Isopan updates the EPD certificate: environmental impact of LEAF technology reduced by up to 20%

The EPD is an Environmental Product Declaration that reports the results of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), i.e. the analysis of the impacts generated on the environment during the entire life cycle of the product, from the extraction of raw materials, through production and use, to disposal.

In 2019, Isopan produced and published the first EPDs for mineral wool and polyurethane foam panels, being part of a small but growing group of companies that provide the specific EPD certificate on their product, rather than reporting industry average data.

In 2020, this document was revised and expanded, bringing almost the entire Isopan product portfolio and all steel sheet and insulation thicknesses up for certification.

The EPD update brought two important innovations.

The first involves the certificate extension to the following Isopan products: Isodomus Classic, Isodeck PVSteel and panels produced with LEAF technology.

• Isodomus Classic is a sandwich panel designed for roofing of civil buildings or used in the industrial sector with warehouses located in specific urban contexts. Its strength lies in its shape and colour, which simulate traditional roofing tiles and pantiles, giving the panel a high aesthetic value, which matches both the civil and rural sectors perfectly and meets the landscape regulations requirements. Isodomus is quick to install, easy to maintain and provides high thermal and/or acoustic insulation performance.

• Isodeck PVSteel is designed for flat or low slope roofs, with trapezoidal metal sheet on the inside and sheet pre-filled with a synthetic covering (PVC or TPO) on the outside; the insulation core can be made of polyurethane foam (ISODECK PVSTEEL PU) or mineral mineral wool (ISODECK PVSTEEL MW). When Isodeck PVSteel is integrated with the green roof system, the GreenROOF solution from Isopan is born. This is the only proposal on the market complete with EPD and brings countless benefits: on an urban scale, in addition to improving urban decor, it reduces heat island phenomena and air pollution by controlling dust. On the other hand, as far as the individual building is concerned, the green roof contributes to winter insulation, mitigates summer temperatures, reduces rainwater runoff, and improves building aesthetics.

• For more than forty years, Isopan has been contributing to the global challenge to improve the construction industry with a view to environmental sustainability. It has studied and introduced LEAF technology for its products, which allows the building to achieve better performance while offering greater sustainability, safety, and insulation. This new technology represents a further step in minimising the impact of Isopan panels on the environment; for example, LEAF is able to provide high fire performance without the use of halogenated flame retardants. In addition, it has obtained the highest fire reaction certification in Europe for polyurethane panels, called B-s1,d0. This means that the achievement of performance “s1” is particularly significant for polyurethane panels, as it certifies the absence of smoke from the exposure of foam to fire. Finally, it allows the thermal performance of the insulating material to be improved, in particular lowering the value of thermal conductivity of the polyurethane foam. Thanks to the new EPD, it was possible to certify that, for the same thermal insulation, a panel produced with LEAF technology reduces the environmental impact by 16 to 20% compared to a standard panel.  

A single certificate

The second innovation, introduced with the EPD update, involves the brand new approach for the presentation of the results, which is currently unique in the sandwich panel category. This allows Isopan to have a single certificate covering all the varied range of products in the catalogue and, above all, the various sizes. The goal for Isopan is to extend the LCA analysis and EPD certificate to its plants abroad, in addition to the Italian ones.

First of all, the EPD certificate can be used to obtain credits towards building sustainability certifications, such as LEED or BREEAM. Secondly, it is used to demonstrate the environmental parameters required by public procurement programmes, such as the CAM (Minimum Environmental Criteria), related to the European Union's NAP GPP, to which the Italian 110% Superbonus Decree also refers.

The renewal of this certificate once again demonstrates the commitment of Isopan, and the Manni Group companies in general, to an approach towards building with reduced environmental impact.