boosting life cycle assessment in small and medium enterprises

Boosting Life Cycle Assessment in Small and Medium Enterprises

E-Learning course –Photovoltaic Systems

03.12.2013Authors: Antonio Dobon, Karsten Schischke, Jan Schneider, Jude Sherry

Editors: Florian Krautzer, Rainer Pamminger, Wolfgang Wimmer

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Lower your impact on the environment, heighten the impact on your businessImproving the environmental performance across product’s life cycle can pave the way to a successful business. Using LCA to go can provide with the required information to better informed decision-making within the business. The objective is to lower the impact on the environment and reap the following benefits:

1. Cost reductions Cut down on wastage during manufacturing and save costs by maximising efficiency

2. Secure supply chain Identify supply risks of rare raw materials and reduce their use in products

3. Comply with legislation Manage environmental legal responsibilities and avoid costly changes to comply with new regulations

4. Increase and diversify sales Reach new audiences in a fast-expanding conscious market and gain competitor advantage

5. Achieve brand loyalty Build trust and relationships with your customers with a brand that cares

Dominique Lyons

Again, delete 'substeps'

Introduction

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What is LCA to go?LCA to go is an online tool that measures a product’s environmental performance based on the principles of a simplified LCA. This simplification has been developed by LCA experts since the beginning of the project in 2011.The most relevant boundaries, data and impact categories across the following sectors have been defined: Photovoltaic systems, industrial machines, sensors, electronics, printed circuit boards, smart textiles and bio-based plastics. This pre-identification greatly reduces the complexity involved in undertaking a Life Cycle Based Environmental Assessment.LCA to go will enable:• Photovoltaic systems planners, installers and designers to assess and

communicate the environmental benefits of their systems• Plastic products manufacturers to assess the environmental and financial

performance of bio-based plastics in comparison to conventional petroleum based plastics

• Smart textiles designers and manufacturers to assess the environmental performance of their products

• Electronic products designers, assemblers and manufacturers to assess and communicate the environmental benefits of reliable and long-lasting products

• Industrial machines manufacturers to identify potential environmental improvement options

• Industrial sensor providers to quantify the environmental and financial benefits of installing a sensor system

• Printed circuit boards (PCBs) designers and manufacturers to assess and improve their environmental performance

Introduction

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What is a Product’s Life Cycle?Every product interacts with the natural environment across its full life cycle, that is, interaction during the material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use and end of life of the product. Inputs (energy, water, raw materials, etc.) are taken from the natural environment while outputs (air and water pollutants, solid waste, etc.) are released into the environment. All of them are measured and analysed through a life cycle based assessment establishing products environmental performance.Understanding product’s life cycle environmental performance, enables identifying and prioritizing environmental improvement opportunities.

E-learning course on environmental assessment of Photovoltaic systems with the LCA to go online tool

Step by step e-learning: Photovoltaics home1. Define the scope2. Collect data3. Model the Life Cycle4. Enter data5. Review the result6. Interpret the result & derive

improvements

Photovoltaics Case Study

Introduction

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1. Definition of the product & scope

Substeps:a. Define the goal of the studyb. Define the functional unitc. Define the reference flowd. Define the product system and the unit

processese. Draw a process tree

Sector specific course / Step 1

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Step 1

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1.a. Define the goal of the study

Why do I need to define a goal for my study?Defining a goal helps you identifying the objectives, applications and target audience of your study and will allow you to easily keep track of these very important factors throughout the study.

How can I define a goal & what should be included in my goal definition?A goal definition should have three parts. It should identify:• The reason for undertaking the study (Why?);• The target audience (Who?);• The potential areas of application for the study (What?)

Can the goal be modified during the study?The goal should not be modified during the study. If changes occur during the study, a new goal should be defined and a new study (which can take the current study as a basis) should be made.

Photovoltaics Example

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1.b. Define a Functional UnitWhat is a Functional unit?The functional unit is the amount of product/material and energy required to accomplish a certain function.

• Example for packaging: Delivery of 1000 l of orange juice to the supermarket with 1L beverage carton, 1.5L HDPE bottle, and 0,75L glass bottle. The Functional unit here would be 1000 l of orange juice.

• Example for energy consuming product: Provide 7500 h of internet service with a modem type A, modem type B and modem type C

• Example for machinery: convert 1000 kg of pellets by extrusion machine A and extrusion machine B

Why do I need to define a Functional unit and what is it used for?The functional unit is used as a basis for comparisons between products, materials and equipment. This will ensure that all studied systems are fully comparable.How can I define a functional unit?The easiest way to define a functional unit is to identify clearly the function(s) provided by the product to be analysed and then assess if the products to be analysed can either accomplish the same function or not.

Paint

Functional unit: 1m²Main

function: Paint a wall


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1.c. Define a Reference FlowWhat is a Reference flow?A reference flow is the basis for calculation, required to accomplish a certain function provided by a product/service.• Paint example: Amount of paint required to paint 1m2 of wall.Why do I need to define a Reference flow and what is used for?This is essential in every LCA, since it is used as a basis for comparisons. LCA users ensure with their use that systems under analysis are fully comparable.How can I define a Reference flow?Example: if the function is to having painted 1 m² of wall with water-based paint with a yield of 5 m²/L vs. a solvent-based paint with a yield of 2.5 m²/L, therefore different amount of paint will be used to paint the same wall surface. This is called reference flow and it is an essential part for comparison

Amount of water-based paint required for the functional unit

Amount of solvent-based paint required for the functional unit

1 m2

Functional unit 1 m2/(5m2/L) = 0,2 L

1 m2/(2.5m2/L) = 0,4 L


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1.d Define a Product System and the Unit ProcessesWhat is a product system?A product systems is the set of unitary processes necessary to perform the function specified in the functional unit. All inflows and outflows shall be defined. In practice, this is the whole life cycle diagram. See an example for a PLA-based carrier bag below.What is a unit process?A unit process is the minimum element for which life cycle data on inputs and outputs is availableWhat information do I need to define the product system and the unit processes?You will just need a clear idea on the main inflows and outflows related to a certain product system

Corn growing and

harvesting (materials)

PLA pellet processing

Film extrusion PLA film

Printing and die-

cut

Transport and

deliveryUse

End of life

Input of raw materialsInput of water

Input of energy

Output of emissions to soil, water or air, solid waste, etc.

