Carbon Impact Modeler
for Ryan Companies

Four carbon streams — agricultural sequestration, manufacturing & logistics vs. conventional materials, embodied substitution, and building energy lifecycle — modeled against Ryan's net-zero commitment by 2040. Adjust deployment inputs and bio-resin timeline to see when Ryan gets there with LBS.

LIVING BUILDING SYSTEMS, LLC
Hemp Bio-Block · Carbon Model
★ Ryan Companies Partnership
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Ryan reaches net zero
2034
With LBS — vs. Ryan's committed 2040 goal
Years accelerated
6
Years ahead of Ryan's 2040 commitment
Total carbon impact
—
MT CO₂e across all four streams
HVAC OpEx savings
—
Over the modeled operating period
Deployment Parameters
200,000 sf/yr
Wall/envelope sq ft per year. 1 block = 1.185111 sq ft (Factory Calculator, Conversion tab).
50 years
Years of building energy savings modeled. Hemp-lime walls perform for 500–1,000+ years.
35%
Peak HVAC load reduction from hemp-lime thermal mass. R32–R40+ effective assembly, vapor-open envelope.
Baseline Assumptions
35 kg/sf
Embodied carbon of displaced assembly. Wood frame ~8–12. Steel stud ~15–25. CMU ~30–50. ICF concrete ~50–80.
2.0 kg/sf/yr
Envelope-driven HVAC carbon per sq ft per year. Commercial ~1.5–3.0. Climate-sensitive buildings up to 6.
100 miles
Factory to job site. Steel averages 587 mi (mill→fab). CLT often 500+ mi or imported. LBS: regional, <100 mi typical.
Bio-Resin Frame — Production Milestone
2028
Year LBS transitions to hemp-fiber + bio-UPR frame. Replaces glass-fiber BMC (+3.49 kg CO₂e/block) with hemp composite (+1.22 kg CO₂e/block). Block becomes carbon negative. Source: Ecoinvent 3.11, nova-Institute 2019 hemp LCA, Envirez bio-UPR data.
Before bio-resin: Block = +1.28 kg CO₂e (full-scale poly)
After bio-resin (2028+): Block = −0.99 kg CO₂e — genuinely carbon negative

Ryan Decision View

Lead with what changes for Ryan: annual impact, percent of the current footprint addressed, conventional wall carbon avoided, operating savings, and the 2040 trajectory.

Ryan first · LBS support below
Default deployment
200K sf/yr
Current model default; about 168,761 blocks per year.
First-year impact
7,393 MT
Agriculture + manufacturing/logistics + first-year HVAC savings at current settings.
Vs. Ryan 2024 footprint
4.1%
Current first-year impact divided by 180,000 MT CO₂e.
Modeled-period impact
541K MT
Cumulative model impact over 50 years, including fleet-compounded HVAC.

Ryan's Decarbonization Trajectory

2040 goal → 2034 with LBS
Ryan committed 2040 path
 LBS path (forest = poly · purple = bio-resin after online year)
Acceleration zone
Ryan 2024: 180,000 MT CO₂e · LRQA verified · Net-zero commitment 2040

Ryan Scenario Outputs

Current deployment inputs
Agric. = −4.005 kg CO₂e/block · Manufacturing/logistics = baseline − LBS excluding hemp and lifetime recarbonation + freight advantage · HVAC = fleet-compounding

Carbon Components by Construction System

construction scope · kg CO₂e/sf
baseline: ICF
Click the colored pills below to show or hide each component. Click any bar to set the comparison baseline. This construction-scope view shows A1–A3 product, A4–A5 transport and install, C end-of-life, D biogenic credit, and lifetime recarbonation as its own negative LBS segment. Hemp sequestration remains in the block carbon math and is not double counted in the recarbonation line.
🏭
Manufacturing & Logistics vs. Conventional
What conventional materials emit — and what LBS avoids
—
MT CO₂e avoided vs. conventional wall system (over operating period)
Conventional wall at your selected baseline emits — MT CO₂e over the period. LBS full-scale emits only — MT CO₂e — the difference is — MT CO₂e avoided. Logistics: LBS delivers in 100 miles vs. steel (avg 587 mi mill→fab, often 1,500 mi total) and CLT (500+ mi or imported).
Delivery logistics: EPA GHG Hub 2025 rate of 0.128 kg CO₂e/tonne·km. LBS block ~6 kg. Regional delivery vs. steel or CLT long-haul = — kg CO₂e/block logistics advantage per block.
🌡️
Building Energy Lifecycle Savings
HVAC carbon avoided across the fleet, every year
—
MT CO₂e avoided in building operations (over operating period)
Annual savings (mature fleet): — MT CO₂e/yr  |  OpEx savings: —
Hemp-lime thermal mass provides R32–R40+ effective performance while buffering daily temperature swings, reducing peak HVAC demand by 35%. Unlike foam insulation, bio-blocks absorb heat by day and release overnight — flattening the demand curve and reducing both carbon and energy bills every year the building operates.
HVAC savings compound as Ryan's LBS portfolio grows each year. Over 50 years, every sq ft of LBS wall pays ongoing carbon dividends.

