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Environmental Performance of Buildings (MPG).
Along with the MPG, an environmental score for buildings
The new building where we are obliged to think about the environment and climate. Where there is a need for affordable housing and raw materials also cannot always be extracted because of heavy impact on the environment and climate. Hence more sustainable and environmentally conscious building. The Environmental Performance of Buildings (MPG) is mandatory with every application for an environmental permit. The MPG indicates the environmental impact of the materials used in a building. This applies to new office buildings (larger than 100 m²) and to new housing developments. The Environmental Performance of Buildings (MPG) requirement has been tightened from 1.0 to 0.8 since July 1, 2021, and possibly to 0.5 by 2030. The MPG reflects the sustainability of the building in terms of materials. By determining the shadow price per m2 GLA per year, the score is determined. The lower the environmental performance buildings the better.
What is MPG?
The MPG is an important measure of a building’s sustainability. The lower the MPG, the more sustainable the use of materials. The MPG calculation is a methodology that measures and quantifies the impact of buildings on the environment. It covers all aspects of a building’s life cycle, from production of building materials to final demolition. This methodology uses life cycle assessment (LCA) to identify and evaluate environmental impacts. The MPG calculation focuses on aspects such as material use, energy consumption, emissions and waste streams. The environmental performance of building materials will become an increasingly important factor in the overall environmental impact of a building. The MPG is an objective tool in the design process and it can be used in a Schedule of Requirements to record the outcome of a design process. Applying recycled floor covering, for example, gives a building a sustainable appearance and is an important communication tool. However, an MPG calculation shows that the sustainability of the floor beneath the floor covering has a much greater effect on the environmental impact.
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Circulair building with MPG
Many projects use a low MPG score. This brings the MPG score below 0.5. In many cases, the MIA scheme can therefore be used with G6100 and G6101. With G6100, for utilities and industry, about 10% of the additional cost of the building can be recovered as a tax measure. With code G6101, for housing, 10% of the additional costs can be eligible for MIA. This is a particularly interesting development for investors and housing associations.
Who provides the MPG?
De Nationale Milieudatabase (NMD) is the database that must be legally used according to building codes. The NMD is filled with environmental declarations. An environmental statement contains general information about the product in question, such as name, lifetime and functional unit. In addition, it contains environmental information obtained from a life cycle analysis. The determination method states which environmental information an environmental declaration must contain at the time of input into the NMD.
Why is the MPG Calculation Important?
How Is the MPG Calculation Performed?
The MPG calculation involves several steps to assess the environmental performance of a building:
Inventory: Collection of data on materials, energy consumption and emissions throughout the life cycle of the building.
Life cycle analysis: Analyze the environmental impacts of all phases, including production, construction, use and demolition.
Impact Assessment: Evaluate environmental impacts in areas such as climate change, resource depletion and air quality.
Results and Assessment: Present environmental performance in the form of an MPG score, which indicates how sustainable the building is.
10 Tips to Lower Your MPG Score and Build More Sustainably
Achieving a low MPG is not done overnight. It requires several components to come together. Here are 10 tips to lower the MPG score and Build More Sustainably.
Benefits of the MPG Calculation
MPG calculation offers numerous benefits for both the construction industry and the environment:
Sustainable Design Decisions: It helps architects and designers make sustainable choices in material use and design, resulting in lower environmental impacts.
Legislation and Regulation: It complies with legal requirements and regulations regarding sustainability in the construction industry.
Transparancy: It provides transparency and comparability between different buildings based on their environmental performance.
Sustainability Certifications: It is an important factor in achieving sustainability certifications such as BREEAM and GPR.
Proportion of Innovati0n: The MPG calculation encourages innovation in building materials and techniques to improve environmental performance.
MPG Calculation and Sustainable Construction
Sustainable building goes beyond energy efficiency. It also includes responsible use of materials and environmentally friendly practices. The MPG calculation aligns seamlessly with these principles by focusing on the full life cycle of buildings. This allows sustainable design decisions to be made that help reduce the carbon footprint of buildings.
