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- Importing Ecoinvent Database In Ecospold Format For Mac Windows 7
- Importing Ecoinvent Database In Ecospold Format For Mac Download
- Importing Ecoinvent Database In Ecospold Format For Mac Pro
Overview of Ecoinvent
The ecoinvent Database The ecoinvent database provides well documented process data for thousands of products, helping you make truly informed choices about their environmental impact. The latest version, ecoinvent 3.6, builds on all previous versions of the database. The ecoinvent Database. Benefits of ecoinvent 3. Gain access to ecoinvent 3. Lcopt can create models using external LCI data from the ecoinvent 3.3 cutoff database (ecoinvent license required) or the FORWAST database Briefly, to set up lcopt to use ecoinvent 3.3: Log into ecoinvent.org and go to the Files tab.
The import of data in EcoSpold format in SimaPro is rather difficult for a number of reasons: 1) The structure of LCA models in SimaPro is different from those in EcoSpold. 4) EcoSpold is a loose format in the sense that users can define their own fields, but also to create. The ecoinvent data come as Unit and System processes. Since ecoinvent 3 was not released yet at the time when the EcoSpold02 format was implemented in the converter, the EcoSpold02 converter format follows the official format specification which is different from the format as it is used now in the ecoinvent database and in the ecoeditor, see also the comment on the open source page. The ecoinvent Database The ecoinvent database provides well documented process data for thousands of products, helping you make truly informed choices about their environmental impact. The latest version, ecoinvent 3.6, builds on all previous versions of the database. The ecoinvent Database. Benefits of ecoinvent 3. Gain access to ecoinvent 3.
Ecoinvent database comprises LCI data from the energy, transport, building materials, chemicals, paper and pulp, waste treatment and agricultural sectors reflecting the production and supply situation in the year 2000, based on the Swiss and European demand patterns. The major applicability is in a European context, but selected data sets (such as oil production in Nigeria or natural gas production in Russia) have a broader international application.
It sums up around 4000 industry based data sets, providing the user with information from all of the following areas:
- energy supply
- resource extraction
- material supply (building materials packaging materials, metals)
- metal processing
- chemicals
- electronics
- agriculture
- waste management services
- transport services
The official website of Ecoinvent database is here.
Main components of ecoinvent database system
Main components of ecoinvent database system | |
---|---|
Name of component | Function |
Central database | The central database contains Life Cycle Inventory data on energy systems, transport systems, waste treatment systems, chemicals, building materials,etc., and Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methods such as the Swiss Ecological Scarcity, Ecoindicator 99, IMPACT 2002C or the CML characterisation scheme 2001. The database is located on a computer server and accessible via the Internet. |
Calculation routines | Data are supplied by the partner institutes as non-terminated unit processes (i.e., they can and usually do contain exchanges from and into the technosphere as well as elementary flows). The computation of cumulative inventory results is performed with powerful calculation routines related to the central database. Unit process raw data as well as LCI results include (cumulative) uncertainty ranges. |
Editor | The local database administrators of the participating institutes use the editor to create new data sets and to change, complete or delete existing data sets. The editor administrates the data set names (via a direct link to the central database, where the index of data set names is located), ensures the use of the actual list of names when compiling new inventories and includes a unit converter. The editor acts as the interface between the local administrator and the central database and generates files in the ecoinvent data format. |
Administration tools | The administration tool supports the integration of data sets delivered by the cooperating institutes into the central database. It helps to verify the completeness of data sets, calculates inventories and (normalised and weighted, if appropriate) category indicator results and supports the administration of ecoinvent users. |
Query tool | The Query tool is the users’ interface to the database and is used to download data sets from the central database. It enables the search for individual processes, for processes of a certain economic sector (e.g., transport or energy sector) or for data from a certain institute. General information (so-called metainformation) on the processes (technology, age of data, geographic coverage, etc.) is accessible to everyone, whereas the quantitative LCI data is only accessible for registered ecoinvent members (customers). |
Data (exchange) format | The data exchange format lists all data fields that were available to describe a data set. It has evolved from the international SPOLD data exchange formatand corresponds to the international technical specification ISO/TS 14048. Some of the data fields are mandatory, i.e. information must be provided. Among other features, the data exchange format allows for specifying upper and lower estimates (or the 95% standard deviation) as well as the probability distribution(e.g., lognormal) of inventory data. |
Local databases | Commercially available LCA-software such as Emis, PEMS, Regis, SimaPro, TEAM and Umberto are used as local databases. These local databasesare tailored for an implementation of ecoinvent data v1.0 and its updates. It is recommended to use the ecoinvent data (exchange) format for the purpose of data import. |
Data exchange and XML-technology
- Data set documentation
A process, its products and its life cycle inventory data are documented using the ecoinvent data format (EcoSpold) with the following structure:
The structure of ecoinvent data format | |
Process | ReferenceFunction, defining the product or service output to which all emissions and requirements are referred. |
TimePeriod, defining the temporal validity of the data set. | |
Geography, defining the geographical validity of the data set. | |
Technology, describing the technology(ies) of the process. | |
DataSetInformation, defining the kind of process or product system, and the version number of the data set. | |
Modeling and validation | Representativeness, defining the representativeness of the data used. |
Sources, listing the literature and publications used in a data set. | |
Validations, listing the reviewers and their comments. | |
Administrative information | DataEntryBy, documenting the person in charge of implementing the data set in the database. |
DataGeneratorAndPublication, documenting the originator and the published source of the data set. | |
Persons, listing complete addresses of all persons mentioned in a data set. | |
Flow data | Exchanges, quantifying all inputs from technical systems and nature to the process and all outputs from the process to nature and to other technical systems |
Allocations, describing and quantifying allocation procedures and factors, respectively, required for multi-function processes. |
- Role of XML-technology
Once a data set is chosen for download, one or several data sets are converted to one XML-file (extended markup language) and saved on the local computer. XML schemes facilitate data exchange between different LCA-databases and -software. It can easily be extended by LCA-softwarespecific requirements and upwards and downwards compatibility poses no major problems.
