127
multiple datasets are often needed to complete a single study (Suh et al. 2016).
Overall, the USLCI database freely provides transparent information to users based
on US conditions.
7.2.5 NIST Databases
BIRDS is fed by three proprietary databases owned and operated by NIST. There
are separate databases for single-family residential and commercial buildings as
well as one that explores incremental energy efficiency measures based on data
gathered from NIST’s Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility (NZERTF)
(Kneifel and O’Rear 2018). BIRDS explores LCA, LCC, operational energy, and
indoor environmental quality, and therefore these databases include more information than just LCI data. Specific to the LCI data, most of the data on building components are based on a mix of top-down and bottom-up data as it is available. More
specific process-based data is used for the impacts of operational electricity and
natural gas as well as any of the building’s energy technologies as BIRDS focuses
largely on the use phase of the building (Kneifel et al. 2018b). In 2018, the data
were updated and expanded to help ensure the validity of any studies carried out
using the data (Kneifel and O’Rear 2018). Much like the Athena database, everything is kept completely private, and no transparency on the data is offered.
7.3 Transparency of LCI Data to Designers
In a 2003 survey conducted on users of the Building for Environmental and
Economic Sustainability (BEES) software, the majority of responses indicated that
transparency in all stages of using the tool is important (Hofstetter, Mettier 2003).
However, this transparency can come at the burden of additional time and decisions
from the designer. Nevertheless, the inclusion of transparency surrounding LCI data
is critical in designers trusting the tools available to them. Without updated LCI
data, the tools operating on them become obsolete (Kneifel and O’Rear 2018). The
tools using LCI data are only as reliable as the data itself is. Each of the tools,
explored in Chap. 8, has a different way of handling LCI data transparency.
7.3.1 Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings
As discussed in Sect. 7.2.1, Athena has very limited transparency surrounding their
LCI data. Limited insight into the actual flows of material can be gathered from the
results of a study completed using the IE software. While the results are by and large
presented for the impact assessment, the excel report starts to break down individual
7.3 Transparency of LCI Data to Designers
multiple datasets are often needed to complete a single study (Suh et al. 2016).
Overall, the USLCI database freely provides transparent information to users based
on US conditions.
7.2.5 NIST Databases
BIRDS is fed by three proprietary databases owned and operated by NIST. There
are separate databases for single-family residential and commercial buildings as
well as one that explores incremental energy efficiency measures based on data
gathered from NIST’s Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility (NZERTF)
(Kneifel and O’Rear 2018). BIRDS explores LCA, LCC, operational energy, and
indoor environmental quality, and therefore these databases include more information than just LCI data. Specific to the LCI data, most of the data on building components are based on a mix of top-down and bottom-up data as it is available. More
specific process-based data is used for the impacts of operational electricity and
natural gas as well as any of the building’s energy technologies as BIRDS focuses
largely on the use phase of the building (Kneifel et al. 2018b). In 2018, the data
were updated and expanded to help ensure the validity of any studies carried out
using the data (Kneifel and O’Rear 2018). Much like the Athena database, everything is kept completely private, and no transparency on the data is offered.
7.3 Transparency of LCI Data to Designers
In a 2003 survey conducted on users of the Building for Environmental and
Economic Sustainability (BEES) software, the majority of responses indicated that
transparency in all stages of using the tool is important (Hofstetter, Mettier 2003).
However, this transparency can come at the burden of additional time and decisions
from the designer. Nevertheless, the inclusion of transparency surrounding LCI data
is critical in designers trusting the tools available to them. Without updated LCI
data, the tools operating on them become obsolete (Kneifel and O’Rear 2018). The
tools using LCI data are only as reliable as the data itself is. Each of the tools,
explored in Chap. 8, has a different way of handling LCI data transparency.
7.3.1 Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings
As discussed in Sect. 7.2.1, Athena has very limited transparency surrounding their
LCI data. Limited insight into the actual flows of material can be gathered from the
results of a study completed using the IE software. While the results are by and large
presented for the impact assessment, the excel report starts to break down individual
7.3 Transparency of LCI Data to Designers