Outflows between unitary processes

Unit process


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1.e.i Draw a process tree

Why do I need to draw a process tree for my product system and how can I use it?Visualizing the single processes and their relation may help to understand what exactly you have to consider when collecting data for your LCA. Furthermore, the development of the process tree usually helps to “not forget” parts of the product system and enables to structure the following steps, such as data collection and life cycle modeling.

Where does a product life start, where does it end?Again, this depends on the product that you are about to evaluate. In general, the “start” begins with the raw materials or the energy needed for the manufacturing of your product. This is important at it also shows the “coverage” of decisions that you make during the design of the product. The end of life of the product usually falls together with its disposal and/or recycling. That does not automatically mean that there is a possibility to influence in what exactly happens at this stage.


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1.e.ii Draw a process tree

What is a process tree?A process tree is a special flowchart in which all relevant material flows, energy flows, emissions and other streams are depicted. If possible, they are assigned to a special process or step within the life cycle stages of the product.The process tree should represent all life cycle stages needed to properly model the product. The process tree should refer to a known quantity of product, and if possible, to the functional unit.On the right side can be checked an example of the Process Tree (should be taken into account that there is no a “defined” structure as the extent and quantity of single processes depends on the modeled product).

- 1.5 kg copper- 13 kWh electricity- 15 l tap water- 0.3 m³ argon

- 4 MJ heat- 30 g copper scrap- 15 l wastewater

Process 1, e.g. casing

- 0.7 kg LDPE- 3 MJ process heat- 2 l distilled water- 2.5 g additives

- 2 l wastewater- 0.05 kg LDPE

Process 2, e.g. plastic parts

molding

- 0.2 m³ argon- 0.7 kWh electricity- 3 l tap water

- 2 MJ heat- 3 l wastewater

Process 3, e.g.

assembling

- …Process 4, …

- …


2. Data Collection

Substeps:a. Identify necessary datab. Define the depth and quality of data

neededc. Identify and track the data quality


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2.a.i Identify necessary dataWhat data needs to be collected and how can this be done?Several data is needed throughout all life cycle stages to model the product life cycle properly. Some data needs to be compiled by yourself, which defines your product or system, but your data will be complemented by some background data on e.g. electricity generation or upstream raw materials production. If required for your sector, you might need to collect data as follows:• For the Materials stage, identify the used materials. Data might come from

specifications or experts• For the Manufacturing stage, data collection on:

• Electricity consumption during the manufacturing of parts and assembly of the final product. Two options to carry out: Measure the energy consumption directly at the production line or devide the electricity consumption of the entire production line through the number of produced units

• The generated waste during the manufacturing of parts and assembly of the final product.

• For the Distribution stage, data collection on shipping distances as well as packaging used materials

• For the Use stage, estimate lifetime and use patterns, determine the country/region where the product or system is used

• For the End of life stage, data collection on current disposal and recycling practice and estimate the end of life route that might be taken


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2.a.ii. Identify necessary data:Materials and ManufacturingWhat is a decision rule for mass inclusion? Why do I need it? How can be defined?A decision rule is a very easy rule aimed at excluding certain materials/manufacturing processes which the contribution to the global environmental impact is assumed as negligible. Example for an internet mobile modem based on the bill of materialsComponent Weight

(g)%wt

ABS shell 75 47,0%

PCB 50 31,3%

Display 23 14,4%

0,5 W Resistors (x 12) 8 5,0%

Chip A 2 1,3%

Capacitor (x 5) 1 0,6%

Chip C 0,5 0,3%

Cristal oscillator 0,02 0,0%

Total 159,52 100 %

Decision rule: Exclude all materials, contributing less than 1% of the total weight of the final product.These components can be excluded as they do not represent more than 1% of total materials to the product system, reducing substantially the efforts for data collection!!! Be careful not to exclude small amounts of high impact materials such as rare earth metals.


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2.a.iii Identify necessary data:Distribution, Use, End of life: Multiple clientsI have a number of different clients, how do I account for this and what data do I need? Clients can be in a range of different locations, using and disposing the product in different ways.To deal with these differences, LCA uses different scenarios as shown in Step 3.The required data will depend on the scenario that is being investigated. Example, if you know where you ship a certain product determined by market share, then you may develop a table as shown below:

Subsequently, you can develop a hypothetical scenario, for example assuming the following sales for one product unit: 50% to Poland, 40% to France and 10% to Sweden. Alternatively you can specify scenarios for specific clients.Often, if there is no specific information (the exact transport distance for example), there is a possibility to start with a conservative estimation and identification, whenever it is relevant for the LCA.

Country (Clients)Market share

[%]

Distribution(all by truck)

[km]

Use(Use profiles may vary

depending on the client)[kWh / Year]

End of life(may vary depending

on client)

Poland 50% 1000 7,000 IncinerationFrance 40% 500 9,000 LandfillSweden 10% 2000 4,000 Recycling


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2.b.i Define the depth and quality of data neededTo what level of detail and to what accuracy should the data be collected?The required level of detail depends on the importance of a certain dataset.If the overall result depends on one entry, the data should meet a high level of accuracy. For example, this is extremely important when certain entered values are multiplied by a very large factor. In these cases the accuracy of an entered value has to be very high whereas for less important data it is not required to invest large amounts of time to achieve a high level of detail. Frequently, only 10-15 data entries determine 80% or more of the result, so efforts should be made to get these 10-15 data entries right.Some examples:• Electricity in the use phase: Frecuently highly relevant. It is of great importance to

enter the correct location and the corresponding electricity grid mix. If a product is used for a long time over its lifetime, this becomes even more relevant.

• Precious metals: Usually they are mined and processed with high environmental impacts and occassionaly dominate the whole assessment. It is of high importance to get the correct amount of precious metals.

• The amount of washing detergent needed in a single cycle becomes very important if the product is designed to carry out thousands of washing cycles over its lifetime.

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2.b.ii Define the depth and quality of data neededCan I first gather rough data to gain an understanding of the product‘s environmental impact and add more detailed data later?Yes, get a first impression of the ecoprofile of your product before deciding which data should be improved. If you are not sure at the outset of the analysis, which environmental hot spots to expect, go through the assessment with some default data or worst case assessments. Check the results. Refine data entries. Get a feeling for most sensitive data entries. Refine the assessment step by step. Some typical environmental profiles:

A TV set consumes much more energy in use than in production. Modelling the use stage is most important.

A mobile phone is optimised for energy efficiency and battery lifetime, but constitutes of a high share of electronics parts. Modelling of the electronics components is important.

Manufacturing

Materials End of life

A sensor system, which monitors industrial processes might reduce the power consumption of a process line, which by far outweighs its own environmental footprint. Modelling the secondary effects properly is key.

