Download PDF

LCA results & interpretation Cascadia Universal Series™ Fixed & Operable Windows and Doors

Fixed Window Casement Window Awning Window Hopper Window Tilt & Turn Window Swing Door Double Swing Door Sliding Door EPD additional content

Scope and summary

  • Cradle to gate
  • Cradle to gate with options
  • Cradle to grave

Application

The Cascadia Universal Series™ Casement Window offers a patented, high-performance fiberglass solution designed and manufactured in North America. It features an innovative, commercial-grade fiberglass frame that boasts up to 250% improved thermal performance compared to traditional aluminum windows. Casement windows consist of an operable sash frame around a transparent glazing unit, placed withing a fixed frame and equipped with hardware that allows the window to remain stationary in a closed position, and swing to open. The primary function of these fenestration systems is to create a façade between the building's interior and exterior, providing structural support and limiting thermal transfer through the building envelope.

Declared unit

The declared unit is one 600mm × 1,500mm (24in × 59in) casement window normalized to one square meter (1 m2) of fenestration assemblies (including frame and glass). Glazing beads and stops, sealants, gaskets, and other parts that retain or support the glazing are considered part of the framing assembly, not the glazing assembly. The declared product meets the relevant performance standards in ANSI/NFRC 100 per the identified sub-type.

Mass per declared unit:

Fenestration sub-type Whole unit, kg Frame only, kg Glazing only, kg
Casement window 39.7

26.9

 12.8

Manufacturing data

Reporting period: May 2022 – April 2023
Location: British Columbia, Canada

What’s causing the greatest impacts

All life cycle stages

Activities during the acquisition and preprocessing of raw materials are responsible for the majority of the impacts in each impact category. The upstream transportation stage is the next highest contributor to most impact categories including ozone depletion, smog, acidification, eutrophication, carcinogenics, non-carcinogenics, respiratory effects, and ecotoxicity. The manufacturing stage is the next highest contributor to global warming and fossil fuel depletion, due to fabrication and waste disposal activities.

Raw materials acquisition

Raw materials acquisition (A1) dominates the results for all impact categories. This module includes the raw materials acquired and preprocessed by the suppliers, including packaging. This stage makes up on average 80-85% of the total impacts for all impact categories. The glazing and frame are the two contributors calculated separately in the raw material acquisition stage. The fiberglass window frame generated 62.2% of total global warming results, whereas the glazing generated 37.8% of the total. The glazing unit contains two 4mm glass panes manufactured by an upstream supplier and sourced in North America. The frame unit contains fiberglass lineals, insulation, hardware, and packaging. During the production of these fiberglass lineals, glass fibers and catalyzed polyester resin are combined in a pultrusion process. The fiberglass lineals make up most of the weight of the frame unit, and they dominate the environmental impacts over the other frame components.

Transportation

Transportation (A2) of raw materials is the next highest contributor to most impact categories. This module includes raw material transportation from suppliers to the Cascadia manufacturing facility. Most of the ingredients sourced in North America are transported by semi-truck, whereas materials sourced from overseas use a mix of road transportation by semi-truck and sea transportation by ship.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing (A3) accounts for a notable contribution to impacts at around 20% for Global Warming Potentials (GWP) and Fossil Fuel Depletion. This module includes fabrication and the disposal of manufacturing waste. The fabrication process includes cutting the fiberglass, drilling, packaging, and cleaning. Fiberglass production waste, incoming raw material packaging waste, and other non-hazardous wastes are transported to a landfill, and recyclable packaging wastes are transported to a recycling facility or reused within the plant.

Sensitivity analysis

Sensitivity analyses were performed to check the robustness of the results where the highest potential environmental impacts were occurring. Since the bulk of impacts were attributed to raw materials acquisition, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine the sensitivity of the different available glazing configurations.

Global warming potential was evaluated for sensitivity since Cascadia is interested in the potential CO2-equivalent emissions of its products. The fixed window was evaluated as a worst case scenario, since it has the highest percentage of glazing and therefore provides the most conservative estimate of change. Choosing a triple-glazed product configuration rather than the double-glazed option resulted in a 32.9% increase in total life cycle impacts, highlighting the importance of this choice on total impacts.

