PENRT stands for Primary Energy Non-Renewable, Total.
It quantifies the total amount of non-renewable primary energy used throughout the entire life cycle of a product or service.
This includes both energy used directly for operations and energy embedded in materials.
PENRT is composed of two subcategories:
PENRE (Energy Carrier): Non-renewable energy used directly, such as electricity from coal or fuel from oil.
PENRM (Material Utilization): Non-renewable energy embedded in raw materials, like petroleum used to produce plastics.
PENRT is typically measured in megajoules (MJ) or kilowatt-hours (kWh) per functional unit (e.g., per kg or m² of product).
It covers all life cycle stages: production, transport, use, and disposal.
PENRT is a key indicator in environmental product declarations (EPDs) and LCA reports.
It helps assess the resource intensity and sustainability of building materials and construction processes.
For a plastic chair:
PENRE includes energy used in refining oil and operating manufacturing machines.
PENRM includes the energy content of the oil used as a raw material for plastic.
Disposal and recycling also contribute to PENRT through energy used in processing.