For a flexible application of a data exchange between local LCA-software tools and the central database, a data exchange format in XML-technology is used. Forthat purpose XML schemes are applied. Although Document Type Definitions (DTD) are more widespread nowadays, they will most likely be substituted by schemes. On the one hand, schemes have a much higher performance and, on the other, they themselves use the XML language (as opposite to DTD, which uses its own specific language).
Schemes are used for validation and for documentation purposes. The scheme provides information on the general structure of an ecoinvent data set. Furthermore,all elements of a scheme may be completed with documentation information and comments.
Overview of openLCA
openLCA is a free, professional Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and footprint software with a broad range of features and many available databases, created by GreenDelta since 2006. It is an open source software; the software and its source code is freely available. The software is fully transparent and can be modified by anyone.
![Importing ecoinvent database in ecospold format for mac download Importing ecoinvent database in ecospold format for mac download](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FqVMbwhAEW4/maxresdefault.jpg)
The software is available free of charge. You are thus able to make an LCA model in a project and give it together with the software to your clients. You are also free to give customized databases and models to colleagues with the software for the LCA study peer-review process and sharing of LCA techniques. This will enable reviewers to check your model directly and suggests improvements. This translates to additional benefit for you and your clients.
Pros
A powerful plug-in structure of the software allows for easy extensions and modifications. In sustainability assessment, there are myriad tools and methods available, sometimes competing and often contradicting. The openLCA software framework is therefore designed to cope with that fact. Two plug-ins will be implemented initially. Users can add their own modules, and we plan to implement future modules based on user feedback and own ideas. Since the software is open source, and implemented in a modern, standard software language (Java), you should have no difficulty in implementing necessary additions.
Cons
- When selecting a flow to place within a process (as an input/output), the flow must physically be double clicked to add it into the system. Highlighting or narrowing down to a specific flow using the filter/search process, and then hitting enter/return key on the keyboard does not add the flow to the process. It simply closes the dialogue box without doing anything.
- Lack of Bulk-edit functions. Example, such as applying a conversion factor to all values/inputs in a process with one step. Another example, switching the electricity mix for multiples processes in one step. I think this is a bit of a complicated recommendation, but just something to think about moving forward with the software that would make it even more use friendly.
Notable Features
- graphical modeling of Life Cycle Assessments
- parameters in several levels (from process to projects)
- simulation and uncertainty approximation
- import of all databases in EcoSpold format
- export of results in excel and matrix form
Data Sources
There are many free and commercial LCA databases available, which are provided by different institutions. We are an official reseller for ecoinvent and GaBi databases and we also offer free databases for use in openLCA.
Principally, each database in EcoSpold or ILCD format can be directly imported into openLCA. Tools like the openLCA format converter or the EcoSpoldAccess spreadsheet macro formerly provided by the ecoinvent centre can be used to create data in the appropriate formats. However, if you want to work with data from several databases, or with specific LCIA methods, more work is required to better align the different data sets. For this reason we also provide data management services, including data conversion.
Importing Ecoinvent Database In Ecospold Format For Mac Windows 7
In the past year, openLCA created a website called openLCA Nexus, where it provides free and for purchase databases for use in openLCA. The data sets are alligned as much as possible with the openLCA software, for example with a coherent, comprehensive set of elementary flows.You can also use the nexus page to search for individual data sets, using a varietly of search criteria such as product, sector, age, time, or price of the data set or database.
Importing Ecoinvent Database In Ecospold Format For Mac Download
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Importing Ecoinvent Database In Ecospold Format For Mac Pro
The nexus website is available here: openLCA Nexus