Scheme Automatic Generation Based on Full Life Cycle Assessment Gene Model of Structure

Decarbonization programs are being proposed worldwide to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation fuels, using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) models or tools. Although such models are broadly accepted, varying results are often observed. This study describes similarities and differences of key decarbonization programs and their GHG calculators and compares established LCA models for assessing 2G ethanol from lignocellulosic feedstock. The selected LCA models were GHGenius, GREET, JRC’s model, and VSB, which originated calculators for British Columbia’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, Renewable Energy Directive, and RenovaBio, respectively. We performed a harmonization of the selected models by inserting data of one model into other ones to illustrate the possibility of obtaining similar results after a few harmonization steps and to determine which parameters have higher contribution to closing the gap between default results. Differences among 2G ethanol from wheat straw were limited to 0.1 gCO2eq. MJ−1, and discrepancies in emissions decreased by 95% and 78% for corn stover and forest residues, respectively. Better understanding of structure, calculation procedures, parameters, and methodological assumptions among the LCA models is a first step towards an improved harmonization that will allow a globally accepted and exchangeable carbon credit system to be created.

Identifying hundredfold carbon emission gaps in multiple resource recycling routes of construction waste via process and hybrid life cycle assessment.

Purpose: Among the methods of comprehensive analysis for a product or an enterprise, there exist defects and deficiencies in traditional standard cost analyses and life cycle assessment methods. For example, some methods only emphasize one dimension (such as economic or environmental factors) while neglecting other relevant dimensions. This paper builds a factor analysis model of resource value flow, based on full life cycle assessment and eco-design theory, in order to expose the relevant internal logic between these two factors. Design/methodology/approach: The model considers the efficient multiplication of resources, economic efficiency, and environmental efficiency as its core objectives. The model studies the status of resource value flow during the entire life cycle of a product, and gives an in-depth analysis on the mutual logical relationship of product performance, value, resource consumption, and environmental load to reveal the symptoms and potentials in different dimensions. Originality/value: This provides comprehensive, accurate and timely decision-making information for enterprise managers regarding product eco-design, as well as production and management activities. To conclude, it verifies the availability of this evaluation and analysis model using a Chinese SUV manufacturer as an example.

This dissertation uses multi-dimensional modeling for environmental impact assessment at intersections of the Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus, including life cycle assessment (LCA) modeling for quantification of environmental impacts due to household FEW consumption, a linear regression framework for quantification of water-use impacts of marginal electricity generation, and a multi-objective optimization model to assess monetization of water withdrawals for electricity generation and impacts to water stress due to electricity dispatch schemes. Chapter 2 of this dissertation summarizes the development of an LCA model that quantifies the direct and indirect environmental impacts of household FEW consumption. The model is executed through a novel household consumption tracker called the HomeTracker. The result of this work is an open-source software application that has been used to support experimental research taking place in suburban households in the midwestern United States for identification of effective interventions to inform household consumption behavior change. Chapter 3 addresses the need to quantify the water-use impacts of marginal electricity generation. A linear regression methodology is used to quantify water withdrawal and consumption impacts due to marginal generation, and a case study is presented to demonstrate how the framework can be applied to generate marginal water factors (MWFs) at multiple temporal resolutions. Results illustrate that MWFs vary in space and time and are lower when renewables are deployed on the margin. Chapter 4 investigates the effect of implementing a dispatch cost per unit water withdrawals for electricity generation on water stress at the watershed scale. Impacts to water stress are assessed using a freshwater withdrawal to availability ratio, which quantifies water stress at the watershed level. Adding a dispatch cost per unit water withdrawal decreases water withdrawals up to 92% with a 45% increase in generation cost. The key contribution of this work is an advancement of knowledge of FEW Nexus systems at multiple spatial and temporal scales through life cycle assessment modeling, statistical modeling, and optimization modeling. Future work will include spatial and temporal improvements to models including expansion of geographic coverage and increased temporal resolution as data becomes available.

There is a lack of prescribed databases and approaches in place for performing comparable Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) of smartphones and other electronic devices in a coherent manner. Hence there is a need within certain eco-rating initiatives for simplified, yet still precise enough, approaches that are expert independent. Here, five independently published Full LCAs (FLCA) of smartphones—and a metal content declaration of a tablet—are analyzed and compared with the simplified LCA method (Open Eco Rating LCA, OLCA) used by the open eco rating (OER) sustainability assessment. OLCA is described in detail. The comparisons use the same characterization factors that are used for climate change and abiotic resource depletion (ARD) midpoint impact categories. The tablet is only analyzed for the ARD indicator (ARDI). The results show that the difference between the FLCAs and the OLCA is up to 20% for the Global Warming Potential indicator (GWPI). The difference is explained by significantly different emission intensities used in FLCAs and OLCA, especially for integrated circuit and screen production. The life cycle use of metals relevant for ARDI is identified in one of the FLCAs of mobile phones, and used in OLCA and compared with the corresponding FLCA ARDI score. The total FLCA ARDI score is 67% (2.0 vs. 1.2 grams Sb—eq.) and 32% (4.98 vs. 3.76 grams Sb—eq.) higher than OLCA ARDI for the mobile phone and the tablet, respectively. The reason is that OLCA only captures a few of the most relevant metals (gold, silver, tin, indium, and tantalum) for the ARDI. However, cobalt—and to some degree copper and lithium—are significant gaps in the OLCA. The conclusion is that OLCA is an efficient and fair approach for LCAs that are focused on the GWPI of smartphones as the divergence to FLCA can easily be explained. However, the circular footprint formulae, renewable electricity options, and ARD characterization indices for cobalt, copper and lithium should be added to OLCA for further precision. The next step is to compare the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) FLCA method with OLCA for GWPI and ARDI evaluations of new smartphones. Moreover, the effect of adding more midpoint or single score indicators could be tested in OLCA.

