From 05-sustainability
Searches for EPDs by product category, CSI division, or material type from EC3, registries, and manufacturer sites. Curates shortlist by GWP and saves to Google Sheets.
npx claudepluginhub alpacalabsllc/skills-for-architects --plugin 05-sustainabilityThis skill is limited to using the following tools:
Receives a brief describing a material or product category, searches the web for matching EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations), and returns a curated shortlist sorted by environmental impact. Selected EPDs are saved to the EPD Google Sheet — the same one used by `/epd-parser` and the other EPD skills.
Compares 2+ products' EPDs side-by-side on environmental impacts like GWP. Normalizes declared units, checks system boundaries/PCR alignment, flags LEED v4.1 MRc2 eligibility.
Evaluates architectural materials using eight-criteria framework: structural performance, durability, thermal/acoustic properties, fire resistance, embodied carbon, cost. For material specification, comparison, and detailing in building design.
Automates FF&E product research: takes designer brief, web searches for matching products, curates structured candidates, saves selections to Google Sheet.
Share bugs, ideas, or general feedback.
Receives a brief describing a material or product category, searches the web for matching EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations), and returns a curated shortlist sorted by environmental impact. Selected EPDs are saved to the EPD Google Sheet — the same one used by /epd-parser and the other EPD skills.
User describes what they need EPDs for
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Claude searches registries + manufacturer sites
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Presents candidates sorted by GWP (lowest first)
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User picks winners
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Saved to EPD Google Sheet (42-column schema)
The user describes what they need EPDs for. A brief can be loose or specific:
Loose:
"I need concrete EPDs"
Specific:
"Looking for ready-mix concrete EPDs, 4000-5000 PSI, plants within 500 miles of NYC, GWP under 350 kg CO2e/m3"
Extract as many of these as the user provides. Don't ask for fields they didn't mention — work with what you have.
| Field | Examples |
|---|---|
| Material/product | Ready-mix concrete, structural steel, mineral wool insulation, carpet tile |
| CSI division | Division 03, Division 09, "all structural materials" |
| Performance specs | 4000 PSI, R-21, Class A fire rating |
| Geographic preference | Plants near NYC, manufactured in North America, European suppliers ok |
| GWP target | Under 350 kg CO2e/m3, below industry average, lowest available |
| Manufacturers | "Include Holcim and CEMEX", "no imported steel" |
| EPD type | Product-specific only, industry-average ok |
| Standard | EN 15804+A2, ISO 21930 |
| Certification | LEED v4.1 eligible, third-party verified |
Don't interview the user. If the brief is "concrete EPDs," that's enough to start searching. Clarify after showing initial results if needed.
Search the web for EPDs matching the brief. Use multiple targeted queries to cover different sources.
| Source | URL pattern | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Building Transparency / EC3 | buildingtransparency.org | Largest EPD database. Requires authenticated API access (free professional account + API key). See notes below. |
| UL EPD Program | ul.com | Major US program operator. Product-specific EPDs. |
| NSF International | nsf.org | US program operator, strong in concrete/masonry. |
| SCS Global Services | scsglobalservices.com | US program operator. |
| Environdec (International EPD System) | environdec.com | Largest international registry. European + global. |
| IBU (Institut Bauen und Umwelt) | ibu-epd.com | German program operator. Strong in European products. |
| ASTM International | astm.org | US program operator (newer). |
| Manufacturer sites | varies | Major manufacturers publish EPDs on their sustainability pages. |
For a brief like "ready-mix concrete EPDs, 4000 PSI, near NYC":
site:ul.com ready-mix concrete environmental product declarationsite:environdec.com ready-mix concrete EPDready-mix concrete EPD northeast US 4000 PSIHolcim ready-mix EPD, CEMEX concrete EPDNRMCA concrete EPD (National Ready Mixed Concrete Association)Run 3-5 searches depending on brief complexity. Aim for breadth — different manufacturers, regions, GWP ranges.
Attempt to fetch the registry page or EPD listing with WebFetch. Extract:
If the page is JS-rendered and returns limited data, use whatever info is available from the search result snippet plus general knowledge. Note as "unverified" if sourced from snippets.
Target: 6-12 EPD candidates that genuinely match the brief. Don't pad with weak matches.
Show results as a numbered shortlist sorted by GWP (lowest first):
## EPD Research: Ready-Mix Concrete (4000 PSI, Northeast US)
### 1. ECOPact — Holcim
Plant: South Plainfield, NJ · GWP: 242 kg CO2e/m3
Declared Unit: 1 m3 · System Boundary: Cradle-to-gate
Program Operator: NSF · Reg: EPD-00123 · Valid: 2024-06-01 to 2029-06-01
LEED: Yes (product-specific, third-party verified)
PDF: [link]
Why: Lowest GWP in the region. ECOPact line is Holcim's low-carbon
concrete — uses SCM substitution. Plant is ~50 miles from NYC.
### 2. ProPaving 4000 — CEMEX
Plant: Yonkers, NY · GWP: 298 kg CO2e/m3
Declared Unit: 1 m3 · System Boundary: Cradle-to-gate
Program Operator: ASTM · Reg: EPD-00456 · Valid: 2023-11-01 to 2028-11-01
LEED: Yes
PDF: [link]
Why: Close to site. Higher GWP than ECOPact but still below NRMCA
industry average (~400 kg CO2e/m3 for 4000 PSI).
### 3. ...
---
## Summary
| # | Product | Manufacturer | Plant | GWP (A1-A3) | Unit | Valid To | LEED |
|---|---------|-------------|-------|-------------|------|----------|------|
| 1 | ECOPact | Holcim | South Plainfield, NJ | 242 | kg CO2e/m3 | 2029-06 | Yes |
| 2 | ProPaving 4000 | CEMEX | Yonkers, NY | 298 | kg CO2e/m3 | 2028-11 | Yes |
| 3 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
Industry average (NRMCA, 4000 PSI): ~400 kg CO2e/m3
Which ones should I save to your EPD library?
When the user picks EPDs ("save 1, 3, and 5"), write them to the EPD Google Sheet using the 42-column schema.
If not already connected, ask for the Google Sheet ID or URL. This is a separate spreadsheet from the FF&E product library — EPD data has a different schema.
Write to the 42-column EPD schema. Set:
Parsed At — current ISO timestampSource — epd-researchNotes — the "Why" reasoning from the presentation + any caveatsTags — from brief context (e.g., "4000-psi, northeast, project-name")LEED Eligible — based on EPD type and verification statusSaved 3 EPDs to your library (rows 12-14).
Tagged: 4000-psi, northeast
Want me to compare these? Or search for more options?
The user may want to refine:
/epd-compare/epd-to-specsite:buildingtransparency.org web searches will not return results. If the user hasn't configured EC3 API credentials, tell them: "EC3 has the largest EPD database but requires a free API key from buildingtransparency.org (professional account with a business email). I'll search program operator registries and manufacturer sites directly instead." Then proceed with the other sources listed above — UL, NSF, Environdec, IBU, SCS, ASTM, and manufacturer sustainability pages all publish EPDs publicly./epd-parser extracts full data from the PDFs. If the user wants deep data from a found EPD, download the PDF and run /epd-parser.