Primary or Average Data: The Hidden Cost of an Inaccurate Carbon Calculation

When calculating a building’s life cycle analysis, there are two ways to obtain material data: using average database values (secondary data) or using the manufacturer’s actual information, coming from a DAP (primary data). The difference is not minor.

If a manufacturer has invested in reducing the footprint of its product (for example by incorporating recycled materials, renewable energy or more efficient processes) but the building calculation uses the industry average, that improvement disappears from the result. The consequence is an inflated carbon calculation that does not reflect the reality of the work and that penalizes, paradoxically, the suppliers who have made the most progress.

That is why the quality of the data is a technical issue of the first order, not a detail. Working with primary data allows a calculation adjusted to reality, gives value to the effort of manufacturers and offers the property a figure that can be defended against auditors, investors and administrations. The recommendation is to prioritise specific data over the generic average whenever possible.