How we're making it greener

Fiberglass is an ideal structural material for window and door frames, which is why Cascadia has used a proprietary, high glass-fiber-to-resin formula for more than a decade. Beyond its high strength and thermal efficiency, Cascadia's pultruded, thermoset fiberglass frames contain roughly 58% recycled content, low VOC's, and represent less embodied energy compared to vinyl or aluminum.

Not susceptible to decay or corrosion, fiberglass also expands and contracts with temperature change at roughly the same rate as the adjacent IGU. This extends the longevity of window seals and gaskets, reducing maintenance costs. Combined with a modeled lifespan of up to 80 years, fiberglass represents the future of high-performance windows and doors.

See how we make it greener

LCA results

Life cycle stage A1 Raw material Supply A2 Upstream transport A3 Manufacturing

Information modules:
Included (X) | Excluded (MND)*

*Modules A4, A5, B, C, and D are excluded.

 (X) A1 Raw material supply (X) A2 Transport (X) A3 Manufacturing

SM Single Score

Impacts per declared unit 7.02E+00 mPts 8.78E-01 mPts 7.71E-01 mPts
Materials or processes contributing >20% to total impacts in each life cycle stage Upstream manufacturing of the fiberglass lineals and glass panels. Transportation of raw materials to the Cascadia facility. Product fabrication including cutting, drilling, packaging, and cleaning.

TRACI v2.1 results per declared unit of Universal Series™ Casement Window (total)

Life cycle stage A1 Raw material supply A2 Transport A3 Manufacturing

Ecological damage

Impact category Unit
Acidification kg SO2 eq Kilograms of Sulfur Dioxide equivalent
Acidification processes increase the acidity of water and soil systems and causes damage to lakes, streams, rivers and various plants and animals as well as building materials, paints and other human-built structures. 		3.59E-01 2.69E-02 1.35E-02
Eutrophication kg N eqKilograms of Nitrogen equivalent
Eutrophication is the enrichment of an aquatic ecosystem with nutrients (nitrates and phosphates) that accelerate biological productivity (growth of algae and weeds) and an undesirable accumulation of algal biomass which impacts industry, agriculture, drinking, fishing and recreation and causes death of fish and shellfish, toxicity to humans, marine mammals and livestock, and reduces biodiversity.		 5.11E-02 1.60E-03 1.16E-03
Global warming kg CO2 eqKilograms of Carbon Dioxide equivalent
Global warming is an average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute to change in global climate patterns and is caused by the increase of the sources of greenhouse gases and decrease of the sinks due to deforestation and land use. Global warming - 100 a refers to the reporting period of 100 years. GW leads to problems in human health, agriculture, forest, water source and damage to species and biodiversity as well as coastal areas.		 6.81E+01 1.49E+01 2.29E+01
Ozone depletion kg CFC-11 eq Kilograms of Trichlorofluoromethane equivalent
Ozone depletion is the reduction of ozone in the stratosphere caused by the release of ozone depleting chemicals. Ozone depletion can increases ultraviolet B radiation to the earth which can adversely affect human health (skin cancer and cataracts and immune-system suppression) and other system (marine life, agricultural crops, and other vegetation) and causes damage to human-built materials. 		3.30E-06 2.31E-07 2.08E-07

Human health damage

Impact category Unit
Carcinogenics CTUh Comparative Toxic Units of Human cancerous toxicity
Carcinogens have the potential to form cancers in humans. 		1.64E-06 9.47E-09 4.67E-09
Non-carcinogenics CTUh Comparative Toxic Units of Human non-cancerous toxicity
Non-Carcinogens have the potential to causes non-cancerous adverse impacts to human health. 		8.02E-06 1.84E-06 3.12E-07
Respiratory effects kg PM2.5 eqKilograms of Particulate Matter equivalent which are smaller than or equal to 2.5 micrometers in diameter
Particulate matter concentrations have a strong influence on chronic and acute respiratory symptoms and mortality rates.		 4.19E-02 5.08E-03 1.66E-03
Smog kg O3 eqKilograms of Ozone equivalent
Smog formation (photochemical oxidant formation) is the formation of ozone molecules in the troposphere by complex chemical reactions which are influenced by ambient concentrations of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the mix of organic compounds (OCs), temperature, sunlight and convective flows. Ozone concentrations in the Earth’s atmosphere above the natural trace amounts lead to detrimental impacts on human health and ecosystems.		 4.44E+00 4.45E-01 3.13E-01