Materials Manufacturing

End of life

Manufacturing

Materials End of life

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2.c.i Identify and track the data quality

What is meant by data quality?Data quality essentially is an indicator of how good the given dataset is, as well as, the related results of modelling which represent the „real“ life cycle of a product or system.As long as data comes directly from the product and production line, the quality will be high, but frequently, the source for processes and life cycle stages are not under your direct control. Then data quality comes to play a crucial issue.


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2.d.ii Identify and track the data quality

How is data quality defined and what is the Data Quality Indicator?Typically data quality has five dimensions:(1) Reliability

Is the data based on measurements, verified by anybody or only estimated? (2) Completeness

How large is the sample the data is based on? Is it representative?(3) Correlations in Time

How old is the data?(4) Correlations in Geography

Does the data stem from the region, where my components are produced or does the data refer to some other locations?

(5) Correlations in TechnologyAre components and raw materials processed with the same technology as for the system to be assessed?

Keep in mind: The Data Quality Indicator in the „LCA to go“ tool is meant to assess the quality of YOUR data entries, not of the background data in the tool. The user has to judge, whether a background dataset is appropriate for the intended use! Even a high quality background dataset applied to the wrong raw material yields a wrong result.


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2.d.iii Identify and track the data quality

How is data quality defined and what is the Data Quality Indicator? continued…In a simplified version, the assessment of the data quality is aggregated in one of three possible Data Quality Indicator scores:

ReliabilityCompleteness Correlations in TimeCorrelations in

Geography Correlations in

Technology

Robust

Indicative

Illustrative

high

Data qualit

y

low

DQIscor

e


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2.d.iv Identify and track the data quality

Why is data quality and keeping track of data quality important?Assessing the data quality helps you• to get an impression, how reliable your overall assessment result is, and• to improve your data collection strategy to enhance the overall quality of the

assessmentExamples:

Data quality

Robust

Indicative

Illustrative

Data quality

Robust

Indicative

Illustrative

Mat

eria

ls

Man

ufac

turin

g

Distrib

utio

nUse

End-

of-L

ife

Environmental impact

Mat

eria

ls

Man

ufac

turin

g

Distrib

utio

nUse

End-

of-L

ife

Environmental impact

ok, life cycle stages with highest impact feature high data quality

Indicative data for Distribution is „nice to have“ but „indicative“ level for Manufacturing is critical and should be improved!


3. Model the Life Cycle

Substeps:a. Review available data and bring it into a useful

format, making assumptions where necessaryb. Develop Scenarios for the Use stage


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Step 3

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3.a.i Review available data and bring it into a useful format, making assumptions where necessary

How can I best review the data and identify data gaps? Use a table to track data gaps is the easiest solution for doing that. Put there which data is necessary and optional as well as the assumptions you made.

Life cycle stage

raw material/substance

Amount

Unit Datagap

Data needed?

Assumption Source

Materials

Copper 58 g No Yes My company

ABS resin 220 g No Yes Literature

Glass fibre 125 g No Yes Literature

Materials - preprocesses

Injection moulding of ABS

195 g Yes Yes I do not know the precise figures to estimate the processing of the ABS Shell, so I will assume a general injection moulding process to estimate the impacts related to the processing of ABS resin to produce the internet modem shell

Literature


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3.a.ii Review available data and bring it into a useful format, making assumptions where necessaryCan I make assumptions to fill these data gaps with estimates? Yes, of course. Assumptions are needed to reduce data collection efforts and must be clearly stated for a proper interpreation of results.How can I relate the data to my functional unit?Using the reference flow. Please see Step 1.c

I cannot find suitable LCA data regarding the production of an ABS shell for an internet modem!!!!!!

Assumption: consider the total weight of the ABS shell and calculate the processing by assuming a general injection moulding process

What’s better?

A final result which does not consider the impacts of producing the ABS shell

Achieving a more complete total result which includes a conservative estimate for the process


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3.b.i Develop Scenarios for the Use stage

Why are scenarios needed and when are they used?There are several factors that influence the impact at the Use stage.• Typically you have no control on how

the product is used and different clients may use the product in different ways

• You may not have information on the actual use

• The impact from the same use intensity may be different in different countries.

That is why you need to set up scenarios with due care and communicate your assumptions transparently.As shown on the right, the environmental burden of electricity consumption depends on the type and efficiency of power plants in the country. Several scenarios can be developed, depending on the location of the client.

46 g CO2-eq./kWh

Sweden

681 g CO2-eq./kWh

Poland96 g CO2-eq./kWh

France

CO2 emission factors of electricity generation (UK DEFRA 2012)

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3.b.ii Develop Scenarios for the Use stage

Why are scenarios needed and when are they used?See an example of Fujitsu and how they depict the results of a computer LCA. Depending on the location of use, the overall carbon footprint changes significantly:

4. Data entry

Substeps:a. Enter data in the LCA to go online toolb. Understand why the data is needed and what

happens with the entered data


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4.a.i Enter data in the LCA to go online tool

Where can I find the tool?You can access the tool from the project website http://tool.lca2go.eu/users/sign_in . You will need to register and create an account first before entering data.

http://tool.lca2go.eu/users/sign_in



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4.a.ii Enter data in the LCA to go online tool

How can I enter data into the LCA to go tool?1)Create a new product

Customized life cycle for each sector

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4.a.iii Enter data in the LCA to go online tool

How can I enter data into the LCA to go tool?1)Create a new product2)Go to „Introduction“ for further sectoral guidance or directly to „Data entry“

Sectoral guidance on data entries

Model your

product life cycle

Self-assessment

of the quality of your data

entries

Calculate results; will show results only, if you

have entered a complete dataset

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4.a.iv Enter data in the LCA to go online tool

How can I enter data into the LCA to go tool?1)Create a new product2)Go to „Introduction“ for further sectoral guidance or directly to „Data entry“3)„Data entry“: Make entries for your product life cycle

Comprehensive data entry templates to

model the life cycle stages one by one


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4.a.v Enter data in the LCA to go online tool

How can I enter data into the LCA to go tool?1)Create a new product2)Go to „Introduction“ for further sectoral guidance or directly to „Data entry“3)„Data entry“: Make entries for your product life cycle

4)Click „Next step“ to move to the next life cycle stage

Calculate results; will

show results only, if you

have entered a complete

dataset


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4.a.vi Enter data in the LCA to go online tool

Can I save the data and return to finish the data entry at a later time?All your entered data is saved under your account, once you click

or

you will find your products listed under „My Products“ in the top right corner

online trainee


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4.a.vii Enter data in the LCA to go online tool

Can I save the data and return to finish the data entry at a later time?

