System processes in EN15804?

Question

Hello,

We recently acquired the EN15804 epd creator addition for ecoinvent. We constructed our product system with system processes like always, but got a resounding 0 on all waste categories. When will all waste and inventory from the EPD's be integrated into existing system processes, or EN15804 processes will be made available as system processes?

Answer 1

Hi Mathias,

The processes in the EN15804 add-on have waste contributions, but of course not all proceses, only those where the flow is a final waste flow. If you make a small system, then you maybe do not have processes with final waste flows. Having system processes is a good suggestion, it is less transparent but if we provide the unit processes in addition users can still check. We are going to release a small update soon, and will also provide the system processes then.

If you want, you can share here why you think you should have waste indicator results (edit your question and add pictures), or send me a direct mail (via nexus). Thank you!

Comments

Hi Andreas, thank you for the answer. The update sounds good :)

The system ends with a waste flow, which is modelled using the process
"market for municipal solid waste | municipal solid waste | Cutoff, S - DK"

I would have assumed that there would be a flow in this process that counts as non-hazardous waste disposed, but it does not show up in the results.

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Ok but then this system process was added by you, and added to the database? Then you need to add the elementary waste flow to this process as well (check the LCIA method), with the same amount as the waste flow; this will ignore potential additional waste created in the DK system process though, and assume that all this waste is final waste.

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Do i understand your meaning correectly, that only the processes that end in "15804EN - U" have the waste flows? I was under the impression that all the databases in ecoinvent would be updated with the inventory and waste flows, when the add-on was imported.
To clarify, the market process mentioned before is a part of the eco-invent cut-off database.

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The add-on is a different system model in ecoinvent, it should not be mixed with cut-off processes since these are from another system model; the waste flows are only included in EN15804 processes.

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That clears up a lot. Thank you for your answers. I look forward to the update with system processes, as i use them the most. Have a good day.

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Hello, i decided to ask in here, for reference.

Do you know when the update will be released? The fix i made with calculating the unit processes into LCI data for use in bigger analysis is working fine, except for when it comes to contribution analysis. Here it shows only one process impact, and that is the total for the product system. It subdivides into processes, when calculating the product system, but not when exporting the results to excel.
This worked much better with the premade System processes.

For this reason i am curious when the update you mentioned will come out.
Thanks in advance.
:)