Chapter 2

Highlights from Chapter 2

• Infrastructure for Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000 required LCA– Looked at the built environment

• Product design• Waste management• Biofuels• Water management

Highlights continued

• Many other international avenues• Table 2.1 – do you think that is similar in the

US?– Getting data is difficult

• Table 2.2 (next slide) – any differences between Australia and the US?

Table 2.2Industry uses Industry interested Low interest

Steel Timber Electricity

Concrete Plastics Transport

Vinyl Water Imports, electronics

Aluminum Waste management

Agriculture

Chemicals

Automotive

Packaging

LCA in PracticeOtherwise Known as Chapter 3

Goals

• Start with a baby project• Steps to perform an LCA• Additional terminology• Types of LCA

Baby Project

• Groups or individually?• Impact of incandescent, CFL, and LED lighting

in KY households• Energy star refrigerator versus normal

refrigerator in a KY household• Any other ideas?

1. Steps to perform an LCA

• Important to have a well defined problem description or question as a starting point

• Sometimes they will be very specific– GHGE from a KY household if they switch from

incandescent to CFL– What is the best fuel for power production

• Questions can evolve over time and could be iterative– Maybe we need to add LED lights to the analysis?

2. Scope

• Scope may be adjusted due to– Number of life cycle stages (how complicated do

you want to make this)– Number of environmental impacts and indicators– Quantity of locally collected, specific data for the

LCA

Additional Classifications of LCA

• Bottom up– Process analysis– Buy components, build a tractor, recycle scraps– Buy equipment to grow algae,

• Top down also Input/output (3.5)– Anyone have macro economics

Attributional vs Consequential

• Attributional– Probably our may focus– Average impacts of a process

• Consequential– Considers decisions by consumers– Scale, location, market conditions, etc.– Might consider peoples perceptions of CFL – i.e. x

% hate CFLs

3.2 Generic Elements of LCA

• Functional unit– Each option provides same function or utility– Bumper of steel or plastic • Needs to have same safety, look, etc.

– Travel same mile with fuel (ethanol versus gasoline)

– Looking for substitution with equal function, but lower environmental burden• Light bulbs need to provide equal illumination

Generic Elements cont.

• System boundary– Could be everything• Mineral extraction, processing, transport to factory, etc

– Narrow• Bt versus traditional cotton• Assume same yield, harvest, planting equipment,

quality of product• Only difference in pesticide applications

Generic Elements cont.

• Inputs/outputs– Make sure relative to functional unit– Materials, services, energy, CO2, N, heavy metals,

etc.• Impact assessment– Maybe just GHGE– Or looking at lead reduction– Maybe major pollutant• NOx, Sox, Hg from power generation

3.4 Streamlined LCA

• Simplified studies– Narrow boundaries– Targets specific issues– Using readily available data• Could be qualitative data

– Might be difficult to publish

3.5 Input Output

• Looks at economic sectors• US economy split into 500 sectors• We probably will not work with this• Other methods are more process base, not

economics based

LCA-integrated Life Cycle Costing

• Covers all costs of owning, operating, maintaining and disposing of equipment

• Could be different types of cost – manufacturer, consumer, public– Cost of a barrel of oil?

• Remember time is important– Do you want $1 today or $1 in the future?– Often need to move $ from different time basis

Life Cycle Stages

Inputs

RawMaterials

Energy

Raw material acquisition

Manufacturing

Use / Reuse / Maintenance

Recycle / Waste management

Outputs

Atmospheric emissions

Waterborne wastes

Solid wastes

Coproducts

Other releases

EPA, 1993

LCA Phases (ISO, 1997)Life Cycle Assessment Framework

Goal definition and

scope

Inventory analysis

Impact assessment

Interpretation

Examples

• GHGE from a KY household if they switch from incandescent to CFL– Functional unit– Number of life cycles– System boundary– Inputs and outputs to the system– Recycling of CFL– probably could arrive at some

data using the input-output economic impact

Difficulties with CFL Problem• Life of bulbs• Transportation differences

– Are they manufactured in same location• Process energy

– Manufacturing– Recycling– Trade groups – light bulb association?

• Maybe breakdown by component– Glass, steel, plastic, etc (World Steel Organization)– http://worldsteel.org/dms/internetDocumentList/bookshop/LCA-

Methodology-Report/document/LCA%20Methodology%20Report.pdf

– Find “gross” data for raw materials

Life Cycle Inventory

• I think this is just a fancy way of saying data sources

• Power generation – DOE ?, maybe state office of energy– CO2, Hg -- what about potential mining differences

from lower energy consumption• Life span of bulbs and energy consumption – mfg

of bulb• Recycling/waste disposal – maybe EPA or

city/state

Examples

• Bottled water versus tap– Functional unit– Number of life cycles– System boundary– Inputs and outputs– Recycling

Difficult part with water

• Water source• Municipal versus Fiji• Transportation distances

– Refrigeration– Types of plastic• Recycling concerns

– Service life of products