Just click on the „status“button to return to your data entries any time


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4.a.viii Enter data in the LCA to go online tool

Can I save the data and return to finish the data entry at a later time?

Click on the duplicateicon to make a copy of your product entries for calculating a variant

Can the data be seen by a third party?No. Your data is stored on the web server of the online tool, but it is only accessible with your account details.The user password is encrypted and even the host is not able to read it. Therefore, only the user can access their own data.


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Results

4.b.i Understand why the data is needed and what happens with the entered dataWhat happens with the entered data?Your entered data is used as input parameters for a mathematical model. This model links your entered data with background datasets to calculate the results for your product.

data entry 1data entry 2data entry 3data entry 4

Internal data model

dataset 1

dataset 2

dataset 3

Internal database

Materials

Manufacturi

ng

End of life


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4.b.ii Understand why the data is needed and what happens with the entered dataWhere does the internal data model come from?The data models for each sector individually have been developed in the “LCA to go” project. These data models provide the link between technical terms and the environmental data in the background.


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4.b.iii Understand why the data is needed and what happens with the entered dataWhat background datasets are used and why?The tool comes with some background datasets to ease your work: The datasets comprise environmental data related to some consumption metrics.The most typical example are the country specific emission factors for electricity:

• kg of greenhouse gas emissions of power generation in a given country, aggregated as CO2-equivalents per kWh electricity consumed by a product or process

This data stems from broadly accepted and publicly available sources, such as the International Energy Agency.

Further data sets allow to link your consumption data or design data with the anticipated environmental impacts. This is meant to help you: Instead of inquiring throughout the supply chain the “real” environmental impacts of your product, you are provided with ready-made data as a sound approximation of “your” reality.


http://www.iea.org/

5. Review the result

Substeps:a. Understand the first result & the available impac

t categoriesb. Identify major environmental hotspots and the r

obustness of the resultc. Collect and enter additional data where necessa

ry


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5.a.i Understand the result

How is the result displayed?Results are displayed in the LCA to go tool in three different ways:

1) Data table („Detailed Results“)

2) Bar charts (“Graphic Results”)

3) pdf report


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5.a.ii Understand the result

What are Environmental impact categories, how are they defined and why are they used?Environmental impacts are any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from an organization’s or product’s environmental aspects. The environment is complex, and so is the range of environmental impacts. A non-exhaustive list of environmental impacts frequently seen in conjunction with Life Cycle Assessments are:

• Global Warming• Resource Depletion• Human Toxicity• Ecotoxicity• Acidification• Eutrophication• (Loss of) Biodiversity• Ozone Depletion• Summer Smog

If you want to know more about any of these impact categories, follow the links to the wikipedia entries.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_depletion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutrophication

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_depletion

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5.a.iii Understand the result

How to compare environmental impact categories against each other?The challenge is, that it is hardly possible to value one kind of impact against another. There are some approaches to normalize and weigh environmental impacts with some kind of environmental “points”, but that doesn’t help to understand the environmental issue behind the assessment.The “LCA to go” consortium screened the relevancy of individual impact categories for individual sectors and the tool simplifies things by neglecting the less relevant ones. You should keep in mind, that there is some (minor) risk to overlook an important impact.


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5.a.iv Understand the result

What is a Key Environmental Performance Indicator and why is it used?Key Environmental Performance Indicators (KEPIs) quantify potential environmental impacts, benefits or metrics of high relevancy for a given sector. KEPIs are the environmental result of an assessment, which allow a benchmarking or a comparison of scenarios. Examples are:

• Energy-break-even-point (payback of energy invested in production of photovoltaic systems)

• Environmental-break-even-point (after which operation time are the production related global warming gas emissions set off by saved CO2 emissions)

• Carbon footprint of a photovoltaic system over full lifetime (positive) • Carbon emissions of a computer life cycle per year of usage• Cumulative Energy Demand (CED) of a machine tool over ist entire

lifetime


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5.b.i Identify major environmental hotspots and the robustness of the underlying dataWhat is an environmental hotspot?If you want to use the assessment for design improvements, for discussing a project with a client or to implement a sustainable business strategy, you might need to know more than just a carbon footprint figure. You should know, where it comes from to initiate improvements.Following again the 80:20 principle you should target at the 20% input parameters, which drive 80% of your impacts. These are your environmental hotspots.Some examples:

• For a mobile electronics product it is not the package, although recycled cardboard is very popular, it is the electronics: Printed circuit board and semiconductors

• For a PV system it is the overall system efficiency and solar cell production

• For a sensor system used in energy-intensive industries don‘t bother for too long about the production of the sensor system, pay attention to the positive use stage impact

• For a machine tool, do not worry too much about the assembly and welding together of the parts, the important hotspot is the energy used in the 15-25 years that it is in use to produce goods.


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5.b.ii Identify major environmental hotspots and the robustness of the underlying dataHow to deal with environmental hotspots?When developing the tool, we had in mind already the hot spots, but check for your product, how sensitive the result is to the entered data:

• What drives your impacts? • How to minimise overall impacts?

Try to find out, what are the three most important factors and check: Have you got the power to make a change?


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5.b.iii Identify major environmental hotspots and the robustness of the underlying dataHow robust are the results?The Data Quality Indicators (DQIs) will help you to judge the robustness of your results: Are those life cycle stages with the highest relevancy those with the best data quality? If not, make a brief sensitivity analysis:Enter for those parameters, which seem to be of high relevancy minimum and maximum estimates and check results again. Does the overall result change much?

Materials

Manufacturi

ng

End of life


Distribution

Use

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5.b.iv Identify major environmental hotspots and the robustness of the underlying dataHow robust are the results?

Enter for those parameters, which seem to be of high relevancy minimum and maximum estimates and check results again. Does the overall result change much?

Materials

Manufacturi

ng

End of life


Distribution

Use

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5.b.v Identify major environmental hotspots and the robustness of the underlying dataHow robust are the results?

Enter for those parameters, which seem to be of high relevancy minimum and maximum estimates and check results again. Does the overall result change much?

