How to add your own provider?

Question

How can I add my own providers? I am trying to do an LCA calculation for a specific product but I have my own providers, not from a database. How can I manually link providers to flows I created myself? I want to do an LCA calculation based on only my own collected data and providers I am working with. How can I do this?

Answer 1

well you can enter a provider if a process is producing the product, always, it does not matter whether this process was created by you or is in a database?

Comments

And if I do this, how does the software know how much CO2 or other parameters it must calculate when I calculate the LCA? For example say I add "benzene" as a flow with a provider I made with a process (so not taken from an existing database), how does the software then know how much CO2-eq it must count for 1kg benzene for example? Shouldn't I be able to enter that somewhere? Because otherwise how can calculations be precise?

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if you have a provider for benzene and use it in a process then it is a product, and then it will not directly contribute to climate change (or toxic) impacts, only indirectly, via emissions and resource use in its production and supply chain. If you have benzene as emission for example, then you should take a flow that exists in an impact method, for this emission, and then it will directly contribute. Maybe it is clear now?

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Okay so then say benzene is my elementary flow. Should it then not have an impact on the environment when I use it?

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Indeed, it will have an impact, if it is included in the impact assessment method you are using.

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Yes but how can it be included if I made the elementary flow myself? I am sorry for the many questions but I am very confused.

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ah I see; first, there are already benzene elementary flows, rather use these; if not (e.g. if your emission goes to a compartment not yet addressed in the existing flows) then you can simply add the flow ("your" flow) to the impact categories where it fits, and assign a fitting characterisation factor. Then it will be considered.

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Yes that is what I'm looking for/trying to ask. How exactly can I add "my" flow to that impact category and assign the characterisation factor? I don't see how or where I can add it.