D2.3. Sustainable requirements

The construction industry plays a vital role in promoting economic prosperity and sustainability. However, it is also the largest consumer of resources and the largest producer of waste. Therefore, the implementation of circular economy principles in the building sector is crucial. The AEGIR project aims to develop a solution that adopts a clear approach to sustainability and incorporates circular economy principles.
A Circular Economy (CE) offers a promising alternative to a linear economy as it seeks to increase the use of renewable or recyclable resources, reduce the consumption of raw materials and energy, and protect the environment by minimizing emissions and material losses. The project's scope is to define and apply circular principles on the material, product, and building levels.
The project workflow includes nine work packages (WPs), including the development of concepts, products, and solutions and implementation on pilot cases. WP2 focuses on the overall concept solution design that sets the basis for the different developments. Task 2.3 aims to define the overall concept for circularity as a solution for AEGIR, taking into account various regulations and approaches to circularity established in Europe.
As a first step, existing sustainability frameworks were reviewed. The Levels(s) methodology, which provides a set of indicators and common metrics for measuring the sustainability performance of buildings along their life cycle, was explored. The methodology assesses the environmental performance, health and comfort, life cycle cost and value, and potential risks to future performance of buildings. Additionally, the Cradle-to-Cradle model and R-Strategies were introduced as definitions for circularity.
The project team developed an individual approach for AEGIR solutions based on these definitions and methodologies. The principles discussed in chapter 2.2 of the AEGIR project focus on designing for circularity and sustainability at the material, product, and building levels as following:
• GWP (CO2 eq.),
• Use of non-renewable primary energy PENRE (MJ),
• Use of renewable primary energy PERE (MJ),
• Use of renewable resources (kg),
• Use of recycled material (kg),
• Use of reused material (kg),
• Hazardous substances (HWD) (kg),
• Materials for recycling or reuse (kg),
• Durability/Lifespan/Maintenance/Warranty (years),
• Bill of quantities,
• Demountability, reversibility (type of installation),
• Financial concept for multiple life circles (Take-back system or leasing),
• Modularity,
• Local Material,
• Low-Tech,
• Material purity and
• Compostability.

Those principle consist of a framework for the development of the AEGIR solution and its components. Therefore, we need to analyze how the AEGIR components currently address the KPIs. The AEGIR solution consists of a set of physical and digital components. This report focuses on the physical components, as they have the potential to reduce waste production and resource extraction through circular materials streams. Digital tools are regarded as another important factor that support a successful transition towards a CE in the building sector, as they store information about the manufacturing processes over time and therefore acquire a greater value for building components. Therefore, the AEGIR KPI’s are relevant for the digital components as well, as those development can support the implementation of the circularity principles.
In Chapter 3 of the report, after developing the sustainability approach, we analyzed how the AEGIR physical and digital components align with the established principles. We found that several of the physical components already follow the introduced principles. For instance, the second-life battery is a reused product with high reusability potential and can be traced during its usage phase, providing information about its quality and lifespan directly to the manufacturer. Other components, such as fabric and bio-based insulation, use materials from waste with recycled material amount above 80%. PV modules are designed to be easily assembled, and their modular prefabricated construction process contributes to a circular solution.
Current regulations, such as the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) and the European regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and restriction of Chemicals (REACH), already promote a circular use of resources and prevent the use of hazardous substances. Furthermore, the EU commission aims to improve standardization processes, including fostering the incorporation of reused or remanufactured products or products containing recycled materials, with the revision of the Construction Products Directive (CPD). On a national level, countries like France or Denmark introduced regulations that address Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
The results presented in this report will serve as a basis for integrating sustainability approaches in the development of a CE roadmap and standardization measures in WP3. The KPIs will be used to develop a circularity roadmap for the materials and components (T. 3.1.), an urban mining approach for the AEGIR solution (T. 3.2), and a definition of a sustainability roadmap for the entire solution (T. 3.3.). Moreover, the development of standardization measures that improve sustainability and circularity in a refurbishing process (T.3.4.) and connect to international, European, and national standardization processes (T. 3.5.) will directly relate to the work presented in Chapter 4.
In summary, this report focuses on the development of a CE solution for the construction industry, which has a crucial role in promoting economic prosperity and sustainability. The AEGIR project aims to adopt a clear approach to sustainability by addressing environmental requirements and incorporating CE principles. The project workflow includes nine work packages, with WP2 focusing on defining the overall concept for circularity as a solution for AEGIR, and WP3 developing sustainability and circularity roadmaps and standardization measures. The KPIs established in Chapter 2 serve as a framework for the development of AEGIR's physical and digital components, with the analysis presented in Chapter 3 highlighting that several of the physical components already follow the circularity principles. The current regulations in place in Europe and the efforts to improve standardization processes further support the transition towards a CE in the building sector.