EC3 tool - File size:
- N/A
- Date added:
- Dec 07, 2023 | Last update check: 1 minute ago
- Licence:
- Free
- Runs on:
- Web browser on your preferred gadget, tablet, laptop or PC.
EC3 tool (Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator) is a free cloud-based tool that helps you reduce embodied carbon in buildings. The building and construction sector is responsible for nearly 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Much of the carbon footprint of the new buildings takes the form of embodied carbon. EC3 tool reveals the embodied carbon of the materials so architects, engineers and contractors can make informed choices selecting materials with the lowest climate impact. One building component could have much lower embodied carbon than another that looks and performs the same. Material quantities can be easily extracted directly from BIM 360 into EC3 tool. Pulling embodied carbon data from EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) EC3 tool compares the carbon intensity of locally available materials that meet required specifications. This enables fast climate-smart substitutions. EC3 tool and its BIM 360 integration are offered for free.
There are embodied and operational carbon emissions. A long time green building movements addressed only operational carbon but now the focus is more on the embodied carbon which is a broader term. Operational carbon refers to carbon emitted during building use. Embodied carbon refers to the full building life-cycle, starting from material extraction through building use and to the building disposal. Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are technical documents, published by material suppliers, that report on the carbon footprint of a product. EPDs are required in order to analyze the embodied carbon emissions associated with a new building.
Tally – EC3 workflow:
You can use EC3 tool together with Tally software. Typical workflow is to use Tally in the design phase and EC3 tool in the construction phase. You can use Tally in the schematic design (SD) stage for analysis of building components; in the design development (DD) stage for design option comparison; and in the construction documentation (CD) stage for whole building life-cycle analysis report. Then you switch to EC3 tool which helps you to determine what product allow for you to hit carbon reduction goals. You can take Bill of Materials (BoM) that you’ve created in Tally and export it into EC3 and tie systems to specific products. At first you can create embodied carbon assessment, then product comparison and procurement, and finally embodied carbon calculation.
In order to create an EC3 project with Tally you first need to launch Tally and run a full-building assessment. Then log into EC3 to export your Tally project. Tally materials are automatically converted to EC3. A new EC3 project is created from your Tally model. Tally’s bill of materials is tabulated in EC3’s masterformat tab.
What’s new in version released in October 2022:
- New A5 Construction Tab.
- New A4 Transport Tab.
- Redesigned Glazing category.
- OAuth2 for API.
- Improved performance.
About Building Transparency
In 2020, Building Transparency was established as a Washington State 501c(3) nonprofit. Its core mission is to provide the open access data and tools necessary to enable broad and swift action across the building industry in addressing embodied carbon’s role in climate change. It continue the management and development of the EC3 tool to address embodied carbon’s role in climate change. The tool was initially released by the Carbon Leadership Forum in November 2019.
Gallery
EC3 Building Projects. ©Building Transparency
Create new Building Project. ©Building Transparency
Create new Building Project: material quantity input section. ©Building Transparency
Summary chart: GWP (Global Warming Potential) Sankey diagram. ©Building Transparency
LEED bar chart: Embodied GWP vs. baseline, by category. ©Building Transparency
Download reports. ©Building Transparency
Tally – EC3 workflow. ©Building Transparency