In this example overall robustness is low, sensitivity is high, make related assumptions with due care, preferably calculate with a conservative assumption

Materials

Manufacturi

ng

End of life


Distribution

Use

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5.c. Collect and enter additional data where necessaryHaving identified environmental hotspots and the robustness of the result, how do I decide what data I need to improve?Make sure that you have the most robust data for the most important life cycle stages. If you have identified an environmental hotspot but the data is only “Indicative”, try to collect further data. If you only have “Illustrative” data for a life cycle stage that might be relevant, try to collect and integrate further data. What can I do if I do not have access to more robust data?Try to expand on the existing data by asking experts within your company for their estimates. Check the feasibility of the data against published figures from other manufacturers.Can I follow the same step by step process when collecting and entering more detailed data?In principle, yes, though the second round of data collection should be much quicker and less intensive because you can concentrate on a few data gaps. Make sure you save the current result to see what changes the improved data has brought about and whether it would be useful to go back and ask for further data. You may use the “Duplicate” function in the tool for this.When is my study “finished”, how do I know when to stop collecting and entering data?Once you are happy that you have achieved the goal of your study. It is clear that in an iterative process, results can always be improved. Once you are confident that the results are robust enough to meet the goal of the study, stop collecting data and concentrate on interpreting and communicating your result.


6. Interpret the result & derive improvements

Substeps:a. Draw conclusions from the resultb. Derive appropriate improvement measuresc. Prepare the result for distribution /

communication


Definitions

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Step 6

Home Definitions

6.a.i Draw conclusions from the result

What conclusions can I draw from the result?This brings us back to the initial point: What was the goal of the assessment?Now you can interpret the assessment result in the light of your goal:

• If a rough environmental assessment was your goal, you are basically done. Latest now you should think about your communication strategy with respect to green credentials of your product or service.

• If a product improvement was your goal, you can now focus on the hotspots, and check with the product designers, which ideas they have for improvement, assess technical feasibility and economics of related measures.

• If the assessment was meant to inform a sales talk, extract major findings and benefits identified, complement the environmental assessment with a cost analysis. Some sectoral tools cover such a cost calculation feature.


Step 6

Home Definitions

6.a.ii Draw conclusions from the result

What have I learned from the process of carrying out the environmental assessment?Besides the plain calculations there is more, that you presumably have learnt from this exercise:

• Thinking about your product from a new perspective, which might even bring you to creative ideas, how to improve in your business

• Reflecting on life cycle stages you have not thought of before, getting insights on these

• Being prepared to talk about environmental aspects of your productAlso large enterprises do not only undertake LCAs for “green washing”, they draw internal lessons from the findings.


Step 6

Home Definitions

Which basic product types exists and how can I identify the basic product type of my product?In general, five different basic product types are distinguished: (Two examples are shown)

1.Material intensive2.Manufacturing intensive3.Distribution intensive4.Use intensive5.End of life intensive

example

example

6.b.i Derive appropriate improvement measures

Materials Manufacturing Distribution Use End of Life

Life Cycle for a Use intensive product

Materials Manufacturing Distribution Use End of Life

Life Cycle for a Raw material intensive product


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6.b.ii Derive appropriate improvement measuresWhat is the general improvement strategy for each basic product type?It is important to identify the basic product type to identify the appropriate improvement strategy. Several tools exist to help you define an improvement strategy for your product. The improvement strategy focuses on the major improvement options which in turn consist of several measures, which may or may not be applicable to your product. As an example for a use intensive product, the following improvement strategy has been taken from the ECODESIGN Pilot, one such tool:

Source: www.ecodesign.at/pilot/


http://www.ecodesign.at/pilot/

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6.c.i Prepare the result for communication

For what purposes can I use the result provided by the LCA to go tool?You can use the results to make environmental claims, preferably stating that calculations have been made with the LCA to go tool. Then it is clear, how you calculated the environmental assessment. The LCA to go tool provides you with a pdf report of the major results. Any additional claims on e.g. absence of hazardous raw materials, information about a dedicated take-back service, or the technical specification have to be provided as a complementary piece of information.If you want to have your assessment being verified by an external to enhance credibility or just to be sure, please contact the LCA to go consortium for assistance.As LCA to go is meant to provide a swift access to life cycle thinking it does not provide an LCA result in conformity with the standards ISO 14.040 and ISO 14.044. If you want to go for a full-size LCA study you should use your experience with LCA to go as a starter, but you will have to change over to any of the professional LCA tools presumably.


http://www.lca2go.eu/contact+partners.en.html

http://www.cen.eu/CEN/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshops/CENTechnicalCommittees/Pages/Standards.aspx?param=6339&title=CEN/SS+S26

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6.c.ii Prepare the result for communication

What information do I need to provide to make the result understandable to my audience?Depends on your audience! There are some companies, which make a pretty good job to explain environmental issues on a very consumer-friendly level. It is rather educating than communicating environmental credentials. Others publish summaries of LCA studies. For your inspiration, here are 4 examples what other small and large companies communicate in the IT business…


Step 6

Home Definitions

6.c.iii Prepare the result for communication

Fairphone: Engaging the user community in LCA issues and the process to compile environmental data

Fujitsu Technology Solutions: Comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment Whitepaper

MicroPro: Combined technical and environmental product information

Apple: Comprehensive Environmental Product Declaration

As you go through these 4 examples, take notes of what you like to have for your communication strategy as well!

http://www.iameco.ie/

http://www.apple.com/environment/reports/

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Home Definitions

6.c.iv Prepare the result for communication

How can I best highlight the main conclusions?So what is on your “want-to-have” list now?We shrunk the assessment down to some scientifically highly relevant KEPIs, but you have to consider, what are the expectations of your target audience, internally and externally.

Target audience:

Client, information to

be used in sales talk,

plus a reference case

study for my system to

be published on the

website and as trade

fair hand-out

Information:

Carbon savings along

with cost savings,

showing a comparison

to the status-quo

Target audience:End-consumers (LOHAS)

Information:Explain a broad range of environmental issues and how our product can help to make a change,

topics:- toxicity /

emissions- global warming / energy- waste reduction

Target audience:

Public procurement

Information:

Comprehensive

environmental facts

(as much as

possible, but carbon

footprint is

minimum), verified

by third party


PV. Case study: Photovoltaics

Step by step guide to environmental assessment with the LCA to go tool:

1. Define the scope for the env. ass. of the Photovoltaic system2. Collect data on the LC of the Photovoltaic system3. Model the Life cycle of the Photovoltaic system4. Enter data of the Photovoltaic system into the online LCA to

go tool5. Review the result for the Photovoltaic system6. Interpret the result & derive improvements for the

Photovoltaic system

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Case Study Photovoltaics

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PV. Case study: PhotovoltaicsPV.1. Define the scopeSubsteps:a.Define the goal of the studyb.Define the functional unitc.Define the reference flowd.Define the product system and the unit processese.Draw a process tree


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PV.1.a. Defining the Goal for an environmental assessment of the Photovoltaic System

Why: Supporting choice of components by evaluating the environmental performance and possible design improvements of a systemWho: Designers and engineers working on a project or evaluating the performance of a system already runningIn this case: Evaluating the designed system in order to give the customer an impression on the environmental footprint, options and related costs (the latter to be done externally)


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PV.1.a. Defining the Goal for an environmental assessment of the Photovoltaic System

In order to improve comprehensibility, the E-Learning will be based on a project report, taken from a design software. The system design and purpose indicate the goal and details about other points comprised in Step 1.