The establishment of sustainability credentials of emergent construction materials is very subjective, and most available tools such as BREEAM, CEQUAL, ARUP SpeAR among others are not fully quipped or equipped at all to deal with individual material systems. The main problem emanates from the challenges of the audit of each aspect of the material processing, and especially the quantification of the relevant transport, energy, environmental and other inputs into the composite product. Incorporation of materials with long and complex recycling processes further exacerbate the challenge. This paper reports on a simplified approach towards full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of seven clay-based brick products developed in UK and in Spain, based on known material data and estimated energy inputs in the manufacturing processes. In order to test the robustness of the proposed approach, results on UK-based bricks are compared with a parallel LCA on clay-based product developed in Spain. Finally, the clay-based products are compared with a typical Portland cement-based concrete block and fired clay brick. In the LCA, boundary conditions include fixed transport, thus attempting to factor only the (i) material ingredients, (ii) their known atmospheric emissions, and (iii) estimated energy inputs during processing. Results suggest that the most challenging aspect in the undertaking of LCA is the availability of reliable input data. Results also show that there are numerous parameters that can reliably and corroboratively facilitate the comparison of performance, besides carbon dioxide emissions.

Recovering resources from wastewater systems is increasingly being emphasised. Many technologies exist or are under development for recycling nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater to agriculture. Planning and design methodologies are needed to identify and deploy the most sustainable solutions in given contexts. For the environmental sustainability dimension, life cycle assessment (LCA) can be used to assess environmental impact potentials of wastewater-based nutrient recycling alternatives, especially nitrogen and phosphorus recycling. This review aims to evaluate how well the LCA methodology has been adapted and applied for assessing opportunities of wastewater-based nutrient recycling in the form of monomineral, multimineral, nutrient solution and organic solid. We reviewed 65 LCA studies that considered nutrient recycling from wastewater for agricultural land application. We synthesised some of their insights and methodological practices, and discussed the future outlook of using LCA for wastewater-based nutrient recycling. In general, more studies suggested positive environmental outcomes from wastewater-based nutrient recycling, especially when chemical inputs are minimised, and source separation of human excreta is achieved. The review shows the need to improve methodological consistency (e.g., multifunctionality, fertiliser offset accounting, contaminant accounting), ensure transparency of inventory and methods, consider uncertainty in comparative LCA context, integrate up-to-date cross-disciplinary knowledge (e.g., agriculture science, soil science) into LCA models, and consider the localised impacts of recycled nutrient products. Many opportunities exist for applying LCA at various scales to support decisions on wastewater-based nutrient recycling – for instance, performing “product perspective” LCA on recycled nutrient products, integrating “process perspective” LCA with other systems approaches for selecting and optimising individual recovery processes, assessing emerging nutrient recovery technologies and integrated resource recovery systems, and conducting systems analysis at city, national and global level.

7 - Life cycle assessment and product carbon footprint modelling of textile products

Buildings are at the locus of three trends driving China's increased energy use and emissions: urbanization, growing personal consumption, and surging heavy industrial production. Migration to cities and urban growth create demand for new building construction. Higher levels of per-capita income and consumption drive building operational energy use with demand for higher intensity lighting, thermal comfort, and plug-load power. Demand for new buildings, infrastructure, and electricity requires heavy industrial production. In order to quantify the implications of China's ongoing urbanization, rising personal consumption, and booming heavy industrial sector, this study presents a lifecycle assessment (LCA) of the energy use and carbon emissions related to residential and commercial buildings. The purpose of the LCA model is to quantify the impact of a given building and identify policy linkages to mitigate energy demand and emissions growth related to China's new building construction. As efficiency has become a higher priority with growing energy demand, policy and academic attention to buildings has focused primarily on operational energy use. Existing studies estimate that building operational energy consumption accounts for approximately 25% of total primary energy use in China. However, buildings also require energy for mining, extracting, processing, manufacturing, and transporting materials, as well as energy for construction, maintenance, and decommissioning. Building and supporting infrastructure construction is a major driver of industry consumption--in 2008 industry accounted for 72% of total Chinese energy use. The magnitude of new building construction is large in China--in 2007, for example, total built floor area reached 58 billion square meters. During the construction boom in 2007 and 2008, more than two billion m{sup 2} of building space were added annually; China's recent construction is estimated to account for half of global construction. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) developed an integrated LCA model to capture the energy and emissions implications of all aspects of new buildings from material mining through construction, operations, and decommissioning. Over the following four sections, this report describes related existing research, the LBNL building LCA model structure and results, policy linkages of this lifecycle assessment, and conclusions and recommendations for follow-on work. The LBNL model is a first-order approach to gathering local data and applying lifecycle assessment to buildings in the Beijing area--it represents one effort among a range of established, predominantly American and European, LCA models. This report identifies the benefits, limitations, and policy applications of lifecycle assessment modeling for quantifying the energy and emissions impacts of specific residential and commercial buildings.

