How to generate an EPD in clca: from product data to verified report

This guide walks through the full path from a product data form to a verifier-approved PDF EPD. clca automates every step; the typical end-to-end time is 1-4 weeks. With the built-in AI report assistant, ready EN 15804+A2 templates and real-time multi-user collaboration, you produce a verifiable EPD in less than 1/3 of the traditional flow.

Step 1 — Product and functional unit

The foundation of an EPD is the functional unit (or declared unit). For insulation, 1 m² of product providing 1 RC=1 m²K/W of thermal resistance; for cement, 1 ton; for concrete, 1 m³ at strength class X. Your choice depends on which PCR you fall under. clca's industry templates (insulation, cement, concrete, steel, plastics) preset the correct functional unit and the relevant PCR.

Step 2 — Life-cycle inventory

The inventory (LCI) is the most time-consuming part. clca's smart-mapping suggests the most suitable ecoinvent v3.12 activity based on product name + production geography + technology. A typical building product needs 30-150 inventory items. Emission factors for every country grid are calculated automatically — no manual entry. Custom activity creation lets you build user-defined sets adapted to local conditions on top of ecoinvent.

Step 3 — Impact assessment (LCIA)

CML v4.8 2016 is widely used for EN 15804+A2; EF v3.1 is mandatory under PEFCR. clca holds 23+ categories and 7 standard LCIA methods. Results are automatically distributed across the modulary table (Tables 8-11). You can also build a custom blended method from any category-indicator combinations.

Step 4 — Data Quality Rating (DQR)

A2 mandates the DQR system derived from the Pedigree Matrix. Each inventory item is scored on 5 dimensions: representativeness (time, geography, technology), completeness and precision. Items with DQR > 3.5 trigger an automatic ±10% sensitivity scenario. clca shows each item's DQR with colour-coded badges; filter the >3.5 items and redirect them to better data sources.

Step 5 — AI-assisted interpretation

The interpretation is typically the most time-consuming writing part of an EPD — 8-12 hours in a traditional flow. The built-in AI assistant reads the dominance analysis, identifies hotspots and drafts the EN 15804+A2 interpretation section using industry best-practice phrasing. You review and approve — the final word is always yours. Every AI generation is written to an audit log for the verifier.

Step 6 — Ready report template & one-click PDF

A ready EN 15804+A2 EPD template generates as PDF in one click; the machine-readable JSON-LD and the verifier traceability bundle ship alongside automatically. Templates are pre-configured per program operator (ITB Poland, IBU, EPD International, ECOnsult). Once you have a report for one product, the "LCA copy" feature lets you replicate it for variants in minutes — e.g. five separate EPDs for five thickness variants of the same insulation product.

Step 7 — Verification and publication

Your EPD is reviewed by an accredited verifier (e.g. ITB Poland, IBU, EPD International, ECOnsult). clca produces a full bundle for the verifier — raw inventory, dominance report, sensitivity matrices and audit log. Typical verification takes 2-6 weeks — when changes are requested, real-time multi-user mode lets your consultant and the verifier work on the same file simultaneously.

End-to-end time savings

• Traditional EPD process: 6-12 weeks
• With clca: 1-4 weeks
• AI interpretation: 8-12 hours → 20 minutes
• LCA copy (variant): hours → minutes
• Mass-flow validation: post-calculation → live