in the handbook, “The respective flows shall however be foreseen
to be identified and stay in the inventory, but without stating an
amount and being marked as ‘missing relevant’ or ‘missing irrelevant’, as applicable.”
5 LCI Analysis
After reviewing the ISO LCA Standard and its terminology, one
should be able to envision the level and type of efforts needed to
perform an inventory analysis of algal fuel production systems.
Every study using the ISO Standard has LCI phase, but many
studies end at this phase and are called LCI of algal fuels production
studies. Those that continue on to impact assessment are LCAs.
That does not mean that LCI of algal fuel production/use chains
studies has better inventory analyses than LCAs; in fact, LCAs of
algal fuel production/use chains may require more comprehensive
inventory analyses to support the necessary impact assessment.
In algal fuel production/use chains, inventory analysis follows a
straightforward and repeating workflow, which involves the following steps (as taken from ISO 14040 and 14044 [22]) done and
repeated until the inventory analysis matches the then-current goal
and scope:
1. Preparation for data compilation according to goal and scope
(as the LCI process is iterated, the system boundary and/or
goal and scope may be changed);
2. Data collection;
3. Data validation (do this even if reusing others’ data);
4. Data allocation (if needed);
5. Assigning the collected data to the unit process;
6. Assigning the compiled data to the FU; and
7. Data aggregation.
5.1 Data Collection
Databases available through computer programs should be considered or alternatively, data approximated on the basis of communication with experts, published literature, industrial and/or
agricultural activities as well as extrapolation from lab-scale results
when real data is not found. Concerning the last item, for example,
is really difficult to measure emissions to air in the algae cultivation
stage.
Gather into the inventory data sources from three families as
illustrated by Carneiro et al. [26]:
1. Literature data compiled from previously published reports
(books, articles, manuals, databases, etc.) in the field of algal
fuel production/use chains;
Life Cycle Analysis
131
to be identified and stay in the inventory, but without stating an
amount and being marked as ‘missing relevant’ or ‘missing irrelevant’, as applicable.”
5 LCI Analysis
After reviewing the ISO LCA Standard and its terminology, one
should be able to envision the level and type of efforts needed to
perform an inventory analysis of algal fuel production systems.
Every study using the ISO Standard has LCI phase, but many
studies end at this phase and are called LCI of algal fuels production
studies. Those that continue on to impact assessment are LCAs.
That does not mean that LCI of algal fuel production/use chains
studies has better inventory analyses than LCAs; in fact, LCAs of
algal fuel production/use chains may require more comprehensive
inventory analyses to support the necessary impact assessment.
In algal fuel production/use chains, inventory analysis follows a
straightforward and repeating workflow, which involves the following steps (as taken from ISO 14040 and 14044 [22]) done and
repeated until the inventory analysis matches the then-current goal
and scope:
1. Preparation for data compilation according to goal and scope
(as the LCI process is iterated, the system boundary and/or
goal and scope may be changed);
2. Data collection;
3. Data validation (do this even if reusing others’ data);
4. Data allocation (if needed);
5. Assigning the collected data to the unit process;
6. Assigning the compiled data to the FU; and
7. Data aggregation.
5.1 Data Collection
Databases available through computer programs should be considered or alternatively, data approximated on the basis of communication with experts, published literature, industrial and/or
agricultural activities as well as extrapolation from lab-scale results
when real data is not found. Concerning the last item, for example,
is really difficult to measure emissions to air in the algae cultivation
stage.
Gather into the inventory data sources from three families as
illustrated by Carneiro et al. [26]:
1. Literature data compiled from previously published reports
(books, articles, manuals, databases, etc.) in the field of algal
fuel production/use chains;
Life Cycle Analysis
131