Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for Data Center Sustainability
What are EPDs?
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are standardized documents that provide transparent and comparable information about the life-cycle environmental impact of products. For data centers, EPDs can cover various components, from servers and networking equipment to cooling systems and building materials.
EPDs are based on Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and provide quantified environmental information on the entire lifecycle of a product, from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal or recycling.
Why EPDs Matter for Data Centers
- Transparency: EPDs provide clear, verified environmental impact data.
- Informed Decision-Making: Helps in choosing more sustainable products and technologies.
- Regulatory Compliance: Supports meeting environmental regulations and standards.
- Green Certifications: Facilitates achieving certifications like LEED or BREEAM.
- Competitive Advantage: Demonstrates commitment to sustainability to clients and stakeholders.
EPD Implementation in Data Centers
Figure 1: Life cycle stages covered in an EPD.
Figure 2: Environmental impact categories typically included in EPDs.
How CentralAxis Supports EPD Implementation
CentralAxis offers comprehensive solutions to help data centers implement and leverage EPDs:
- EPD database integration for easy access to product environmental data
- LCA tools for conducting assessments on data center components
- Reporting features to generate EPD-compliant documentation
- Analysis tools to compare products based on their environmental impact
- Integration with green building certification processes