Kelvion: heat‑exchange specialist, EPDs still to catch up
Kelvion is a global pure play in heat exchange technology. They build almost every flavor of exchanger you’ll encounter on a building project, from plate packs to dry coolers. Yet their public EPD footprint appears thin. Here’s what they make, where they likely compete, and how stronger EPD coverage could convert specs into wins without adding chaos to product teams.
What Kelvion makes
Kelvion focuses on heat exchange solutions across multiple product families rather than a single flagship. Their portfolio spans plate heat exchangers, evaporators and air coolers, coils, shell‑and‑tube style process units, and heat‑rejection equipment such as V‑shape and flatbed dry coolers, plus adiabatic and hybrid variants (Kelvion Products). That is at least six major categories with hundreds of configurable SKUs across sizes, plates, gaskets, and fan packages.
Kelvion’s site also highlights sustainability themes and ISO‑14001‑style environmental management in a dedicated section (Environment & Climate). It’s a useful place to anchor internal messaging while product teams work on declarations.
Where their gear shows up in construction
Think data centers, district energy, hospitals, higher‑ed campuses, food cold chains, and industrial HVAC. Plate heat exchangers handle hydronic isolation and energy recovery. Dry coolers and gas coolers manage heat rejection when water risk or site permits rule out evaporative towers. Evaporators and coils serve cold rooms and process lines.
EPD coverage today
As of December 19, 2025, we did not find product‑specific EPDs publicly listed from Kelvion on major registries. That can change quickly, but for now buyers who must document embodied carbon will default to conservative assumptions, which can make bids less competitive even when performance is strong.
Competitors that already publish
Alfa Laval has valid program‑operator EPDs for gasketed plate heat exchangers, for example models T10‑BFM and T21‑BFM, each valid to 2029 and registered in the International EPD System (EPD International, 2024) (EPD International, 2024) and (EPD International, 2024). In adjacent HVAC categories, EN 15804 EPDs for packaged chillers are increasingly common, such as Galletti’s VLS air‑cooled range valid to 2029 (EPD International, 2024) (EPD International, 2024). These examples matter because many project specs now either require product‑specific EPDs or award preference points to them under owner policies and emerging LEED v5 practices.
Likely best seller without an EPD, and why that matters
Plate heat exchangers are a Kelvion mainstay in buildings and district energy. Where a spec calls for a GPHE with a product‑specific EPD, an engineer can justify Alfa Laval’s documented models more easily than a similar Kelvion unit. That doesn’t mean performance loses, it means carbon accounting does the deciding. Teams then spend cycles on exceptions when they’d rather lock the submittal and move on.
Heat‑rejection stakes
In data center and industrial refrigeration work, dry coolers and adiabatic gas coolers are frequent decision points. Several manufacturers in these niches now show EPD activity in related HVAC equipment classes. Absent EPDs, a Kelvion dry cooler can be swapped late for a “close enough” model that ticks paperwork boxes. Nobody likes that kind of eleventh‑hour trade.
Competitive set you’ll meet on bids
Plate heat exchangers often pit Kelvion against Alfa Laval, Danfoss/Sondex, Tranter, and API. Air coolers see Güntner and LU‑VE. Heat‑rejection projects frequently include Evapco, Baltimore Aircoil Company, and SPX Cooling Technologies. In each case, even one visible EPD per family narrows substitution risk because it lets project teams specifiy on performance and documentation together.
Practical playbook to close the gap
Start with the high‑runner families used in buildings: 1) gasketed plate heat exchangers for hydronics and energy recovery, 2) V‑shape dry coolers and adiabatic variants, 3) standard cubic evaporators for cold rooms. Pick a recent reference production year, gather utility and material flows once, then replicate across sizes. A good LCA partner will map the dominant PCRs competitors use and plan publication with the operator that fits your core markets. The goal is speed, ease, quality and completeness so engineering can stay focused and still recieve declarations that hold up in audit.
Why this pencils out commercially
Most buyers won’t parse EPD minutiae. They will, however, pick the product with a verified declaration when policy or scoring nudges them that way. One mid‑sized project win usually offsets the credentialing effort. The sooner your top movers carry EPDs, the less you rely on heroics from sales to overcome documentation penalties.
Keep the sustainability story consistent
If your corporate narrative starts on Kelvion’s sustainability pages, let your product EPDs echo the same commitments in hard numbers. It keeps marketing, sales engineering, and spec writers aligned, which shortens bid cycles and reduces substitution risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an EPD need to be EN 15804 compliant for building projects in Europe?
For construction products in Europe, EN 15804 compliance is the norm. Program operators increasingly register HVAC equipment under PCR 2019:14 aligned with EN 15804+A2, as seen with several chiller and fan coil EPDs in 2024 (EPD International, 2024).
If a rival’s plate heat exchanger has an EPD, can we still win specs without one?
Yes, but it’s harder where owners prefer or require product‑specific EPDs. Lacking an EPD often forces conservative carbon assumptions that tilt comparisons. Publishing even one GPHE EPD narrows that gap meaningfully.
How many Kelvion product series are relevant to buildings?
At least six families appear directly relevant to buildings and industrial HVAC, and the total catalog runs to hundreds of configurable SKUs across sizes and options (Kelvion Products).
What’s a fast starting set for EPD coverage?
Gasketed plate heat exchangers, V‑shape dry coolers or adiabatic gas coolers, and cubic evaporators. These touch most specs in data centers, healthcare, education, and cold storage.
About the Author
Walker Ryan is a climate-tech entrepreneur focused on driving industrial decarbonization through better data. As the founder and CEO of Parq, he helps manufacturers generate high-quality, third-party–verified carbon disclosures at scale—accelerating a traditionally slow and expensive process. Before starting Parq, Walker led over $200 million in sustainability-focused investments as VP of Strategy & Growth at ReStream Solutions, following earlier experience in investment banking at Deutsche Bank. He brings a rare mix of capital markets expertise and hands-on sustainability knowledge to tackling the infrastructure of industrial emissions.