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PV.1.a. Defining the Goal for an environmental assessment of the Photovoltaic SystemThe following slides will show details related to the exemplary system to be assessed in this E-learning course.Data stems from an engineering tool such as PVsyst, and is required as a starting point for the environmental assessments.

http://www.pvsyst.com/en/


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PV.1.b. Defining a Functional unit for an environmental assessment of the Photovoltaic SystemIn this case, the customer is a local Barcelona school and has ordered a power generating photovoltaic system to partially cover the building‘s roof. The total area is approximately 70 m².As the customer plans to feed-in the generated electricity, no batteries are needed. Inverters have to be included according to effective peak power.Due to efficiency concerns, the authorities advised the engineers to use the most promising technology, being in 2008 monocrystalline silicon.The functional unit is therefore set to be

“A photovoltaic system comprising monocrystalline modules, covering an area of

approximately 70m², feeding produced electricity into the local grid”


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PV.1.c. Defining a Reference flow for an environmental assessment of the Photovoltaic SystemThe reference flow is the quantity of “product” needed to fulfil the requirements of the functional unit. In this case, the “product” is the entire system, consisting of multiple components such as the modules, the inverters, the batteries and other peripheral components.Usually, quantitative information can be taken from engineering tools, such as PVsyst or RETScreen. In the example the reference flows are the following:• 36 monocrystalline modules (SUNTECH STP270S-24/Vb)• 3 inverters (Sunny Boy SB 3000)• On-Roof mounting structure (Module area 69,9m²)• Cabling (Module area 69,9m²)

Other components such as meters are not included in the assessment

http://www.pvsyst.com/en/

http://www.retscreen.net/ang/home.php


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PV.1.d.Defining the Product system and Unit processes for the Photovoltaic System

Usually, a LCA comprises the following five life cycle phases – processes have to be modelled for each of these

In the “LCA to go” they are replaced by the phases of engineering progress

The “LCA to go” database will translate your entries into life-cycle oriented data – except for End of Life treatment of components

End of lifeUseDistributionManufactur

eMaterial

Maintenance

Electric Components

Production countries

Module Specificatio

n

Project Planning


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PV.1.e. Drawing the process tree for the Photovoltaic System

Power per area

Efficiency

Insolation

Module Area

Performance Rati

o

Space

Power

Demand

Mounting Structure

Mounting Typ

e

Mounting Location

Electrical Components

Technology

Use

Case

Use Phase Supply

Life-ti

mes

Maintenance

Built-in components and output

In order to understand what specific data influence the results of your assessment, the available information can be checked for the following:

Florian Krautzer

Please review diagram


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PV. Case study:PV.2. Collect DataSubsteps:a. Identify necessary datab. Define the depth and quality of data neededc. Identify and track the data quality


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PV.2.a. Identify necessary data for the environmental assessment of the Photovoltaic System

General Project Planning

Location

Production

Modules

Maintenance

Electrics

Energy Output


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PV.2.a. Identify necessary data for the environmental assessment of the Photovoltaic System

Project Planning

Module Specificatio

n

Production Countries

Electric Component

s

Maintenance

(optional)

Necessary data

Data related to the country of use, such as insolation, expected module temperature and emissions (and energy) factors

Detailed specifications; including technology, efficiency, lifetime and area or expected power output

Where are the photovoltaic modules being produced? If there is no information about this, a world production mix is assumed

Specification of inverters; quantity, capacity and expected lifetime of used inverters and/or charge controllers

Enter data if you are responsible for replacement of components at the end of their lifetime or the regular cleaning of modules

Technical project data, such as known design parameters

Optimization options, for improvement suggestions in report

Specification of batteries; choose technology, lifetime, capacity and weight (if known)

Specify the duration of the maintenance contract or responsibility for the system

Performance related data, such as the expected performance ratio

Choose maintenance extent and maintenance related options


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PV.2.c. Identify data quality for the environmental assessment of the Photovoltaic System

Robust Indicative Illustrative

Country of use & radiation

The location is known and the local radiation taken from a reliable source such as PVGis

Location is approximately known, the radiation therefore unsure but taken from a reliable source

Either the location is not known at all or its solar resources are estimated

Modules’ temperature

Specific number, either used in own field or PR

Temperature taken from a former similar project or well estimated and included in data

Temperature not known or neither entered or used in PR

Performance ratio (PR)

Taken from a simulation such as PVsyst or calculated according to the in-tool text

Estimated using information from a former similar project or similar to “Robust” but based on estimates

Use of a standard average value found in literature or from not similar project

Module specifications

Efficiency and lifetime from datasheet or other database

Use of LCA to go default values, technology known

LCA to go default values, for exemplary technology


Data from manufacturer for specific technology

General information about specific technology or manufacturer

Use of world mix data taken from LCA to go defaults

Inverters Capacity according to PV peak power and component existing and lifetime known

Capacity is strictly taken from calculated peak power – real components’ size unknown or lifetime based on justified estimates

Capacity is estimated or number of inverters unknown, lifetime roughly estimated

Batteries Weight per piece is taken from datasheet of used components

Technology and capacity is known, weight is calculated by LCA to go routine

Capacity and/or number is roughly estimated or technology not definitive

Maintenance Known period and extent of contracted maintenance; well estimated driving range

Maintenance details are taken from a similar project; well estimated driving range

Maintenance details are unknown and therefore not included


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PV. Case study: PhotovoltaicsPV.3. Model the Life Cycle

Substeps:a. Review

available data and bring it into a useful format, making assumptions where necessary

b. Develop Scenarios for the Use phase


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PV.3.a. Review available data and bring it into a useful format, making assumptions where necessary for a Photovoltaic System

In the LCA to go web tool, you will be asked to enter data in various steps as you can see on the screenshot displayed here.On the next couple of slides we will introduce you to the needed information and explain how you can get them.