Life cycle assessment in support of sustainable transportation

Multi-objective optimisation coupled with building energy simulation (BES) and life cycle assessment (LCA) models is a promising method to eco-design net-zero energy buildings (NZEBs) in line with sustainable objectives such as UN SDG’s goals 7, 11, 12 and 13. This paper presents a method of building multi-objective optimisation based on NSGA-II coupled with the BES model COMFIE and the building LCA tool EQUER to identify NZEB designs that minimise construction costs and GHG emissions. A dynamic electricity mix model was implemented in LCA to evaluate more precisely time-related impacts of heating and solar photovoltaic production. Three different LCA approaches defining the multi-objective optimisation problem were compared: static LCA (considering an average annual electricity mix), dynamic attributionnal LCA (average hourly mix) and dynamic consequential LCA (marginal hourly mix). Results show minor differences in optimums quality between static and dynamic attributionnal approaches but important differences in optimums design parameters between attributionnal and consequential approaches. The influence of the LCA approach on multi-objective optimisation results emphasises the need to specify guidelines for practitioners about the choice of the LCA approach.

Analytic hierarchy process-based life cycle assessment of the renewable energy production by orchard residual biomass-fueled direct-fired power generation system

Current life cycle assessment (LCA) models do not explicitly incorporate the impacts from urban stormwater pollution. To address this issue, a framework to estimate the impacts from urban stormwater pollution over the lifetime of a system has been developed, laying the groundwork for subsequent improvements in life cycle databases and LCA modelling. The proposed framework incorporates urban stormwater event mean concentration (EMC) data into existing LCA impact categories to account for the environmental impacts associated with urban land occupation across the whole life cycle of a system. It consists of five steps: (1) compilation of inventory of urban stormwater pollutants; (2) collection of precipitation data; (3) classification and characterisation within existing midpoint impact categories; (4) collation of inventory data for impermeable urban land occupation; and (5) impact assessment. The framework is generic and can be applied to any system using any LCA impact method. Its application is demonstrated by two illustrative case studies: electricity generation and production of construction materials. The results show that pollutants in urban stormwater have an influence on human toxicity, freshwater and marine ecotoxicity, marine eutrophication, freshwater eutrophication and terrestrial ecotoxicity. Among these, urban stormwater pollution has the highest relative contribution to the eutrophication potentials. The results also suggest that stormwater pollution from urban areas can have a substantial effect on the life cycle impacts of some systems (construction materials), while for some systems the effect is small (e.g. electricity generation). However, it is not possible to determine a priori which systems are affected so that the impacts from stormwater pollution should be considered routinely in future LCA studies. The paper also proposes ways to incorporate stormwater pollution burdens into the life cycle databases.

The subject of this study is a spent pot lining (SPL) landfill. The aim of this study was to identify the site remediation option, among four alternatives, that minimizes overall environmental impacts based on: 1) a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA); and 2) modeling of contaminant transport in groundwater. The four options were: leaving the landfill in place (Option 1); excavation of the landfill, with on-site disposal of the excavated materials in a secure cell (Option 2); excavation of the landfill, with treatment of the SPL fraction (Option 3); and excavation of the landfill, with incineration of the SPL fraction in a cement kiln (Option 4). The LCA was performed following the guidelines provided by the International Standard Organization (ISO). Furthermore, to improve the relevance of LCA to site remediation sector, impacts caused by residual in-situ contamination were assessed by applying a simulation of contaminant transport in groundwater, using site-specific data. The LCA identified Option 1 as having the least environmental impacts. However, the transport modeling concluded that contaminant concentrations 50 years from the present could be approximately 30 to 40 times the regulatory criteria if this option is retained. In addition, this study demonstrated that LCA can be used as a screening tool to help identify significant environmental issues; the LCA identified acute and chronic water ecotoxicity categories as being the dominant impact categories of the environmental profile and consequently, it is recommended that a complete environmental risk assessment (ERA) be performed for Option 1.

Analysis of environmental impacts of drone delivery on an online shopping system