Ramana,

BEES and Athena are the two programs that seem to be talked about most frequently on our projects. There are a lot of positives to both, but overall there is a shortcoming in the availability of extensive product data/selection. Until there is more work done to make the product libraries more robust, most firms must rely on their own internal research and databases. Perhaps someone might solicit and organize the information that many firms have gathered to date, but even that information is more "green/LEED" related as opposed to true LCA. Any Master's or PhD candidates out there???

Paul

Take a look at GEMIS: http://www.oeko.de/service/gemis/en/index.htm

I used it not too long ago and was almost overwhelmed by what's in it.
It takes a little time to learn, but it seems like a very powerful
resource. From the website:

The GEMIS database offers information on:

* fossil fuels (hard coal, lignite, natural gas, oil), renewables,
nuclear, biomass (residuals, and wood from short-rotation forestry,
miscanthus, rape oil etc) and hydrogen (including fuel composition, and
upstream data)
* processes for electricity and heat (various powerplants,
cogenerators, fuel cells, etc.)
* materials: raw and base materials, and especially those for
construction, and auxiliaries (including upstream processes)
* transports: airplanes, bicycles, buses, cars, pipelines, ships,
trains, trucks (for diesel, gasoline, electricity, and biofuels).

GEMIS includes the total life-cycle in its calculation of impacts - i.e.
fuel delivery, materials used for construction, waste treatment, and
transports/auxiliaries.

The GEMIS database covers for each process

* efficiency, power, capacity factor, lifetime
* direct air pollutants (SO2, NOx, halogens, particulates, CO,
NMVOC)
* greenhouse-gas emissions (CO2, CH4, N2O, SF6, all other Kioto
gases)
* solid wastes (ashes, overburden, FGD residuals, process wastes)
* liquid pollutants (AOX, BOD5, COD, N, P, inorganic salts)
* land use.

J. Cramer Silkworth

Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:20:53 -0500
From: ramana.koti at gmail.com
To: bldg-sim at lists.onebuilding.org; sbse at uidaho.edu
Subject: [Bldg-sim] carbon footprinting of building materials

Dear all,

specifications decisions on Lifecycle Analysis/carbon footprinting, I'm
curious to know what tools you have been using and the challenges you
have faced.

I'm also interested in references of consultants who can aid in such an
effort.

Thanks,

RAMANA KOTI

Ramana,

I just had a student complete her Master's thesis on LCA/Carbon Footprinting for several campus buildings that we had data for. She used the Eco Assembly Calculator, it is a free download from Athena. I was very impressed with that tool but the material database is limited, however that should improve over time. I will send your her thesis.

Regards

Harvye Bryan