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Project Planning

Module Specification


Electric Components

Maintenance

(optional)

Data for production countries can be taken from companies’ corporate responsibility reports, business reports or more basic information sources such as homepages

The overall inverter capacity needed can be taken from the system specification. Make sure you enter the capacity per inverter in Watts

The maintenance details can be taken from a project contract or from personal contact

For module area or power demand, respectively, data can be entered in various selectable units

In case that you use crystalline silicon modules, the first four selections are applicable

If you use charge controllers for batteries, treat them as if they were a 2nd type of inverter

If the definite extent of maintenance is unknown, try to estimate according to latest projects

Optimization parameters are not to be taken from a reference but are used for improvement suggestions. They shall represent your ability as engineer or retailer to influence the projected system

Be aware that the production country of a crystalline cell doesn‘t have to be the same as the module‘s production country. If you don‘t know about one or the other, choose defaults

If you use batteries and know the specific type, researching the (wet) weight per unit is the most accurate way to include them. If you don’t know, enter planned capacity in given units

Distance from maintainer to the projected system is important as soon as regular site visits are scheduled. Give the one-way distance in km



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Could be used for meteo data research if not included in design software

All needed „dimension“ information about the inverter can be found here – convert to W

Module temperature to be entered in field – in this case it is already used in PR, so keep the default temperature

Use module name for research about framing, lifetime and specialties

In this case, the module area is known. Choose this option in “project planning” and enter the area in “module spec’s”As the specific model used seems to

be known, research about lifetime is easy


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If you can‘t find detailed information about radiation on your modules, use values from simulations such as this

If you can‘t find reliable information or a datasheet of modules used, some design software may include a database. Use this value for „module specification“ then.

In case you are not too sure about the entries you’ve made in the tool, this is an option for double checking the results – compare output estimates of the LCA to go tool with other values


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The most reliable option is to calculate the PR by yourself. Then you know what it includes (e.g. module temperature) and can justify the selection of the value. If you don’t have any experience in calculating the performance ratio, we provide you a manual – see the next slide!In case you don’t know how to do it, data from simulations can be a suitable option too. Make sure that the data it bases on is correct and find out what it includes – in order to adjust it, if needed.

In case that all orientation-related effects were taken into account in the performance ratio, the horizontal radiation can be used for “Radiation, yearly on PV module”.


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PV. Case study: PhotovoltaicsPV.4. Enter dataSubsteps:a. Enter data for different engineering steps for the

Photovoltaic Systemb. What happens with the data entered for the Photovoltaic S

ystem


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PV.4.a. Enter data for different engineering steps for the Photovoltaic System

A video tutorial on how to enter data into the online tool for Photovoltaic Systems can be found at:

Watch a demonstration video(Youtube)

http://youtu.be/jrjXrXtiA4Q





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PV.4.b. What happens with the data entered for the Photovoltaic System

The data you enter is being processed to suit the calculation routine for environmental performance included in the tool. Simplified, the overall equation can be said to be „Quantity of components multiplied by the specific component‘s environmental impact (divided by the system‘s output in electrical power)“. Here, impact stands for carbon dioxide equivalent emissions and primary energy demand. Both of these values are included in a small database which underlies the interface that you use in the web-tool.A major specialty that you have to keep in mind is the link between the values in the database and your web-tool entries:For example the modules’ manufacturer you choose does not only influence the quality (lifetime and efficiency) of the devices. The efforts related to their production also is a function of the country where it is done – as the electricity and heat used during the processes “comes from different plants”, manufacturing is linked to higher or lower emissions and primary energy consumption according to the information you provide.


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PV. Case study: PhotovoltaicsPV.5. Review the resultsSubsteps:a. Understand the first result & the available impact categori

esb. Identify major environmental hotspots and the robustness

of the underlying datac. Collect and enter additional data where necessary


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PV.5.a.i Understand the first result & the available impact categories for the Photovoltaic System

First of all, to make sure that you’ve entered all data correctly, you will get a short summary of your system. It also includes the main results. See this on the next slide.For the impact assessment, results are presented using the carbon dioxide equivalent emissions and primary energy demand as KEPI (“Key Environmental Performance Indicators”). Most likely, you are able to influence the choice of components, not directly the life cycle phase related impact – that’s why we show you which component has which effect. Exemplary diagrams can be found on the second next slide.What you can see there as well is the practical use of alternative, comprehensive performance indicators such as the “Energy Payback Time” and “Carbon Footprint per kWh of Electricity”.These results show you “the impact” of your project. After using the tool a couple of times, you will also realize that it already suggests improvement options.


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PV.5.a.ii Understand the first result & the available impact categories for the Photovoltaic System


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PV.5.a.iii Understand the first result & the available impact categories for the Photovoltaic System


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PV.5.b. Identify major environmental hotspots and the robustness of the underlying data for the Photovoltaic SystemMost likely, the highest contribution to the overall impact will come from the used modules. The exact share will vary according the technology chosen, the efficiency of the modules and the performance ratio achieved. In order to be sure about the most relevant components, you should check the table as shown below. The second important thing to look at is the „mix“ of data quality and impact for a certain part of the installation. If medium or low data quality (indicative, illustrative) and high or unexpected impact come together, you are advised to check assumptions and data entries carefully and potentially to increase data quality.


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PV.5.c. Collect and enter additional data where necessary for the Photovoltaic System

According to the previous slide, you may identify relevant data gaps by reviewing the results of your assessment.If you do so, try to improve the situation. Here are some advices on how get there:

• Try to find out which specific electric components may be used – or at least calculate their real capacity

• Look for technical datasheets of your used modules. For the production countries, contact your retailer or see manufacturers homepage

• Use engineering tools or meteorological databases to improve the radiation forecast

• Revise the details you have included in the calculation of the PR or double check if a specific calculation is possible if you’ve used literature values


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PV. Case study: PhotovoltaicsPV.6. Review the resultsSubsteps:a. Draw conclusions from the resultb. Derive appropriate improvement measuresc. Prepare the result for distribution / communication


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PV.6.a. Draw conclusions from the result for the Photovoltaic System

Depending on the goal you pursue with the assessment, you may draw different conclusions.Mainly it depends on whether you just want to make a „statement“ about the environmental performance or if you aim at an improvement of the system.For the first case – making a “statement” – your job is most likely finished as soon as your data quality attaints a satisfying level. You can now use the provided results to inform yourself or your customers.Check the next slide for details on “improving a system” using the LCA to go tool.

g CO2/kWh


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PV.6.b.i Derive appropriate improvement measures from the environmental assessment of the Photovoltaic SystemNow, let‘s take a look at the more challenging option – improving a PV system.We all agree that a web tool can’t finalize the process of environmental optimization of an entire electricity-generating PV system. But still, you can draw conclusions on WHAT to optimize first: Where is the biggest potential, what can be kept the way it is – these are questions that you may answer using the LCA to go tool.Depending on the dimensioning starting point (known area or known power demand), the results show you improvement suggestions according to the available optimization parameters:

• If the area is known and fixed, the optimization aims at improving the electricity yield

• If the power demand is known and fixed, the optimization aims at reducing necessary module area

See exemplary results display for both options on the next slides.


