Is it possible to manually add impact factors for specific flows to an existing impact assessment method?

Question

Hello LCAcommunity, 

I was wondering whether it is possible to manually add a specific impact factor to an existing impact assessment category for a defined flow. 

E.g., the created flow "electricity mix XY" should always be assessed considering an impact factor of 0.219 kg CO2eq/kWh in within the method "ei - EFv3.0" in the impact category "climate change - GWP 100". Henceforth, if a product system is calculated each kWh of electricity mix in the method "ei - EF v3.0" shall be assessed with 0.219 kgCO2eq. 

This is required as external LCA results shall be added to the existing ecoinvent database and results are required to display both - ecoinvent based impact assessments and external LCA-based impact assessments 

Thanks in advance! 

Best, Hanna 

Answer 1

Hi Hanna,

outside of Harry Potter (you shall not pass) LCA formal language is probably the space where "shall" is used most :)

Of course you can edit and add impact factors in the methods in openLCA once they are imported. Add the flow to a category, and then enter a characterisation factor and unit.

Best wishes,

Andreas

Comments

Andreas, I think you are thinking of Gandalf in Lord of the Rings! ;)

However, is it possible (maybe trhough the API) to migrate an already existing LCIA method, which is previously made for simapro, into a newly (manually) created LCIA method in oLCA?... the CSV-file developed is currently semicolon separated, and is pretty straght forward in terms of table structure. Example:

"... Impact category
Climate change;ppm

Substances
Air;(unspecified);Carbon dioxide;000124-38-9;1E-1;kg
Air;low. pop.;Carbon dioxide;000124-38-9;1E-1;kg ... "