The Role of MPG in Sustainability Certifications.
Environmental certifications such as BREEAM, GPR and LEED play an important role in promoting sustainability in the construction industry. The MPG calculation is often a mandatory part of these certification processes. Buildings are assessed on their MPG score and must meet certain environmental performance standards to achieve certification. This encourages building projects to be more environmentally friendly and support a greener future.
Future of the MPG Calculation
MPG calculation is expected to play an even greater role in the construction industry. With ongoing developments in sustainable technologies and materials, construction professionals will discover new ways to improve the environmental performance of buildings. The methodology will evolve and adapt to changing standards and insights, contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly construction industry.
For which buildings should you perform an environmental performance calculation?
- Building with a principal function of residence or office;
- Ancillary functions at an office building.
For which buildings are you not required to perform an environmental performance calculation?
- Office that is part of a building with uses other than office;
- Building with a retention period not exceeding 15 years on the same site.
The Environmental Performance of Buildings calculates the environmental impact of the materials used in a building. The Buildings Decree 2012 makes this calculation mandatory for new construction houses, residential buildings and offices with a surface area of 100 m2 or more. Each environmental performance calculation must comply with the so-called (MKI)Environmental Cost Indicator that allows the environmental performance of an entire building to be determined, based on the performance of the products and elements from which it is constructed. Clients and architects can use this information to make sustainable choices based on a calculation method and a national database. This will end the ambiguity of what is or is not sustainable. To complete these calculations, we use a calculation tool from LCA One Click (Life Cycle Assessment) in combination with the NMD database of which they receive an update every 24 hours so that we can always access the correct materials. The calculation tool we use is suitable for Revit, Exel. We offer already an mpg of a small house for 250 euros
The maps in the NMD database consist of 3 categories.
Category 3 maps: These are general maps of a material. With these cards, assumptions have been made in the calculation. Because of the assumption, there is always a 30% increase on the score. As an example, a hollow core slab, 200mm, precast concrete C30/37 with a score of €7,345/m2
Category 2 maps: These are industry-specific cards, only members affiliated with this industry organization may use them, some examples are Betonhuis, Nemo, Vekudak. As an example a hollow-core slab floor from AB-FAB, precast 150mm certified by Betonhuis. Score €3.05/m2.
Category 1 maps: These are supplier specific. Only when this supplier is demonstrably used with this product may this card be used.
Examples are: Kingspan, Tonzon, Dawo, VBI, Falk, Isobouw, Knauf, Rockwool, Stora Enso, Derix, Rockwool As an example a hollow-core slab floor of VBI Groen (greenline) , precast 150mm by VBI certified. Score €2.86/m2.
As seen in the example of the channel slab, the more specific the LCA/EPD is known, the lower the score becomes. Through our experience with materials and suppliers, we are often able to achieve a better score.
Building Revolution has a lot of experience and can often get a project more circular by suggesting other brands/materials. this can be more expensive, but often ensures that the requirements of the MIA can be met, thus reimbursing the cost through the tax benefit.
History of MPG
The Environmental Performance of Buildings (MPG) is an important measure of a building’s sustainability and has taken a central role in the Dutch construction landscape since January 1, 2013. As a mandatory part of the 2012 Building Code, the MPG calculation in accordance with the determination method Milieuprestatie Gebouwen en GWW-werken requires a detailed analysis of the environmental impact of materials used in a building or GWW work. By taking into account the life of the building, the MPG calculates the environmental impact per year and serves as a crucial tool for circular construction and measuring sustainability in line with the National Environmental Database. As of July 1, 2021, the environmental performance for new homes has been tightened from 1.0 to 0.8. This means more environmentally friendly and more circular construction. The goal is to tighten the requirement step by step and halve it by 2030 at the latest.