Additional environmental information

Impact category Unit
Fossil fuel depletion MJ surplus Mega Joule, lower heating value
Fossil fuel depletion is the surplus energy to extract minerals and fossil fuels. 		1.06E+02 2.84E+01 5.48E+01
Ecotoxicity CTUe Comparative Toxic Units of Ecotoxicity
Ecotoxicity causes negative impacts to ecological receptors and, indirectly, to human receptors through the impacts to the ecosystem.		 1.42E+02 3.76E+01 5.29E-01

TRACI v2.1 results per declared unit of Universal Series™ Casement Window (frame only)

Life cycle stage A1 Raw material supply A2 Transport A3 Manufacturing

Ecological damage

Impact category Unit
Acidification kg SO2 eq Kilograms of Sulfur Dioxide equivalent
Acidification processes increase the acidity of water and soil systems and causes damage to lakes, streams, rivers and various plants and animals as well as building materials, paints and other human-built structures. 		1.42E-01 2.56E-02 9.12E-03
Eutrophication kg N eqKilograms of Nitrogen equivalent
Eutrophication is the enrichment of an aquatic ecosystem with nutrients (nitrates and phosphates) that accelerate biological productivity (growth of algae and weeds) and an undesirable accumulation of algal biomass which impacts industry, agriculture, drinking, fishing and recreation and causes death of fish and shellfish, toxicity to humans, marine mammals and livestock, and reduces biodiversity.		 3.38E-02 1.51E-03 7.89E-04
Global warming kg CO2 eqKilograms of Carbon Dioxide equivalent
Global warming is an average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute to change in global climate patterns and is caused by the increase of the sources of greenhouse gases and decrease of the sinks due to deforestation and land use. Global warming - 100 a refers to the reporting period of 100 years. GW leads to problems in human health, agriculture, forest, water source and damage to species and biodiversity as well as coastal areas.		 3.65E+01 1.38E+01 1.55E+01
Ozone depletion kg CFC-11 eq Kilograms of Trichlorofluoromethane equivalent
Ozone depletion is the reduction of ozone in the stratosphere caused by the release of ozone depleting chemicals. Ozone depletion can increases ultraviolet B radiation to the earth which can adversely affect human health (skin cancer and cataracts and immune-system suppression) and other system (marine life, agricultural crops, and other vegetation) and causes damage to human-built materials. 		1.00E-06 2.15E-07 1.41E-07

Human health damage

Impact category Unit
Carcinogenics CTUh Comparative Toxic Units of Human cancerous toxicity
Carcinogens have the potential to form cancers in humans. 		9.24E-07 8.79E-09 3.17E-09
Non-carcinogenics CTUh Comparative Toxic Units of Human non-cancerous toxicity
Non-Carcinogens have the potential to causes non-cancerous adverse impacts to human health. 		4.96E-06 1.71E-06 2.11E-07
Respiratory effects kg PM2.5 eqKilograms of Particulate Matter equivalent which are smaller than or equal to 2.5 micrometers in diameter
Particulate matter concentrations have a strong influence on chronic and acute respiratory symptoms and mortality rates.		 2.34E-02 4.75E-03 1.12E-03
Smog kg O3 eqKilograms of Ozone equivalent
Smog formation (photochemical oxidant formation) is the formation of ozone molecules in the troposphere by complex chemical reactions which are influenced by ambient concentrations of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the mix of organic compounds (OCs), temperature, sunlight and convective flows. Ozone concentrations in the Earth’s atmosphere above the natural trace amounts lead to detrimental impacts on human health and ecosystems.		 1.96E+00 4.26E-01 2.12E-01

Additional environmental information

Impact category Unit
Fossil fuel depletion MJ surplus Mega Joule, lower heating value
Fossil fuel depletion is the surplus energy to extract minerals and fossil fuels. 		6.36E+01 2.64E+01 3.72E+01
Ecotoxicity CTUe Comparative Toxic Units of Ecotoxicity
Ecotoxicity causes negative impacts to ecological receptors and, indirectly, to human receptors through the impacts to the ecosystem.		 1.29E+02 3.48E+01 3.58E-01

