OpenLCA 1.3.4 and ecoinvent v2.2

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takamo
Posts: 3
Joined: 31 Oct 2013 14:30

OpenLCA 1.3.4 and ecoinvent v2.2

Post by takamo » 21 Mar 2014 14:44

I'm using openLCA with an educational licence of ecoinvent (v2.2). I was instructed to use LCIA method files available in www.mydrive.ch (impact-methods). After updating to openLCA version 1.3.4, the LCIA methods are not calculated right in openLCA. For example, in ReCiPe hierarchist method, the marine and freshwater eutrophications result to identical values of any process, and water depletion also seems to result to erroneous values.

It seems that updating the openLCA to 1.3.4 caused the malfunctioning of impact methods. I tried to re-import LCIA methods to openLCA (in .olca format as instructed) but it's possible import them only to a new database. I can't move the flows, processes and projects created in another database to the new database. So this leaves me with empty database with correct LCIA method and a database of my own processes with malfunctioning LCIA method. Is there a way to correct this?

aciroth
Posts: 750
Joined: 09 May 2010 23:28

Re: OpenLCA 1.3.4 and ecoinvent v2.2

Post by aciroth » 22 Mar 2014 21:39

Hi,

I would recommend to use the new LCIA method pack from the openLCA download page. For openLCA 1.3.4, you can import it as EcoSpold file. You will then lose the normalisation and weighting info as this is not supported by the EcoSpold01 format. As an alternative, as you did, you can create a new database with the olca LCIA file (which will then contain the complete information) and import ecoinvent into this database. openLCA 1.4 will contain the possibility to import also normalisation and weighting factors.

I am not sure about the mydrive impact methods (this is a quite old version provided directly from ecoinvent?) - we have still "our" ecoinvent pack also on the openLCA download page, I remember we updated there the Recipe method as it was not fully correct in the ecoinvent file.

You should also use the ecoinvent database from nexus (don't know in your case).

Hope this helps,
Andreas

takamo
Posts: 3
Joined: 31 Oct 2013 14:30

Re: OpenLCA 1.3.4 and ecoinvent v2.2

Post by takamo » 24 Mar 2014 12:21

Thank you for the assistance. I downloaded the LCIA method pack in EcoPold01 format (clicked EcoSpold01 as zip archive (10 MB); created folder openLCA_LCIA_methods_1.2) from openLCA download pages. It made a difference in the results but it didn't solve the problem: the results are still erroneous compared to the ones I checked directly from the ecoinvent v2.2 database. Originally I downloaded the UPR and LCI data from mydrive.ch (all packs dated 06/09/2010). I have access to ecoinvent database which isn't purchased via nexus. This is probably the reason for the problems...

aciroth
Posts: 750
Joined: 09 May 2010 23:28

Re: OpenLCA 1.3.4 and ecoinvent v2.2

Post by aciroth » 25 Mar 2014 10:31

Yes indeed I think this is the reason. Also with other LCA Software systems, importing ecoinvent from mydrive and then using LCIA methods provided for the LCA software will probably not work correctly. I probably mentioned already that if you have a licence, you do not need to pay the full ecoinvent licence price from us (check the nexus site). And a new licence costs the same as from other sources.

takamo
Posts: 3
Joined: 31 Oct 2013 14:30

Re: OpenLCA 1.3.4 and ecoinvent v2.2

Post by takamo » 27 Mar 2014 10:59

I still have problems with the calculations in openLCA version 1.3.4. I created a new database to get a clean start. I downloaded the LCIA method in EcoSpold01 format from the openLCA download page (EcoSpold01 as zip archive (10 MB)) and the ecoinvent version 2.2 in nexus pack format (ecoinvent_2_2_unit.nexuspack), as instructed.
I have done some test calculations as follows:
Created a flow “TestProduct1”, type: product, number of items: 1
Created a process “TestProduct1”, where TestProduct1 is a quantitative reference and the only input is 1 kg of “aluminium, primary, at plant”
Created a product system “TestProduct1” with the process TestProduct1 as reference product
Calculated the results in CML 2001 (baseline) LCIA method and here’s an excerpt of the results from openLCA per 1 item:
MAETP inf 28133,8708 kg 1,4-dichlorobenze
Eutrophication – generic 0,00519356 kg PO4 eq

If I directly check the results of 1 kg directly in ecoinvent (aluminium, primary ,at plant #1054), the results differ:
MAETP infinite 39885 kg 1,4-DBC-eq
Eutrophication generic 0,019733 kg PO4-eq
These are just examples – there are various differences in the impact categories in CML 2001 method. I also tried with other calculation methods and couldn’t get identical results. What do I do wrong?

aciroth
Posts: 750
Joined: 09 May 2010 23:28

Re: OpenLCA 1.3.4 and ecoinvent v2.2

Post by aciroth » 04 Apr 2014 09:16

Hi,
LCIA (and especially the marine ecotoxicity values) are always tricky and some methods use extremely high values in their original version. We are currently working on an extensive analysis of these differences, also comparing different software systems with their LCIA results. We do this to find potential issues on our side (which may exist) but also to show differences and maybe to stimulate discussion. Of course, as the methods are open, if you have any specific comments, this would be useful (on the level of individual characterisation factors). I hope we will be able to distribute our evaluation (and potentially improved LCIA methods) in 2 weeks.
Thanks!
Andreas

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