unrealistic results in CO2-equivalent using probas-database

Question

Hello,

i have a question referring to openLCA and would be happy if you could help me.

When i enter my product system i get totally unrealistic results, although the units are right (tkm for transport, 200 gramms transported 3000km, resulting in over 7 Million kg CO2-equivalent). Do you have any idea what problem could cause such unrealistic results?

Maybe this helps: I´ve got a methods file from my mentor that i am supposed to use, if i want to open the file it says i must update. When i want to update the program shows this error:

org.openlca.app.navigation.actions.db.DbActivateAction

org.openlca.core.database.DatabaseException: Error while loading all Category

(...)

could that be the reason for the Problem? Do you have any idea how i could solve this?

I apologize for my bad english.

Greetings Robert

Answer 1

ProBas is unfortunately not a great database, although it contains some processes that can be useful. The connections often do not make sense. You must not create a product system with the autocomplete option in openLCA.

About the update: which versions of openLCA are you using? The methods file is a zolca file? ProBas has different, much simpler elementary flows, and needs a specific LCIA method (which is provided in the database). It is of course possible to update this, so maybe your mentor has done that? You could check the inventory results, whether they make sense, to rule out that the issue is caused by the methods. Good luck!

Answer 2

watch out for dummy nuclear processes that cause infinite loops. i had a fossil fuel process that was several hundred kg CO2 negative because of an infinite loop connection burried in the process.