German clay roofing and building systems manufacturer Erlus has introduced SHI product passports for its chimney systems, the Erlutherm chimney-stove combination, and the Via Vento S ventilation network. The digital certificates, issued by the Sentinel Holding Institut (SHI), consolidate proof of pollutant testing and healthy-building compliance, and are now available in both German and English.
The passports are based on assessments by the Sentinel Holding Institut, which evaluates products for health-relevant substances and publishes results in the SHI database. "With the SHI product passport, we can provide traceable evidence of the health credentials of our systems," said Jürgen Böhm, head of chimney systems and ventilation networks sales at ERLUS.
Why digital product passports matter for construction specification
The SHI product passport targets planners, auditors, construction companies, investors, and trade contractors. As a digital interface, it streamlines access to product-specific documentation and simplifies integration into construction and certification processes. The structured data format reduces coordination effort and supports more efficient project delivery.
The move reflects broader momentum towards transparency and traceability in building material supply chains. Digital product passports are emerging as a core tool in sustainability reporting, particularly where green building certifications such as DGNB or BREEAM require evidence of low-emission, health-safe materials. In the UK, the government's evolving procurement standards for public projects increasingly demand verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and health impact data.
What the SHI certification covers
The Sentinel Holding Institut's testing protocol focuses on health-relevant ingredients and emissions. Products are evaluated against criteria for indoor air quality, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other pollutants that may impact occupant wellbeing. Once certified, products receive a publicly accessible entry in the SHI database, allowing specification teams to cross-reference credentials during design and procurement.
For Erlus, the certification applies across its chimney portfolio and the Via Vento S ventilation system—products that sit at the interface between building envelope performance and indoor air quality. Chimneys and ventilation ducts are particularly scrutinised in low-energy and Passivhaus projects, where airtightness requirements magnify the impact of any off-gassing materials.
Implications for the wider materials sector
Erlus is not the first manufacturer to adopt digital product documentation, but the SHI passport's dual-language rollout and focus on health credentials rather than purely environmental metrics signal a shift in priorities. Where EPDs emphasise lifecycle carbon and resource use, the SHI passport foregrounds occupant health—a dimension that is gaining traction in post-pandemic building design.
The structured, machine-readable format also positions the passport for integration with Building Information Modelling (BIM) workflows and future regulatory frameworks. The European Commission's proposed digital product passport regulation, part of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), is expected to mandate comparable documentation across construction products by the end of the decade. Early adoption by manufacturers such as Erlus may confer competitive advantage as procurement teams and certification bodies build digital workflows around these data standards.
Sector precedents and competitive context
Other manufacturers have pursued similar transparency initiatives. Knauf has developed digital EPDs with QR-code access; ROCKWOOL publishes detailed indoor air quality data for its mineral wool insulation; and Saint-Gobain offers a range of third-party-verified declarations across its glass and insulation portfolios. The SHI passport differentiates itself through a single, integrated document that consolidates multiple test results and is independently verified by an external institute.
For specifiers working on projects with stringent energetic retrofitting or Passivhaus standards, such consolidated documentation can materially reduce administrative overhead. Where certification schemes require submission of multiple product declarations, a single digital passport simplifies compliance and audit trails.
Market and regulatory drivers
Several regulatory and market trends underpin the shift towards digital product transparency:
- Green building certifications: DGNB, BREEAM, and LEED increasingly require evidence of low-emission materials and occupant health impact assessments.
- Public procurement: Government frameworks in Germany, the UK, and across the EU are tightening requirements for sustainable and health-safe materials in publicly funded projects.
- ESG reporting: Investors and developers are under pressure to document environmental, social, and governance performance, with building material health data forming a core metric.
- Ecodesign regulation: The EU's forthcoming ESPR will mandate product passports for a wide range of goods, including construction materials, by 2030.
What comes next
The SHI product passport is now live for Erlus's chimney and ventilation products, with the full catalogue accessible via the manufacturer's website and the SHI database. Whether other manufacturers in the clay, ceramic, and building systems sectors will follow suit remains to be seen—but the precedent is set. As digital documentation becomes the norm rather than the exception, early movers may find themselves better positioned for compliance with emerging regulations and procurement standards.
For now, the passport serves as a signal: transparency in building materials is no longer a niche requirement but a baseline expectation for specification teams working on health-conscious, high-performance projects. The question is not whether digital product passports will become standard, but how quickly the rest of the sector will adopt them.