TRACI v2.1 results per declared unit of Universal Series™ Casement Window (glazing only)

Life cycle stage A1 Raw material supply A2 Transport A3 Manufacturing

Ecological damage

Impact category Unit
Acidification kg SO2 eq Kilograms of Sulfur Dioxide equivalent
Acidification processes increase the acidity of water and soil systems and causes damage to lakes, streams, rivers and various plants and animals as well as building materials, paints and other human-built structures. 		2.17E-01 1.27E-03 4.33E-03
Eutrophication kg N eqKilograms of Nitrogen equivalent
Eutrophication is the enrichment of an aquatic ecosystem with nutrients (nitrates and phosphates) that accelerate biological productivity (growth of algae and weeds) and an undesirable accumulation of algal biomass which impacts industry, agriculture, drinking, fishing and recreation and causes death of fish and shellfish, toxicity to humans, marine mammals and livestock, and reduces biodiversity.		 1.73E-02 9.28E-05 3.75E-04
Global warming kg CO2 eqKilograms of Carbon Dioxide equivalent
Global warming is an average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute to change in global climate patterns and is caused by the increase of the sources of greenhouse gases and decrease of the sinks due to deforestation and land use. Global warming - 100 a refers to the reporting period of 100 years. GW leads to problems in human health, agriculture, forest, water source and damage to species and biodiversity as well as coastal areas.		 3.16E+01 1.07E+00 7.36E+00
Ozone depletion kg CFC-11 eq Kilograms of Trichlorofluoromethane equivalent
Ozone depletion is the reduction of ozone in the stratosphere caused by the release of ozone depleting chemicals. Ozone depletion can increases ultraviolet B radiation to the earth which can adversely affect human health (skin cancer and cataracts and immune-system suppression) and other system (marine life, agricultural crops, and other vegetation) and causes damage to human-built materials. 		2.30E-06 1.66E-08 6.69E-08

Human health damage

Impact category Unit
Carcinogenics CTUh Comparative Toxic Units of Human cancerous toxicity
Carcinogens have the potential to form cancers in humans. 		7.11E-07 6.81E-10 1.50E-09
Non-carcinogenics CTUh Comparative Toxic Units of Human non-cancerous toxicity
Non-Carcinogens have the potential to causes non-cancerous adverse impacts to human health. 		3.06E-06 1.35E-07 1.00E-07
Respiratory effects kg PM2.5 eqKilograms of Particulate Matter equivalent which are smaller than or equal to 2.5 micrometers in diameter
Particulate matter concentrations have a strong influence on chronic and acute respiratory symptoms and mortality rates.		 1.85E-02 3.33E-04 5.33E-04
Smog kg O3 eqKilograms of Ozone equivalent
Smog formation (photochemical oxidant formation) is the formation of ozone molecules in the troposphere by complex chemical reactions which are influenced by ambient concentrations of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the mix of organic compounds (OCs), temperature, sunlight and convective flows. Ozone concentrations in the Earth’s atmosphere above the natural trace amounts lead to detrimental impacts on human health and ecosystems.		 2.48E+00 1.95E-02 1.01E-01

Additional environmental information

Impact category Unit
Fossil fuel depletion MJ surplus Mega Joule, lower heating value
Fossil fuel depletion is the surplus energy to extract minerals and fossil fuels. 		4.29E+01 2.04E+00 1.77E+01
Ecotoxicity CTUe Comparative Toxic Units of Ecotoxicity
Ecotoxicity causes negative impacts to ecological receptors and, indirectly, to human receptors through the impacts to the ecosystem.		 1.31E+01 2.76E+00 1.70E-01

References

LCA Background Report
Cascadia Universal Series™ Fixed & Operable Windows and Doors, and Universal Series™ Windows Wall LCA Background Report, Cascadia 2024; SimaPro Analyst 9.6; ecoinvent v3.10 and US-EI 2.2 databases; TRACI 2.1.

ISO 14025, “Sustainability in buildings and civil engineering works -- Core rules for environmental product declarations of construction products and services”

ISO 21930:2017, "Sustainability in Building Construction — Environmental Declaration of Building Products" serves as the core PCR.

