Life Cycle Assessment: from theory to practical application
Overview
Title: Conducting an environmental Life Cycle Assessment: from theory to practical application
Course aims: to bring fundamentals knowledge on LCA method to students from various educational backgrounds, as well as at ability to conduct an LCA study with SimaPro software.
Candidate’s profil: French, European and International master students (M2) and PhD students
Teaching language: English
- Duration of training: 5,5 days
ECTS Credits: 4
Training site: INSA Toulouse
- Next session: from Monday, 11th July until Wednesday 20th July
Presentation
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a worldwide used methodology for the compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and the potential environmental impacts associated with products, processes or services. Thanks to its holistic perspective – taking into account all the stages from a cradle to grave approach – LCA evaluates the potential impacts related to any economic activity including raw material extraction and processing, distribution, use or consumption, re-use, recycling, and final disposal.
The Summer School course introduces the environmental LCA methodology with applications to real life examples. The course is mainly oriented to MSc / PhD students who want to achieve a first degree of specialization in this field, but also to other people with a specific interest in these topics and a limited amount of time. No prior knowledge of Life Cycle Assessment is needed.
Fully interactive didactical methods used in this Summer School include *Lectures given by senior researchers*, *Business game*, *Individual and group exercises* and *Computer-based practical classes*.
This course aims at bringing fundamental knowledge on the LCA methodology to students from various educational backgrounds, as well as competences to conduct an LCA study with the SimaPro software.
On completion of this Summer School course, the learner will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and concepts of LCA, and eventually apply to a personal work
- Assess the environmental impacts of a system
- Propose the best strategy to eco-design systems
This course presents the main concepts of LCA in a format accessible to a broad audience. Each class is 3 hours.
Monday 11/07 morning : General introduction to Life Cycle Thinking
– EUR BIOECO Summer School Welcome
– Presentation of the ESS program
– Teaching staff presentation + learners presentation
– Life Cycle Perception with Business game
– Take home messages. Focus on important points
Monday 11/07 afternoon Stage 1 of LCA – Scope definition
– Goal & Scope definition
– Definition of primary services, functional unit and reference flow
– Secondary services
– Classroom exercise (hand-drier)
Tuesday 12/07 morning Stage 1 of LCA – Scope definition and introduction to multi-functionality
– Classroom exercises (pork oil for biodiesel)
– Drawing process flow diagrams: attributional and consequential modeling
– Introduction to multi-functionality
– Marginal versus average processes
– Societal infrastructure (Electricity’s Technologies, Energy system analysis)
Tuesday 12/07 afternoon Stage 2 of LCA – Inventory analysis
– Foreground & background data
– Data quality (Pedigree matrix, EF method)
– Inventory calculation exercise
Stage 3 of LCA – Impact assessment
– Impact Assessment game
– Description of mid-point indicators
– Presentation of EF
– Assessment calculation exercise
Wednesday 13/07 morning Excel modelling
– Simplified Hand drier case study on excel
Wednesday 13/07 afternoon SimaPro modelling
– Global overview of the SimaPro software
– Introduction to SimaPro software (transport+bread examples)
Monday 18/07 morning SimaPro modelling
– Hand drier case study on SimaPro: with end of life modeling
Monday 18/07 afternoon SimaPro modelling + Stage 4 of LCA – Results & discussion
– Hand drier case study on SimaPro: with end of life modeling
– Aerosol bomb case study on SimaPro : Life cycle modeling with guidance
Tuesday 19/07 morning SimaPro modelling
– Coffee cup case study on SimaPro without (much) guidance
– Consequential modeling
Tuesday 19/07 afternoon SimaPro modelling + Stage 4 of LCA – Results & discussion
– Interpretation, coffee cup exercise
– Assessment of uncertainty and sensitivity through Global Sensitivity Analysis
Wednesday 20/07 morning Exam and feedback
– Multi-choice questions
– Self & peer reviewing correction
– Take home messages. Focus on important points
– What has not been shown?
– Learner’s feedback
French, European and International master students (M2) and PhD students