BLAREC – Building LCA Data Exchange

BLAREC Building LCA data exchange: a first Swiss carbon performance framework for reporting and capitalization
Realization
  • HES-SO Fribourg
  • Thomas Jusselme
  • Jean Hennebert
  • Zuhaib Sheikh
  • Frédéric Montet
Keywords
  • Life cycle assessment
  • Digital template
  • Observatory
  • Database
Our skills
Strong expertise in structural and energy analysis of buildings, strong expertise in machine learning and computer vision

Institutes

  • iCoSys Institute
  • ENERGY Institute
Funding
HEIA-FR (Smart Living Lab research program)
Schedule
2024 – 2026

Abstract

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is crucial for measuring and reporting environmental impacts. While there are new norms on building LCA towards defining the carbon budget for the construction sector in Switzerland (SIA 390), a main barrier to its wider application is the lack of carbon reporting framework and a digital repository to capitalise the LCA results. A standardised assessment, reporting and data exchange could increase transparency on climate-related parameters for buildings. Carbon metrics (e.g. kgCO2) are relatively newer to building stakeholders, therefore, there is a need for common benchmarks to compare the LCA results. Hence, this project aims to develop a Swiss carbon performance framework to overcome these gaps through common scope of definitions, harmonisation of datasets with a structure for reporting and exchanging LCA data. Framework will be validated, and the project would also explore collaborations between practices, public authorities and certification bodies.