NSF PCR for Fenestration Assemblies, version 2
December, 2023. PCR review conducted by Dr. Thomas P. Gloria, Ph.D (Industrial Ecology Consultants) [email protected]; Jack Geibig (Ecoform) [email protected]; Bill Stough (Bill Stough, LLC) [email protected].

Download PDF SM Transparency Report / EPD

SM Transparency Reports (TR) are ISO 14025 Type III environmental declarations (EPD) that enable purchasers and users to compare the potential environmental performance of products on a life cycle basis. They are designed to present information transparently to make the limitations of comparability more understandable. Environmental declarations of products that conform to the same PCR and include the same life cycle stages, but are made by different manufacturers, may not sufficiently align to support direct comparisons. They therefore cannot be used as comparative assertions unless the conditions as defined in ISO 14025 Section 6.7.2. ‘Requirements for Comparability’ are satisfied. In order to support comparative assertions, this EPD meets all comparability requirements stated in ISO 14025:2006. However, differences in certain assumptions, data quality, and variability between LCA data sets may still exist. As such, caution should be exercised when evaluating EPDs from different manufacturers or programs, as the EPD results may not be entirely comparable. Any EPD comparison must be carried out at the construction works level per ISO 21930:2017 guidelines, use the same sub-category PCR where applicable, include all relevant information modules, be limited to EPDs applying a functional unit, and be based on equivalent scenarios with respect to the context of construction works. The results of this EPD reflect an average performance by the product, and its actual impacts may vary on a case-to-case basis. Some LCA impact categories and inventory items are still under development and can have high levels of uncertainty. To promote uniform guidance on the data collection, calculation, and reporting of results, the ACLCA methodology (ACLCA 2019) was used.

Rating systems

The intent is to reward project teams for selecting products from manufacturers who have verified improved life-cycle environmental performance.

LEED BD+C: New Construction | v4 - LEED v4

Building product disclosure and optimization

Environmental product declarations

  • Industry-wide (generic) EPD ½ product

  • Product-specific Type III EPD 1 product

LEED BD+C: New Construction | v4.1 - LEED v4.1

Building product disclosure and optimization

Environmental product declarations

  • Industry-wide (generic) EPD 1 product

  • Product-specific Type III EPD 1.5 products

Collaborative for High Performance Schools National Criteria

MW C5.1 – Environmental Product Declarations

  • Third-party certified type III EPD 2 points

Green Globes for New Construction and Sustainable Interiors

Materials and resources

  • NC 3.5.1.2 Path B: Prescriptive Path for Building Core and Shell

  • NC 3.5.2.2 and SI 4.1.2 Path B: Prescriptive Path for Interior Fit-outs

BREEAM New Construction 2018

Mat 02 - Environmental impacts from construction products

Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)

  • Industry-average EPD .5 points

  • Multi-product specific EPD .75 points

  • Product-specific EPD 1 point

  • EPD LCA
  • 3rd-party reviewed
  • Transparency Report (EPD)
  • 3rd-party verified

Validity: 09/05/24 – 09/04/29
CAS – 090524 – 001


This environmental product declaration (EPD) was externally verified by Ecoform, LLC, in accordance with ISO 14025:2006. ISO 21930:2017 serves as the core PCR. NSF sub-category PCR: Fenestration Assembly Product Category Rules.

In accordance with ISO 14044 and the referenced PCR, the life cycle assessment was conducted by Sustainable Minds and critically reviewed by Ecoform, LLC.

Ecoform, LLC
11903 Black Road
Knoxville, TN 37932
(865) 850-1883
www.ecoform.com

SUMMARY

Reference PCR
PCR for Fenestration Assemblies, NSF International, 2024

Regions; system boundaries
North America; cradle-to-gate

Declared unit
One square meter (1 m2 ) of fenestration assemblies (including frame and glass)

LCIA methodology; LCA software; LCI databases
TRACI 2.1; SimaPro Analyst 9.5; ecoinvent v3.10, and US-EI 2.2

Public LCA
Cascadia LCA report of Universal Series™ Fixed & Operable Windows and Doors, and Universal Series™ Window Wall

© 2024 | The SM Transparency Report [EPD]™ Program is operated by Sustainable Minds® (www.sustainableminds.com) | Privacy policy

Cascadia Windows & Doors
#101 5350B 275 Street
Langley, BC, Canada V4W 0C1
cascadiawindows.com
(604) 857-4600