Lifecycle: Design
Recipes
Type of Resource
Excel tool
Source
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, tool developed in collaboration with Radboud University Nijmegen, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and PRé.
What does it do?
ReCiPe is a method for the impact assessment in an life cycle assessment (LCA). Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) translates emissions and resource extractions into a limited number of environmental impact scores. Covers Midpoint indicators that focus on single environmental problems and Endpoint indicators show the environmental impact on 3 higher aggregation levels. Uses data from the CCaLC or Ecoinvent databases.
Why use it?
Download free to access CSV files to conduct Life Cycle Impact Assessment.
Accessibility
Excel / CSV files that are free to download.
Target Audience
Technical
Difficulty Level
Advanced
Pre-requisites to use
None
Sector
All
How to access it
Rating
One-click LCA
Type of Resource
Software tool
Source
Bionova Ltd
What does it do?
Tool that calculates environmental impacts in the construction industry. Allows the user to track, quantify and optimize the circularity of materials sourced, used and re-used and get a detailed breakdown per material type. Provides you with access to a database of 65.000+ materials to compare and find better-performing materials and test different options for more sustainable buildings.
Why use it?
Conducts carbon footprint calculation and circularity of materials assessment to support the construction of greener construction projects.
Accessibility
Free Demo available.Annual payment, 4 plans available - Starter to Expert.
Target Audience
Technical
Difficulty Level
Advanced
Pre-requisites to use
None
Sector
All
How to access it
Rating
SimaPro
Type of Resource
Software tool
Source
SimaPro
What does it do?
Online tool that allows users to collect, analyse and monitor sustainability performance data in order to:
• model and analyse complex life cycles;
• measure the environmental impact of products and services across all life-cycle stages; and
• identify the hotspots along the supply chain from extraction of raw materials to manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal.
• model and analyse complex life cycles;
• measure the environmental impact of products and services across all life-cycle stages; and
• identify the hotspots along the supply chain from extraction of raw materials to manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal.
Why use it?
Life cycle assessment tool that can be used to conduct sustainability reporting, carbon and water footprinting, product design and determining key performance indicators.
Accessibility
Free demo and 30 day trial is available after which a licence is chargeable.
Target Audience
Technical
Difficulty Level
Advanced
Pre-requisites to use
None
Sector
Manufacturing / Production
How to access it
Rating
TRACI 2.1 (Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and other environmental Impacts)
Type of Resource
Excel tool
Source
United States Environmental Protection Agency
What does it do?
An environmental impact assessment tool that measures characterisation factors to quantify the impacts that inputs and outputs have on chemical operations. Can download as an Excel file and includes user manual. Predominatly designed for chemical environmental impacts.
Why use it?
Tool to assess the environmental impacts of chemical use in a project.
Accessibility
Fully accessible
Target Audience
Technical
Difficulty Level
Advanced
Pre-requisites to use
None
Sector
Chemical industry
How to access it
Rating
LCA Calculator
Type of Resource
Software tool
Source
LCA Calculator Ltd
What does it do?
A cloud-based software tool for life cycle assessment helping designers and engineers to understand, analyse and compare environmental impacts of their products, to help them to make ‘greener’ design decisions. Required to create an account but claims to have a usable interface and offer quick calculations.
Why use it?
Instant carbon footprint calculation software to support a sustainable design solution.
Accessibility
Required to pay for a monthly plan
Target Audience
Technical
Difficulty Level
Advanced
Pre-requisites to use
None
Sector
All
How to access it
Rating
3Pillars
Type of Resource
Software tool
Source
Earthshift Global
What does it do?
Online Return on Investment software that utilises a continually updated database of social and environmental costs and a range of other factors to compare investment opportunities on both a sustainability and profitability basis. Data can be easily inputted into an intuitive interface and provides dashboard views of results, including project views.
Why use it?
Gain an understanding of the anticpated environmental and economic performance of your business case and design.
Accessibility
30 day trial available.Pricing on licence costs available on website.
Target Audience
Technical
Difficulty Level
Advanced
Pre-requisites to use
None
Sector
All
How to access it
Rating
CCaLC2 (Carbon Calculations over the life cycle of industrial activity)
Type of Resource
Software tool
Source
University of Manchester
What does it do?
A software application tool for calculating the environmental and economic impacts of life-cycle carbon inventories along the whole supply chains. Allows users to estimate the financial cost and benefits of reducing the carbon footprint. Available to download for free and can be tailored for different applications (Windows, Android, Excel) and industrial sectors.
Why use it?
LCA and decision-support tools for calculating and reducing the carbon footprints of different industrial sectors across supply chains. Particularly effective during the design stage.
Accessibility
Fully accessible subject to download capability.
Target Audience
Technical
Difficulty Level
Advanced
Pre-requisites to use
None
Sector
All
How to access it
Rating
Autocase
Type of Resource
Software tool
Source
Autocase
What does it do?
Used by Architects and designers to produce designs that combine life-cycle cost analysis and cost-benefit analysis of buildings and so allows users to quantify and attribute monetary values to financial, social, and environmental impacts of any project proposal. Requires minimum project-specific inputs and then Autocase pre-populates standard buildings and localised industry-validated data to measure the impacts of designs.
Why use it?
Triple bottom line cost benefit analysis software for buildings and infrastructure. Can show the financial, social and economic benefits of your designs to support the business case.
Accessibility
Free demo available, after which licence fee charges apply.
Target Audience
Technical
Difficulty Level
Intermediate
Pre-requisites to use
None
Sector
Construction
How to access it
Rating
SPeAR® (Sustainable Project Appraisal Routine)
Type of Resource
Software tool
Source
ARUP
What does it do?
Decision support software tool that appraises infrastructure projects based on 21 social, environmental and economic indicators. Results are presented graphically on the unique SPeAR® diagram which shows a traffic light system indicating performance in each area.
Why use it?
During the design stage it can be used to compare and assess the pros and cons of various design options, identify key risk areas, guide decision-making and assess the implications of design changes. It can also be used to undertake evaluation upon project completion, and during operation, which can inform organisational learning and approaches to future projects.
Accessibility
Pre-Appraisal SPeAR is free. After which licence costs apply.
Target Audience
Usable by all
Difficulty Level
Intermediate
Sector
Construction / Infrastructure