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database is built off real industrial practices, not theory or concepts. In addition to
owning and managing their own datasets, GaBi also licenses data from ecoinvent
and the USLCI database (Sphera). The flow hierarchies of these databases are
matched to the one used in GaBi to ensure seamless integration. The database itself
houses tens of thousands of datasets spanning the majority of industries including
agriculture, building and construction, metals and mining, plastics, textiles, and
many more.
The quality of the data is ensured through frequent updates and external reviews.
Every dataset in the database is updated annually to best match current and changing practices. Furthermore, Sphera contracts Dekra to conduct a third-party critical
review of the LCI data to ensure both quality and accuracy (Sphera). Beyond the
attention paid to quality, transparency is a critical component of the database. All of
the metadata associated with the datasets are available freely online, even without
having a license to access the database. For each individual process, a host of information is available, that provides users with the ability to assess the relevance of the
data to a particular study. The information provided includes geographical location,
reference year and year it is valid until, general information, reference flows and a
flow diagram, technology description, methodologies, allocations, completeness,
and the data quality indicator based on Ciroth’s pedigree matrix. Since this is freely
posted on their website, even designers who are using the LCI data through a tool
and not licensing the database can investigate the data and determine the quality and
reliability as it relates to the goal and scope of the study.
7.2.4 USLCI Database
Started in 2003 with the aim to provide high-quality, transparent LCI data relevant
to US conditions to support the expanded use of LCA studies in decision-making,
the USLCI database is recognized as the main source of LCI data in the United
States (NREL 2009). The database is maintained and managed by the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The information in the USLCI database is
free to access and use (Curran 2012). In the database itself, both the data and metadata are transparently reported. The datasets include information on the reflected
manufacturing process, the actual flows of materials and emissions, and any applicable allocation factors. There is also information on who generated, documented,
and published the data, when the data was published, and how the data was obtained.
Efforts have been made to not only keep the data up-to-date but also to provide a
wide range of unit processes and flows in different sectors to provide users with a
comprehensive set of data that enables a consistent analysis (NREL 2009). While
some datasets are listed geographically as “North America,” all of the datasets are
most representative of US conditions having been built on US data and modeling
technology (Grabowski et al. 2015). However, major efforts have been made to keep
the database compatible with international LCI databases, and NREL has sought
help from many international players to do so (NREL 2009). This is important as
7 LCI Data and Design
database is built off real industrial practices, not theory or concepts. In addition to
owning and managing their own datasets, GaBi also licenses data from ecoinvent
and the USLCI database (Sphera). The flow hierarchies of these databases are
matched to the one used in GaBi to ensure seamless integration. The database itself
houses tens of thousands of datasets spanning the majority of industries including
agriculture, building and construction, metals and mining, plastics, textiles, and
many more.
The quality of the data is ensured through frequent updates and external reviews.
Every dataset in the database is updated annually to best match current and changing practices. Furthermore, Sphera contracts Dekra to conduct a third-party critical
review of the LCI data to ensure both quality and accuracy (Sphera). Beyond the
attention paid to quality, transparency is a critical component of the database. All of
the metadata associated with the datasets are available freely online, even without
having a license to access the database. For each individual process, a host of information is available, that provides users with the ability to assess the relevance of the
data to a particular study. The information provided includes geographical location,
reference year and year it is valid until, general information, reference flows and a
flow diagram, technology description, methodologies, allocations, completeness,
and the data quality indicator based on Ciroth’s pedigree matrix. Since this is freely
posted on their website, even designers who are using the LCI data through a tool
and not licensing the database can investigate the data and determine the quality and
reliability as it relates to the goal and scope of the study.
7.2.4 USLCI Database
Started in 2003 with the aim to provide high-quality, transparent LCI data relevant
to US conditions to support the expanded use of LCA studies in decision-making,
the USLCI database is recognized as the main source of LCI data in the United
States (NREL 2009). The database is maintained and managed by the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The information in the USLCI database is
free to access and use (Curran 2012). In the database itself, both the data and metadata are transparently reported. The datasets include information on the reflected
manufacturing process, the actual flows of materials and emissions, and any applicable allocation factors. There is also information on who generated, documented,
and published the data, when the data was published, and how the data was obtained.
Efforts have been made to not only keep the data up-to-date but also to provide a
wide range of unit processes and flows in different sectors to provide users with a
comprehensive set of data that enables a consistent analysis (NREL 2009). While
some datasets are listed geographically as “North America,” all of the datasets are
most representative of US conditions having been built on US data and modeling
technology (Grabowski et al. 2015). However, major efforts have been made to keep
the database compatible with international LCI databases, and NREL has sought
help from many international players to do so (NREL 2009). This is important as
7 LCI Data and Design