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PV.6.b.ii Derive appropriate improvement measures from the environmental assessment of the Photovoltaic System

In this case, the diagram mainly suggests the optimization of modules – regarding both: efficiency and lifetime. If you want to take action on this is most likely dependent on your customer’s expectations and the available budget. An exemplary, less expensive option may be to improve the performance ratio by prevent shading.


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PV.6.b.iii Derive appropriate improvement measures from the environmental assessment of the Photovoltaic SystemIn the case of area reducing, the lifetime of modules obviously doesn’t play a role. Concerning other parameters, it’s a similar consideration of effort to achieve and the effect of an improvement.


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PV.6.b.iv Derive appropriate improvement measures from the environmental assessment of the Photovoltaic SystemThe last option that you can use to check your system for improvement options is to create two different “products” using – for example – different module technologies (e.g. poly- vs. monocrystalline). At the final results page, you then have the possibility to compare two or more systems.

To give you an idea what that means, imagine the following: You are planning a project at a place with high share of diffuse radiation – the performance ratio of different technologies varies extremely here. Technologies that would result in higher impacts in other situations may be better here.


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PV.6.c. Prepare the result for distribution / communicationof the environmental assessment of the Photovoltaic SystemIf you want to use the results of the assessment to inform a third party (e.g. customer or project officer), you are free to do so.To simplify the export of main results, the main menu of the tool offers the possibility to download a report which includes important diagrams and information.

Definitions

• Cradle to Gate• Data Quality Indicator• Environmental aspect• Environmental hotspot(s)• Environmental impact• Environmental management system (EMS)• Environmental performance• Impact category• LCA to go• Life Cycle• Life Cycle Thinking• Life Cycle stages• Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises-SME• Robustness• Scenario

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Definition: Cradle-to-gate

The cradle-to-gate concept is one variant of the Life Cycle Assessment. The special thing is that not all five stages are included but only the raw material extraction, production and distribution until a certain point – the “factory gate”. It does not take into account certain stages – most likely the “use” and “end of life / disposal”. It may be used to enable future users of an LCA (downstream in the supply chain) to include your assessment in theirs and adjust the “use” and “end of life” stage according to their scope.

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Definition: Data Quality Indicator

The Data Quality Indicator, short DQI, uses the origin, preciseness and reliability of the input data to define its robustness and describes it in three categories, Illustrative, Indicative or Robust.

Definitions

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Definition: Environmental aspect

Element of an organization’s activities, products or services that can interact with the environment

Definitions

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Definition: Environmental hotspots

The Environmental hotspots are those areas of the life cycle, 20% of the input parameters, drive 80% of your impacts.

Definitions

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Definition: Environmental impact

Any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from an organization`s environmental aspect.

Definitions

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Definition: Environmental management system (EMS)

Part of an organization’s management system used to develop and implement its environmental policy and manage its environmental aspects

Definitions

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Definition: Environmental performance

Measurable results of an organizations management of its environmental aspects

Definitions

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Definition: Impact category

Class representing environmental issues of concern to which life cycle inventory analysis results may be assigned

Definitions

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Definition: LCA to go

LCA to go is an online tool that measures a product’s environmental performance based on the principles of a simplified Life Cycle Based Assessment (LCA). This simplification has been developed by LCA experts since the start of the LCA to go project in 2011.


Definitions

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Definition: Life Cycle

Consecutive and interlinked stages of a product system, from raw material acquisition or generation from natural resources to the end of life

Definitions

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Definition: Life Cycle ThinkingAccording to the European Platform on LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), Life Cycle Thinking (or LCT) is defined as:

„The concept of Life Cycle Thinking integrates existing consumption and production strategies towards a more coherent policy making and in industry, employing a bundle of life cycle based approaches and tools. By considering the whole life cycle, the shifting of problems from one life cycle stage to another, from one geographic area to another and

from one environmental medium or protection target to another is avoided.”

In other words, Life Cycle Thinking means that even if you‘re only responsible for one step in the supply chain (maybe product design), all related Life cycle stages should be taken into account when it comes to environmental performance of your product. That prevents from creating new (and maybe bigger) problems by eliminating one and enables you to make sustainable decisions.

Definitions

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Definition: Life cycle stages

In general, „Materials“, „Manufacturing“, „Distribution“, „Use“ and „End of life“ are defined as the five life cycle stages of a product. Keep in mind that depending on your product, it may be that not all of these are „transparent“ for you.If – for example – one produces screws or nails, the „Use“ stage will be completely in the dark. On the other hand, deciding on the used materials influences the recyclability at the “End of life” and efforts related to “Raw Materials” extraction.The life cycle built from the five stages is shown on the right.

Definitions

Materials

Manufacturing

Distribution

Use

End of life

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Definition: Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises-SME

“The category of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is made up of enterprises which employ fewer than 250 persons and which have an annual turnover not exceeding 50 million euro, and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding 43 million euro.” [EC 2005]Next figure shows an overview about the thresholds of SMEs defined by the European Commission.

Source: EC 2005

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Definition: Robustness

Robustness describes the reliability and overall applicability of the results. Robust results are results where the areas with the highest impact are supported by the highest quality data possible.

Definitions

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Definition: Scenario

A scenario represents a possible situation applicable to the product in distribution, use and/or disposal. Scenarios are useful because they allow for the comparison of different possible situations the product may be found in and to allow for an environmental assessment, even if the exact distribution path, or use intensity or disposal method is unknown. Learn more…

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scenario

boosting life cycle assessment in small and medium enterprises

Documents

environmental assessment

environmental performance

photovoltaic systemthe

provided results

pv system

specific calculation

photovoltaic systemaccording

photovoltaic systemnow