How to use Troldtekt's EPDs in your building project
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are an important tool for consultants and developers who need to document the environmental impact of the materials used in a building project. Here you can read about how to use Troldtekt's EPDs and what you need to be particularly aware of when looking at the figures.
EPD stands for Environmental Product Declaration and is the tool for construction professionals who need to know the environmental impact of the different building materials.
Troldtekt has drawn up product-specific EPDs and these have been third-party verified in accordance with the European standard EN 15804+A2.
The current versions were published in 2025 and will remain valid until 2030. During this period, we expect to issue updated EPDs as we succeed in reducing our environmental footprint.
Why are EPDs important?
An EPD enables architects, contractors or developers to assess the environmental impact of various building materials, including Global Warming Potential (GWP), which shows the carbon footprint of the material. Based on the various examples of data available in the EPDs, you can compare the pros and cons of different building materials in an informed manner.
In Denmark, the Building Regulations stipulate an upper limit for the permitted carbon footprint per square metre per year in newbuilds. Product-specific EPDs therefore play a key role when documenting the carbon footprint.
What you need to pay particular attention to when comparing EPDs
There are several things to be aware of when comparing EPDs for products. Here are four of the most important:
> What standard has the EPD been developed in accordance with? In 2021, it became a requirement for EPDs to be developed in accordance with the EN 15804+A2 standard. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that EPDs are generally valid for five years, so you will still encounter EPDs that have been drawn up in accordance with the previous standard, EN 15804+A1.
> Does the EPD match the product you are looking at? Manufacturers may publish different EPDs for different products, just as new product updates may not yet be included in the EPD.
> Are you comparing the right stages? It's important to compare the same stages in a product's life cycle when looking at data. Please note that EPDs that have been drawn up in accordance with the old standard (EN 15804+A1) may include fewer stages than more recent EPDs (EN 15804+A2). This can make it difficult to compare data.
> Which units of measurement are you comparing? The "declared unit" in EPDs may vary. At Troldtekt, we use square metres as the unit, making it easy to calculate the footprint based on the overall ceiling area. In other EPDs, data may be calculated according to, for example, the weight of the products.
> Is the EPD product-specific or generic Product-specific EPDs like those we use at Troldtekt describe how a specific building material affects the environment. However, if there is no EPD available for the building material you intend to use, you can either use a sector EPD based on average for a type of building material or calculate using generic data from a database. If possible, you should always choose product-specific EPDs, as they provide the most accurate data.
Who prepared Troldtekt's EPDs?
The manufacturer of the building material prepares the EPD. The declaration is based on a comprehensive life cycle analysis, which, in the case of Troldtekt, has been prepared by external LCA Consultant Stefan E. Danielsson
Troldtekt's EPDs were published by the Danish organisation EPD Denmark and were third-party verified by one of the independent verifiers affiliated with EPD Denmark. This means that we use two different external parties to prepare and verify our EPDs.
How do you use EPDs in practice?
As a consultant or installer, you can enter a given amount of Troldtekt acoustic panels into an overall digital life cycle calculation of the environmental footprint of a building project. The digital format saves time compared to manual entry and also minimises the risk of errors.
What data do Troldtekt's EPDs show?
In our EPDs, you can see the environmental footprint for the entire life cycle of the acoustic panels. This includes the following stages:
Not all stages are mandatory to declare in all markets. As we sell Troldtekt products in a number of markets and want to ensure complete transparency regarding our products' footprint, we have chosen to include and show all stages.
Which Troldtekt products are included in the EPDs?
We have had EPDs drawn up for four basic panels. Two of these are available in natural wood and are therefore based on white cement, while the other two are based on the FUTURECEM™ cement type.
> Troldtekt acoustic 25 mm (natural wood)
> Troldtekt A2 (natural wood)
> Troldtekt Acoustic 25 mm (FUTURECEM)
Please note: The data in the EPDs applies to unpainted panels. If you choose a painted variety of the panels, you also need to enter a value for the paint, which can also be found in the EPD.
Please note: Similarly, you will need to convert the data with a factor if you choose a Troldtekt panel with a thickness other than 25 mm (i.e. 15 or 35 mm). The conversion factor has also been included in the EPD.
How to read the tables in the EPD
The tables showing the results of the life cycle analysis are a key element of the EPDs. Here, the footprint of the materials in different life cycle stages is shown using different units depending on whether we are looking at carbon footprint, acidification, energy consumption or something else.
> Column 1 shows what the figures express. One example is GWP, which stands for Global Warming Potential. The abbreviations are explained under each table.
> Column 2 shows the unit of measurements used. For GWP, the unit is "kg CO2-Eq", which stands for carbon dioxide equivalent per square metre of building material. The figure includes all greenhouse gases and the different environmental footprints are converted to a comparable (equivalent) value.
> The other columns show the life cycle stages of the building material to which the value relates.
The numerical values in the tables are expressed using scientific notation. E+ means that zeros must be added after the number and E- means that zeros must be added before the number (decimal number). Finally, E+0 means that the number prefix is the real value. This is demonstrated here in three examples:
- -1.82E-01 corresponds to the value -0.182 (natural wood, GWP total in A1-A3)
- 2.27E+01 corresponds to the value 22.7 (natural wood, GWP total in D (scenario (ii))
- 1.10E+00 corresponds to the value 1.10 (natural wood, GWP total in A5)
Why are some stages negative and some positive?
EPDs are effective tools for obtaining an overview of a building material's environmental impact during different stages of the life cycle – but the stages must always be viewed in context. Among other things, the sum of biogenic CO2 must always be zero in an EPD. This means that CO2 stored in the product in one stage must be released again in a later stage.
Biogenic CO2 covers the carbon dioxide that forms part of the biological carbon cycle and is stored in bio-based raw materials such as wood. Conversely, fossil CO2 comes from oil, coal and gas.
Let's use Troldtekt as an example:
> The raw materials in Troldtekt acoustic panels are wood and cement. While cement production results in significant carbon emissions, the opposite is the case for wood, as carbon is stored in the wood when the tree is growing. This is what we refer to as biogenic CO2.
> The combination of wood and cement gives Troldtekt a relatively low carbon footprint during the raw material phase, as we mainly use carbon neutral energy types in production (wind power and biofuel from our own burner), the overall carbon footprint is below zero in the product stages A1-A3.
> However, the biogenic CO2 is released from the wood again at the end of its service life and stages C3/C4 therefore have a positive carbon footprint. Overall, the raw material wood is therefore carbon neutral in the life cycle calculation.
The graphs show the carbon footprint from Troldtekt acoustic panels in different lifecycle stages.
> In stages A1-A3 (production), the footprint is negative because the wood absorbs more carbon than is emitted during cement production, raw material transport and the production of the acoustic panels.
> Stages A4-A5 (construction) include transport from Troldtekt’s factory to the building site (average) and cement-bonded wood wool waste from the building site, which is returned to Troldtekt. The carbon footprint is therefore positive.
> During stages B1-B7 (use), the footprint is negative because Troldtekt acoustic panels store carbon through the chemical carbonatisation process during use.
> In stages C1-C4 (end-of-life), the carbon footprint is positive, as the biogenic CO2 is released from the wood.
> The recycling potential (in stage D) results in negative carbon emission for Troldtekt, as the energy from incineration reduces the need for energy from fossil fuels.
Please note: The overall carbon footprint will be slightly higher if landfill is used as the end-of-life scenario and slightly lower if the panels are crushed and enter the biological cycle at end-of-lige. Both figures can be found in the EPDs.