Manage Data
Source of Data
EC3 collects data in many ways. We parse uploaded PDFs from users (manufacturers, program operators, architects, etc.), but we also receive EPDs in the openEPD format directly from EPD generators and Program Operators. You can see the original source type in the Manage Data section.
EPD Status
EC3 has a quality assurance (QA) process when importing EPDs. Once EC3 has digitized an EPD, it applies a series of checks (around 250) and marks the EPD with one of the following status tags.
OK
W (Warning)
E (Error)
F (Fail)
Ex (Expired)
Just because the EPD can be found in the Manage Data section (i.e., it's in the database) does not mean that an EPD is searchable elsewhere, can be applied to projects, or affects statistics.
Here is a more detailed explanation of what each of the tags means.
OK
No issues were identified by EC3.
The EPD will appear in searches and statistics.
Warning (W)
EC3 is missing data in non-critical fields that would be good to have.
The EPD will appear in searches and statistics.
It is recommended that the manufacturer check or fill in the listed missing fields.
These are items that would make the EPD easier to find, such as key product performance parameters, or provide valuable additional data, such as non-GWP impacts, but are not critical fields for use in EC3. EPDs with a Warning appear normally in searches and statistics. Most Warning-level problems can be fixed by the Manufacturer.
EC3 may mark missing environmental impact categories as warnings even if those categories are not required by the PCR or are actually present in the original PDF. Our algorithms currently do not cross-check which impact categories are required by each PCR with what is entered into EC3, except for GWP, which is a critical field for EC3's core purpose of addressing climate change.
Error (E)
EC3 found at least one Error in the digitized EPD.
The EPD will NOT appear in searches or statistics.
Some of the data in the digitized EPD may be unreliable.
Problems are serious enough that EC3 is not confident enough to include the EPD in comparisons, but reasonably confident that the basic structure of the document has been identified. Missing GWP or unreasonably high/low GWP values are examples of Errors. EPDs with an Error do not appear in searches or statistics. A user with the appropriate editing rights (e.g., the Program Operator) can fix Error issues manually.
Fail (F)
EC3 found at least one Failure level problem in the digitized EPD.
The EPD will NOT appear in searches or statistics.
None of the data in the EPD should be considered reliable.
This usually means EC3 has not reliably digitized the EPD at all. The resulting digitized EPD is likely to be misnamed, misclassified, or have completely wrong data. This usually happens because EC3 has not yet been programmed to understand the document format of the imported PDF document. EPDs with a Failure do not appear in searches or statistics, and essentially none of the captured data should be relied on. Failed EPDs usually need to be fixed by an EC3 administrator.
Expired (Ex)
The EPD has one of the other statuses, but it is also expired as of today's date.
The EPD will NOT appear in searches or statistics unless the user removes the Valid After filter in their searches.
Expired EPDs are not useful for most users of EC3, but they can be useful for understanding historical trends or can be applied to retrospective analyses of completed projects.
Sanitizer messages
Users can see detailed sanitizer messages when they open the EPD page in EC3. Sanitizer messages are only visible to a Curator user or higher, a manufacturer representative with Manage permission, or a Program Operator representative with Manage permission.
Superseding EPDs
If EC3 detects EPD duplicates (same declaration number), the following will occur:
When an update is made to an existing EPD, the publication date of the updated EPD becomes the expiration date of the old EPD.
Expired/Obsolete EPDs are kept in the database but do not show up in product searches when using Find & Compare Materials and are not factored into product category statistics unless the Valid After date is set prior to the EPD expiry.
Product EPDs
To view Product EPD data, expand the Manage Data section of the left navigation pane and select the Product EPDs subpage. Here, users can view a list of all published and publicly available manufacturer Product EPDs currently available in EC3.
From this view, EPDs can be viewed using a variety of filters, including the following:
● Error code
● Product category
● Manufacturer
● Plant or Plant group
● Product name
● Product description
● Program Operator
● Verifier organization
● Plant location
● Declared unit
● Date of last update in EC3
● Button to open digitized EPD
● Button to open raw EPD file
Users can view the digitized EPD by clicking the Open button 
or view the original PDF version of the EPD by clicking the Box button 
. All users can see all EPDs through this table, including EPDs in Pilot and Draft product categories. Users with special permissions can edit Product EPDs.
Industry EPDs
To view industry-average EPD data, expand the Manage Data section of the left navigation pane and select the Industry EPDs subpage. From there, the main screen will populate with a list of all unpublished and published industry average EPDs currently available in EC3.
From this view, EPDs can be viewed using a variety of filters, including the following:
● Error code
● Product category
● Product name
● Product description
● Publisher of EPD
● Product location
● Declared unit
● Date of last update in EC3
● Button to open digitized EPD
● Button to open raw EPD file
Users with special permissions can edit Industry EPDs.
PCRs
For users with permission, an Edit button is also available. Clicking this takes users to a page with PCR information, including the PCR issuer, date of issue, validity period, declared units, subcategories, PCR link, LCIA requirements, notes, attachments, and more. To edit any information, users must be an Organization Admin or have write or manage user permissions within a Program Operator.
PCR information may also be accessed by selecting the Product Category Rules button within a digitized EPD.
My EPDs
Users can view and manage their EPDs by navigating to the My EPDs subpage underneath the Manage Data section of the left navigation pane. Users can only access EPDs in EC3 for which they have user permissions.
Depending on a user’s permissions within EC3, they may only have the ability to edit certain fields within their EPDs, such as images, product names, product specs, product descriptions, and plants.
The table below details which EPD is accessible by which Organization type and which actions are available to them in the My EPDs subpage.
Organization types and EPD editing privileges.
| EPD View | Org Type | Available Actions |
|---|---|---|
Editable | All | EPDs I can edit |
Draft | All | EPDs I can see and edit in draft state (not published) |
Program Operated | Program Operator | All EPDs published under my Program |
Declared | Manufacturers | All of my published EPDs Write access to product specification fields if have write access to the manufacturer |
3P Verified | Third Party Verifier | EPDs verified by me |
Digitization Confirmed | Third Party Verifier | All published EPDs that I have confirmed digitally |
Problem Ticket | All | Future state (Not live) – All problem tickets currently assigned to me |
Reference Values (formerly Baselines)
The Reference Lines subpage under the Manage Data section of the left navigation pane allows users to view published Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF) GWP baselines, as well as other reference values, for all product categories referenced in the tool. The CLF baselines appear when viewing the GWP results for a particular Product EPD or a collection of EPD search results. The baseline appears as a solid purple line with the annotation “CLF Baseline.”
The reference lines only appear if all specification filters match the specifications of the products listed in the relevant report. For example, Industry-average 2023 CLF Baseline for fabricated rebar will only appear if the user is in the "Rebar" category and selects "Fabricated - Yes" under the performance specification options. You can view and copy a template project with the available 2023 CLF reference collections here.
CLF baseline documentation can be accessed https://carbonleadershipforum.org/.
Standards
The Standards subpage can be accessed under the Manage Data section of the left navigation pane. Here, standards referenced in EPDs are listed, particularly as it relates to product performance specifications (e.g. ASTM).
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