Question

Is the free USDA 2019 an LCI database and does it contain providers for industrial materials and chemicals?

Answer 1

Can you clarify what you mean by the free USDA 2019 database? Are you looking at the USDA Crop Data 2019 database on the openLCA Nexus?

The Federal LCA Commons data on the Nexus is converted from the data that is available and updated here: https://www.lcacommons.gov/lca-collaboration/. Note that the versions provided on the openLCA Nexus are provided by GreenDelta and are compatible with the openLCA methods pack and many other databases on the Nexus, while the version on the LCA Commons site is compatible with the Federal LCA Flows list.

Comments

Hello, thank you very much for your reply and clarification.  I would like to use NREL - USLCI data for flows and providers; and would like to use the TRACI lcia method.  If I'm understanding correctly, the LCA Commons database, that is available to purchase on openlca Nexus, contains the Federal LCA Commons datasets for USLCI (lci database) and TRACI (lcia method), yes?

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Yes, I believe it contains the USLCI data. I would expect that it would not itself contain TRACI, but rather you would need to download the free openLCA LCIA methods pack for TRACI.

Note that I work with the Federal LCA Commons data - and can speak to that - but someone from GreenDelta would need to confirm the exact contents of the dataset on the Nexus

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Thank you for the reply.  If I may ask, when using the Federal LCA Commons data in openlca do you find that "flow mapping" is often needed to align/link the flows from LCA Commons with the openlca lcia methods?

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Yes, the Federal LCA Commons and the openLCA nexus use different flow lists so mapping is required to make them interoperable. Note though that the Federal LCA Commons has LCIA methods as well.