Congratulations, Teräselementti’s first EPD
Teräselementti has joined the transparency arena with its debut Environmental Product Declaration, covering prefabricated external wall elements and released in April 2025. For a Finnish design build specialist known for steel frames, facades, and fast‑track delivery, verified impact data turns bids from maybe to measurable. Here is what launched, who verified it, and how this reshapes competitive math in the building envelope.
What just launched
Teräselementti published its first EPD in April 2025. The declaration covers timber‑framed external wall elements used as prefabricated envelopes. It reads as a product family rather than a single SKU, which fits how façade grids and module widths are specified.
Who verified it, and the LCA bench team
The EPD sits with EPD Hub, a program operator focused on EN 15804 and ISO 14025 alignment. Karelia University of Applied Sciences is credited as the LCA developer, an academic partner that works hands‑on with Nordic building product firms.
Why this matters for their portfolio
Teräselementti delivers business premises, halls, facades, steel frames, and standardized wall elements. Many projects are envelope‑driven where a product‑specific EPD removes the penalty of generic assumptions and keeps the team in play when carbon budgets bite. Globally the bar is rising, with the International EPD System reporting 18,000 plus valid EPDs and 9,395 new in 2025, including 252 digital EPDs (EPD International, 2025) (EPD International, 2025).
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What the scope tells specifiers
Scope points to prefabricated external wall elements with thermal insulation and fire performance suitable for multi‑story envelopes. Because it is framed as a family EPD, design teams can map typical sizes and variants under one verified umbrella. That trims submittal friction and makes side‑by‑side comparisons easier when wall build‑ups vary by bay.
Competitive snapshot in the envelope lane
Metal sandwich panel leaders are well covered on EPDs. Kingspan publishes broad wall and roof panel families, including mineral wool and PIR cores under European rules. Ruukki lists color‑coated and galvanised building products alongside wall and roof panel families. Trimo documents mineral wool core panels and low‑carbon variants. This is the established benchmark Teräselementti now meets at an assembly level.
Among Nordic wood‑forward peers, most declarations focus on core materials like CLT or LVL rather than assembled wall elements. That leaves a gap in element‑level comparability. Teräselementti’s element EPD helps buyers evaluate a delivered façade module instead of stitching together material‑level EPDs during design. It is a practical spec win, even if small.
What it changes in bids and specs
A verified element EPD lets project teams model envelope swaps without guesswork. It supports LEED v5 style procurement where product‑specific data avoids conservative defaults that can push a product off the shortlist. It also gives sales a crisp artifact that answers the carbon question in one document. The ROI shows up when a single mid‑sized project stays on spec because enviromental data is ready.
Website visibility check
We looked for a public EPD link on Teräselementti’s site and could not find a dedicated download on their responsibility pages as of February 7, 2026. Adding the EPD to the Quality, Environment and Responsibility section would help buyers discover it during early screening.
The takeaway
Teräselementti has moved from implied sustainability to verified numbers. With an element‑level EPD published in April 2025 and an academic LCA partner named, the company now competes on transparent performance in a crowded envelope market. Next up is simple. Keep the document easy to find, extend coverage to adjacent envelope elements, and let the data do the talking where it counts, in specifcations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which month did Teräselementti release its first EPDs and what category do they cover?
April 2025. The debut covers prefabricated timber‑framed external wall elements.
Who verified and who developed Teräselementti’s first EPD?
Program operator: EPD Hub. LCA developer: Karelia University of Applied Sciences.
How does this change Teräselementti’s competitive position?
It enables assembly‑level comparisons against metal panel incumbents with portfolio EPDs and fills a gap where many wood peers publish material‑level EPDs rather than element EPDs.
What should the company do next to maximize spec visibility?
Publish the EPD on the company website’s responsibility section and extend coverage to adjacent envelope elements so buyers can spec full systems with verified data.
About the Author
Eric works at the intersection of sustainability, regulation, and business strategy, helping manufacturers navigate the evolving landscape of EPDs and LCAs. Having spoken with hundreds of teams across North America, brings a deep understanding of what drives ROI, what regulators are asking for, and how companies can stay ahead with smart, scalable approaches to environmental reporting.
