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Appendix 3. Life cycle assessment through GEMIS software
3.1. Global presentation
GEMIS or Global Emission Model for Integrated Systems is an open source tool for assessing
the environmental impacts and costs of energy, materials and transportation systems.
- Air Emissions (SO2, NOx, particles,).
- Greenhouse Gases (CO2, CH4, N2O ...).
- Waste Water (AOX, DBO, DCO, N et P).
- Solid waste (Ash, residues from combustion gas treatment, production waste).
- Resource use (primary energy, raw materials and land).
In addition, GEMIS evaluates economic costs and employment records.
3.2. Software Structure
The software platform has three main windows: product, process and scenario.
3.2.1. The Product
The GEMIS defines products as the inputs and outputs of processes. The products contain the
information needed to calculate the energy and environmental characteristics of the
processes. The GEMIS standard database includes more than 750 basic product types.
Product types are defined as follows:
Energy transporters, products entering or leaving a process, other than fuel, it may be
electricity from steam or hot water.
Materials, products entering or leaving a process as energy carriers (chemical compounds,
building materials, industrial products and agricultural products...).
Figure 27. GEMIS 4.7 Software Product Window
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