Scribd
Upload
121 views

OpenLCA -Tutorial - 01 Introduction - Import Database

Uploaded by

Chun wai Lee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
121 views

OpenLCA -Tutorial - 01 Introduction - Import Database

Uploaded by

Chun wai Lee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 8

openLCA Tutorial

Basic Modelling in openLCA

Software Version: 1.10


Manual Version: 1.3 (June 2020)

1
1 Introduction
openLCA is the open-source software for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Sustainability Assessment,
developed since 2006 by GreenDelta. As open-source software, it is freely available, e.g. from the project
website (openlca.org), without license costs.
This text focuses on the 1.10 version of openLCA and explains basic modelling and environmental impact
assessment in openLCA. This includes step-by-step instructions for modelling flows, processes, products
systems and projects to quantify the environmental impacts of product systems and projects. Please
note that this is not a comprehensive LCA, the example with LCA data given is for instructional purposes
only.
The example given is based on the ELCD database 3.2 which is available free of charge on the Nexus web
repository.
To quantify the environmental impacts of the system modelled, the Impact assessment methods must
be imported in openLCA. The LCIA methods openLCA LCIA methods v2.0.4 are available on the nexus as
well.
Information about how to import the ELCD database and the LCIA methods into openLCA can be found
in the openLCA User Manual available in the Learning and Support section in the openLCA website.
The database bottle tutorial with all elements created within this tutorial can be downloaded here.
2 Basic Modelling
In this text, we will introduce basic modelling steps in openLCA using an example of plastic bottles for
packaged drinking water. We will explore the environmental impact of producing a PET bottle as
opposed to a PC bottle. The life cycle to be modelled is shown in Figure 1.
The database elements needed for modelling and comparison of product systems in openLCA are:

• Projects
• Product systems
• Processes
• Flows
Figure 1: Example of a project with two product systems
Steps to create a new, empty database and import the file to update this empty
database.

You might also like