the default for certification. For free German LCA, Austrian OI3, funding evidence or retain-vs-demolish there are better fits. By job, fairly.
22 September 2026 · Circular Construction · Embodied Carbon
Reclaimed Windows: How Much Embodied Carbon Does Reuse Save?
The only public reuse study puts the saving at 58–63% per m² (Öko-Institut, 2003). A new double-glazed window today carries about 113 kg CO₂e/m². What to check.
22 September 2026 · Refurbishment · Embodied Carbon
Retain or Demolish? A Worked Example, Element by Element
Retain or demolish, worked through: deep retrofit ≈ 47, light retrofit ≈ 34, rebuild 110 on an indicative index. Where the saving sits and when it flips.
22 September 2026 · Embodied Carbon · EPD
Straw Panel GWP: Three EPDs That Can't Be Compared (and Why)
EcoCocon −101 kg CO₂e/m², Ekopanely −36, straw bale +14 per m³. Different units, different products, one internally verified. How to read straw EPDs.
22 September 2026 · Circular Construction · Embodied Carbon
What Does "70% Circular" Mean? Read the Denominator First
A circular-material percentage means nothing without its basis. Mass, cost, or element count give different numbers on the same building. How to read one.
21 September 2026 · News · Regulation
CPR: Environmental Sustainability Moves to System 3+
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1310, in force since 17 Sept 2026, assigns environmental sustainability to System 3+, with a deemed-to-satisfy exception.
14 September 2026 · News · Circular construction
EU Consultation on VAT for Circular Business Models
On 10 September 2026 the Commission opened a consultation on VAT rules for circular business models, including second-hand goods. It runs until 4 November 2026.
29 August 2026 · Tools · Ökobilanz
Choosing Embodied Carbon Software: a Guide by Job
Building LCA tools are not interchangeable. Certification, funding evidence, early-phase decisions and quick checks are four different jobs.
29 August 2026 · Regulation · EPBD
EPBD Deadlines for Embodied Carbon: 2027, 2028 and 2030
Life-cycle GWP must appear on EPCs for new buildings over 1,000 m² from 1 January 2028, and all new buildings from 1 January 2030.
29 August 2026 · Regulation · EPBD
EPD vs Generic Dataset: Which Carbon Data Does EPBD Accept?
EPBD calculations expect product-specific EPDs where a product is chosen, and allow generic datasets where it is not. Both are legitimate.
29 August 2026 · Regulation · EPBD
What Goes Into a Life-Cycle GWP Calculation: Modules A to C
An EPBD life-cycle GWP calculation follows EN 15978 over a 50-year study period, covering modules A1 to C. Here is what sits in each.
29 August 2026 · Regulation · EPBD
Pre-Assessment vs Certified LCA: What 2028 Actually Requires
EPBD compliance needs a certified LCA. Pre-assessment is not a substitute — it stops you learning the figure too late to change it.
25 June 2026 · Embodied carbon · Circular construction
Embodied Carbon in Construction: A Practical Guide
What embodied carbon is, why it matters more as buildings decarbonise, and how to weigh it in early material decisions before formal assessment.
23 June 2026 · Circular Construction · Refurbishment
Circularity Pathways: Retain, Reuse, Refinish, Replace, New
Circularity pathways rank five choices for every building element, from Retain (0.05× carbon) to New (1.00×). What each means, and how cost is estimated.
20 June 2026 · Embodied Carbon · Circular Construction
Reusing Building Elements vs New: How Much Carbon Does Retention Save?
Reuse vs new build carbon: retaining an element can avoid most of its baseline embodied carbon (Elementa's indicative Retain factor 0.05 vs New 1.00).
18 June 2026 · Embodied carbon · Data
The ICE Database, Explained for Practitioners
The ICE Database is an open embodied-carbon dataset giving kg CO₂e/kg values per material. Here's how to read it, what it covers, and where its limits are.
16 June 2026 · Refurbishment · Embodied Carbon
Refurbishment vs Demolition: The Carbon and Cost Case
Refurbishment vs demolition: retaining a building keeps embodied carbon already in place, while demolition discards it and adds new. Here's the case.
14 June 2026 · Materials · Embodied carbon
Choosing Lower-Impact Material Alternatives by Impact Class
How to choose lower-impact material alternatives using indicative impact classes, and what the classes do and do not tell you at concept stage.
12 June 2026 · Materials · Embodied carbon
CLT vs Concrete vs Steel: Comparing Structural Systems
CLT vs concrete vs steel embodied carbon, compared early-stage: mass timber tends lowest, concrete highest from cement, steel hinges on recycled content.
10 June 2026 · Embodied carbon · Whole-life carbon
Embodied vs Operational Carbon: Why the Balance Is Shifting
Embodied vs operational carbon explained: embodied is locked in by materials, operational by energy use. As grids decarbonise, embodied is gaining share.
8 June 2026 · Material intelligence · Workflow
What Is Pre-Assessment Material Intelligence?
Pre-assessment material intelligence structures material decisions early — quantities, pathways and indicative impact classes — before a formal, certified LCA.
5 June 2026 · Materials · Envelope
Bio-Based Insulation: Wood Fibre and Low-Carbon Alternatives
Bio-based insulation, wood fibre, cellulose, hemp, cork, wool, straw, generally carries lower embodied carbon than mineral wool or foam. Here's how to compare.
3 June 2026 · Refurbishment · Circular construction
An Embodied Carbon Retention Strategy for Refurbishment
An embodied carbon retention strategy for refurbishment: survey what exists, classify each element by circularity pathway, and retain high-mass elements first.
1 June 2026 · Cost · Circular construction
Cost and Circularity: Where ÖNORM B 2061 Fits
How early cost estimates and carbon sit side by side for retain-or-replace decisions, what Elementa prices, and where ÖNORM B 2061 and B 1801-1 actually fit.