LBS Technical Basis

Supporting proof for the Ryan case: where carbon is stored, what the block emits per unit, and the factory and supply-chain assumptions underneath the model.

LBS evidence layer
🌱
Agricultural & Soil Sequestration
Carbon captured before a block is made
—
MT CO₂e sequestered in hemp fiber (over operating period)
Hemp sequesters 4.005 kg CO₂e per block during cultivation — locked permanently into the mineralized lime-hemp matrix. At 2.67 kg hemp hurd/block, one acre of hemp produces ~1,100 blocks. Hemp roots also add 0.3–0.5 MT CO₂e/acre/yr to soil organic matter.
vs. timber: captures CO₂ but releases at end-of-life within decades. Hemp-lime sequesters and locks permanently — 500–1,000+ year lifespan.
🏗️
Embodied Carbon in the Block
Net carbon locked in every block placed
7.80
Current production
kg CO₂e/block
1.28
Full-scale poly
kg CO₂e/block
−0.99
Full-scale bio-resin
kg CO₂e/block
A 6× improvement in carbon intensity at full-scale poly. Bio-resin goes carbon negative — hemp-fiber + bio-UPR frame (Ecoinvent 3.11, nova-Institute) replaces glass-fiber BMC (+3.49 → +1.22 kg CO₂e/block frame), allowing the hemp sequestration (−4.005) to dominate. With lifetime recarbonation: −0.99 kg CO₂e/block.
Conversion: 1 block = 1.185 sq ft · Full-scale poly = 1.08 kg CO₂e/sq ft · Bio-resin = −0.84 kg CO₂e/sq ft

Factory Calculator

CO2 + CO2(BMC) tabs · v1.2
1.185111 sq ft/block · Frame 4.315 kg/block · Bio-resin: hemp/bio-UPR ~1.0 kg CO₂e/kg vs. 2.32 kg CO₂e/kg conventional (Ecoinvent 3.11, nova-Institute 2019)

Supply Chain

kg CO₂e / block

Planetary Scale — What LBS Means Beyond Ryan

U.S. market · inline-editable assumptions
Click any gold value to edit directly
US wall area/yr: 800M sq ft Conventional baseline: 35 kg CO₂e/sq ft LBS delivery radius: 100 miles HVAC reduction: 35% Fleet life: 50 years

🌱 Agricultural Sequestration

—

MT CO₂e/yr locked into hemp fiber going into blocks. Each acre of hemp also adds 0.3–0.5 MT CO₂e/yr to soil organic matter — permanently, with no industrial process.

🏭 Vs. Today's Construction Methods

—

MT CO₂e/yr that conventional wall systems at this scale currently emit. LBS substitution avoids this. No cement kilns. No blast furnaces. No petrochemical foam. Regional hemp supply chains eliminate long-haul transport.

Conventional currently emits: — MT CO₂e/yr at this scale

🌡️ Lifetime Energy Savings

—

MT CO₂e/yr avoided in building operations (50-year compounding fleet). The built environment accounts for 40% of global CO₂ emissions — every percentage of LBS adoption produces compounding lifetime dividends.

U.S. new construction wall area ~800M sq ft/yr. Full-scale LBS: 1.08 kg CO₂e/sq ft (poly) or −0.84 kg CO₂e/sq ft (bio-resin). Conventional baseline: 35 kg CO₂e/sq ft. HVAC: 35% reduction at 2.0 kg/sq ft/yr, 50-year fleet. Delivery: EPA GHG Hub 2025 (0.128 kg CO₂e/tonne·km), 100-mile default. All figures are illustrative projections.

Carbon Model FAQ

Directional model guidance
These answers explain what the model is doing, what it is not doing, and what should be validated next with project-specific data.
Is this an LCA or an EPD?

Not yet. This is a transparent directional model built from the LBS factory workbook plus published LCA and EPD factors. The next step for formal claims is a third-party project LCA or EPD using actual plant, transport, assembly, and energy data.

What inputs come from internal LBS data?

Internal values come primarily from the LBS Factory Calculator Master v1.2, including block coverage, hemp storage, CO₂ curing, lifetime recarbonation, frame weights, and the full-scale poly and bio-resin block results used throughout the page.

What inputs come from external published sources?

