| Aspect | G-08 Reference study period | |||||||||
Description |
The reference study period (RSP) is defined as the time period for which the time-dependent characteristics of the object under assessment are analysed. The RSP determines the use phase of the assessed building or product. Maintenance, repair, replacement and refurbishment activities, as well as operational energy and water use, are highly sensitive to the RSP definition, and may contribute differently to the environmental impacts over the life cycle.Depending on the type of building or product to be assessed (e.g. existing or new), how should the reference study period be defined? | |||||||||
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related study objective |
☒ stand-alone LCA | ☒ comparative assertion | ||||||||
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related study phase |
☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |||||
| goal and scope definition | inventory analysis (LCI) | impact assessment (LCIA) | interpretation | reporting | ||||||
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relevant for |
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| new buildings | existing buildings | construction products | screening LCA | simplified LCA | complete LCA | |||||
Provisions |
The reference study period is generally not predefined, as there is a multitude of different conventional study periods for buildings all over Europe.For comparison purposes, a reference study period of 50 years can be assumed as a baseline scenario.For comparative assertions (comparison of two buildings or building types), the same reference study period has to be applied. | |||||||||
Rules from: |
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Guidance |
For building LCAs, common reference study periods for different European countries and purposes can be found in Annex A. To select an adequate reference study period, it is recommended that conventional values that may have been agreed for a specific country or building type be used, and that this number be used to ensure comparability of the results of the study.In the EeBGuide, the value of 50 years for the baseline scenario is defined to provide consistency among studies that are set up in a comparative environment, such as research projects of the E2B Initiative. For other comparative studies, other reference study periods may be chosen (if relevant). | |||||||||