FAQ

Database
In the last version of the ELCD database (v3), the water used for hydraulic electricity is taken into account in water depletion indicators, even if the water is only moved from lake to river. It leads to an sharp increase of the WD indicators results.
Despite of these increase in the results the use of last version ELCD datasets is required.
The use of ELCD database is only mandatory for electricity mix (paragraph 2.5.2 of PCR ed 3.0 ) and end of life treatment (paragraph 2.5.6 of PCR ed 3.0 )and recommended in other cases. For EE equipement that have a really large impact during use phase, it is relevant to determine the electricity mix sources in order not to create disparities in the results. For the moment, the ELCD database is the only european free and shared database. It garanties the comparability of the results and the accessibility of the datasets.
The use of other databases is allowed (except for electricity mix) and has to be documented.
Exclusion
Some exclusions relating to infrastructures, clips, screws… are already included in the PCR. For justifying other exclusion or approximation, the PEP practitionner has to verify that the cut-of-rule will be respected (such a verification can be based on default approach, previous studies, secondary datasets, ...)
Joint declaration
A joint environmental declaration deals with a product family and is proposed by several manufacturers within a trade association for example. The joint declaration shall meet the following conditions. It shall:
  • Apply to a ""typical product"",
  • Be based on the homogeneity of the parameters that significantly influence the value of each of the environmental indicators,
  • Include a framework of validity that incorporates the following information:
    • The identification of the influential parameters, while specifying whether they are sourced from secondary or primary data
    • The intervals of validity of these parameters.
    This information shall be justified and documented in the LCA report.
On the contrary, a PEP classical declaration can apply on a product family. In this case, the declaration shall meet the following conditions:
  • cover an homogeneous product family
  • the extrapolation rules has to be defined in order to extrapolate the results from the reference product to others ones.
Life cycle phases
The impacts over the whole life cycle have to be declared. For example, for lighting equipement the energy consumption over the use phase shall be taken into account even if bulbs are not sold at the same time than the equipment. For more information, please check the PSR 0014 Luminaires.
PSR
The declared units must be both relevant to sale units of covered products, and to the need of building LCA practitioners. In order to select the most relevant declared unit, and in the absence of requirements in the PSR, refer to the DED (default datasets) in the INIES database.

How to access the MDEGD declared units:
  • Go to www.base-inies.fr/iniesV4/dist/consultation.html
  • On the left panel, select the category related to your product
  • On the middle panel, select the ""MINISTERE DE LA TRANSITION ECOLOGIQUE""
  • If several products are listed, select the most relevent
  • Click on ""Unité fonctionnelle""
    • It is recommended to use the existing PSR to perform PEP covered by multiple PSR and to mention it on the LCA report. In the PEP title block, only mention the PCR and not the PSR as the product is not covered by them.
    Registration

    Assuming that for the new PEP with a different brand name, all the hypothesis remain valid and that no changes in calculation has been performed :

    • If the old PEP is modified by adding the new brand name and commercial name of the product, it is considered as a minor modification.
      • The new PEP contains both brands and commercial name (initial one + new one)
      • No new verification report / conformity declaration is required
      • There is no cost for registration of the new PEP (minor modification)
      • The old PEP named for instance NXNS-0001-V01.01 is not valid anymore
      • The new PEP named NXNS-0001-V01.02
    • If the PEP is registered by the same company, but with a new brand name and commercial name of the product, with no reference to the initial brand/product name
      • The new PEP contains only the new brand name and commercial name
      • The PEP does not need to go through a verification process
      • A new verification conformity declaration is needed, with the name of the new brand and new product name and new PEP name
        This new conformity declaration can integrate the initial conformity declaration and at least the previous verification report
      • The cost for registration is the same as for a new PEP, meaning
        • 280€ if the company is a PEP member
        • 565€ if the company is member of an Union itself member of PEP
        • 865€ registration otherwise
      • The old PEP NXNS-00001-V01.01 remains valid
      • The new PEP is named NXNS-0002-V01.01
    • If the PEP is registered by another company, with a new brand name and commercial name of the product,
      • The PEP contains only the new brand name and commercial name
      • A new verification conformity declaration is needed, with the name of the new brand and new registration