Freight factors come from EPA GHG Hub 2025. Steel delivery distance comes from the AISC hot-rolled structural steel LCA background report. Conventional wall baselines use ICE and Circular Ecology ranges. Bio-resin and hemp-fiber assumptions reference Ashland or Envirez, AOC or Cefic or ecoinvent, nova-Institute, and hemp carbon-storage literature.

What is inside the current model boundary?

The main model includes block materials, hemp carbon storage, CO₂ curing, lifetime recarbonation, delivery logistics, and modeled HVAC savings. The construction comparison chart also adds directional end-of-life and biogenic-credit assumptions. The page is not yet a full verified project LCA.

How does the model avoid double counting sequestration?

Agricultural sequestration is reported as its own line item. Manufacturing and logistics comparisons exclude hemp storage and lifetime recarbonation so that those benefits are not counted twice. In the construction chart, lifetime recarbonation is shown as its own negative segment instead of being buried inside the product-stage comparison.

What does carbon negative mean here?

It means the modeled bio-resin block case can move below zero after hemp storage, CO₂ curing, and recarbonation are netted against manufacturing emissions. That is a directional modeled result, not a certified external claim, until it is validated through project-specific third-party LCA work.

Why is operating carbon shown separately from the construction chart?

The construction chart is intentionally limited to construction-scope carbon so product and logistics comparisons stay readable. Operating HVAC savings still matter, but they are shown in their own stream so they do not obscure the materials and construction comparison.

What should a pilot project verify next?

A pilot should verify installed cost, contractor workflow, code path, thermal performance, durability, supply capacity, and project-specific carbon results. Those are the right places to replace directional assumptions with measured project data.

Data sources: LBS Factory Calculator Master v1.2 — CO2 tab and CO2(BMC) tab. Hemp sequestration: 4.005 kg CO₂e/block. Bio-resin frame: hemp-fiber + Envirez bio-UPR (Ashland/OmniTech LCA 2009; AOC rPET-UPR Ecoinvent 3.11/Cefic Jan 2025; hemp fiber 0.4 kg CO₂e/kg nova-Institute 2019; compound GWP ~1.0 kg CO₂e/kg vs. conventional GF-BMC 2.32 kg CO₂e/kg). Frame weight: 4.315 kg/block. Full-scale poly frame: 3.488 kg CO₂e/block. Full-scale bio-resin frame: 1.215 kg CO₂e/block. Block coverage: 1.185111 sq ft/block (Conversion tab). Delivery: EPA GHG Emission Factors Hub Jan 2025, Table 8 (0.128 kg CO₂e/tonne·km TTW, medium/heavy-duty truck fleet avg). Delivery radius default 100 miles = typical CMU regional distribution per LEED v4, Echelon/Angelus Block data. Steel delivery: AISC 2025 EPD, 945 km (587 mi) mill-to-fabricator. Ryan baseline: 180,000 MT CO₂e, LRQA-verified 2024. HVAC OpEx at $2.00/sq ft/yr energy cost. Conventional wall baselines: ICE Database v3.0 and published LCA studies. This model is directional — project teams should validate against project-specific LCA/EPD and energy modeling before external commitments.
Open source table
Model input Value used Source
Block coverage, block recipe, LBS factory values1.185111 sf/block; CO2 + CO2(BMC) tab valuesLBS Factory Calculator Master v1.2, internal workbook
Truck freight emissions0.128 kg CO₂e/tonne-km, converted from EPA short-ton-mile factorEPA GHG Emission Factors Hub 2025
Steel delivery distance945 km mill-to-fabricatorAISC hot-rolled structural steel LCA background report
Conventional wall embodied-carbon baselineSlider default 35 kg CO₂e/sfICE Database v3.0 / Circular Ecology
Hemp fiber carbon-footprint reference0.4 kg CO₂e/kg hemp fiber reference valuenova-Institute natural-fibre carbon-footprint study
Hemp and wood carbon storage contextHemp carbon storage and long-lived construction-material framingCarbon Storage in Hemp and Wood Raw Materials for Construction
Envirez bio-UPR backgroundBio-based unsaturated polyester resin LCA contextAshland / Envirez renewable-feedstock LCA summary
UPR / vinyl ester LCA dataset contextecoinvent 3.11 / Cefic UP-VE updatesAOC: new LCA data in ecoinvent for UPR and VE products
ecoinvent database versionv3.11 chemical/plastic LCI referenceecoinvent v3.11 release page
Ryan baseline and commitment context180,000 MT CO₂e baseline; 2040 net-zero trajectoryRyan Companies sustainability page and GHG report
Confidential and Proprietary — Copyright and Trade Secret 2021–2024, All Rights Reserved, Living Building Systems LLC. Carbon Modeler v1.1.0