Build your LCA
Set up your Lifecycle Analysis in minutes with Isometric’s LCA builder. This short tutorial will show you how to create your first LCA step-by-step.
Overview
In Isometric Certify an LCA provides an overview of all greenhouse gasses (GHGs) related to a project and is used to create GHG Statements, the quantification of net removed CO₂e in a reporting period. Projects must submit an LCA as part of project validation.
An LCA contains three sections: Project emissions, Operations template, and Net negativity. Together they capture GHGs from all project phases and are used to calculate the project’s net CO₂e removed.
You can start your LCA from a pre-built template containing expected GHG source, sink or reservoirs (SSRs) based on the protocol your project is being certified against. This template can then be edited so that the LCA is specific to your project’s activities. Individual fluxes of CO₂e in an LCA are represented with components, which are created from blueprints that specify how the flux is calculated. For example, the emissions related to a truck journey can be represented with a component created from the blueprint Transport emissions which defines the emission calculation as multiplying a distance, mass and emission factor.
Watch this walkthrough to understand the process and read the documentation below.
A video walkthrough of the process of building an LCA template
Project emissions
Project emissions are GHGs from project establishment and end-of-life phases. For example, the embodied emissions related to constructing a facility. These emissions can be allocated over a project’s lifetime, read more about this here.
Operations template
The operations template is used to define GHGs from the project operation phase. These components are reported every removal, for example, a facility’s electricity emissions. Projects must define which blueprint the components will be calculated with and the values of fixed datapoints (e.g. emission factors, global warming potentials) that will be used to calculate them. The operations template does not contain values for monitored datapoints, since these are expected to change every verification.
Net negativity
The net negativity tab calculates net CO₂e removed over the project’s lifetime using data from a sample reporting period.
Projects can choose to calculate net negativity based on either the project’s expected lifetime or the total output of the project (per a functional unit). The functional unit of a project is defined by Isometric, for example, projects following Isometric’s Biochar protocol always have a functional unit of 1 tonne of biochar stored.
Data from project emissions and the operations template is combined to create the sample reporting period. The operations template acts as the schema for GHGs from project operation, requiring you to fill out the values for monitored datapoints. Project emissions are automatically applied to the sample reporting period in order to account for GHGs from project establishment and end-of-life.
The operations template and project emissions cannot be edited within the net negativity tab; any edits should be done in the original tab then these will sync across to net negativity.
Customizing the LCA
After creating an LCA from a template, the components within the LCA should be customized for each project phase. Refer to the Isometric protocol applicable to your project and LCA Emissions Modules for information on what GHGs are applicable (see the protocol’s system boundaries) and how they should be calculated and evidenced.
(1) Add project emissions
Add components for GHGs from project establishment and end-of-life.
(2) Customise your operations template
Start your operations template from a default containing expected GHGs based on the protocol your project is being certified against, then customize it to your project.
Delete components that are not applicable to the project
For example, if the template contains a component for Biomass handling via loader and a loader is not used in the project, this component can be removed.
Add components that are applicable to the project but not already in the template
Validate that applicable components already in the LCA are calculated correctly
How components are calculated is defined by a blueprint. If the component has been created from the wrong blueprint delete the component and replace it with one created from the correct blueprint.
For example, imagine transportation by truck occurs in the project and is already present in the LCA. In the project the LCA is being built for, truck transportation emissions are calculated by measuring the volume of fuel consumed by the truck every journey.
However, in the LCA, the component representing that emission has been created from the blueprint Transport emissions which defines inputs as a distance, mass and emission factor. This component should be deleted from the LCA, and a correct component added that defines inputs for the volume of fuel and fuel emission factor, in this case Fuel usage by volume emissions.
Rename components to be specific to your project
For example, a default Transport emissions display name can be updated to Transport from pyrolysis facility to spreading site.
Provide values for fixed datapoints
Add values and sources for fixed datapoints, such as emission factors and global warming potentials.
To learn more about how to identify and create the correct components, read Identifying Components.
It is always preferable for your project’s LCA to include components created from the most specific component blueprint available to accurately reflect your project’s operations and what data is being collected.
In the LCA builder component blueprints can be filtered by tags signaling the nature of the emission (direct emissions, electricity, embodied emissions, energy, fuel, transportation). This helps identify the applicable blueprints when adding a new component.
(3) Calculate your project’s net negativity
Calculate your project’s net negativity by creating a sample reporting period.
Choose a calculation method
Choose a calculation method by providing either (1) the sample reporting period length and the project length or (2) the amount of activity that has occurred in the sample reporting period compared to the projected amount for the whole project.
Fill in the operations template
Once your sample reporting period has been defined, fill in the operations template by providing the values of monitored datapoints. Fixed datapoints will be automatically copied across from the operations template.
Check results
Project emissions will be automatically applied and your project’s expected net CO₂e removed calculated.
Submitting data
Validation
Once an LCA is finalized it can be submitted for validation by Isometric and the verifier assigned to your project. Your LCA can be edited and resubmitted for validation multiple times, for example during a validation cycle or if your project’s operations change after initial validation.
Verification
Your LCA provides a foundation for reporting net CO₂e removed every verification, streamlining the process.
- Removals are created from your operations template, pre-populating them with the components and emission factors required for calculations. This way you only need to report monitored datapoints each verification, such as the quantity of electricity used by a facility.
- When removals are submitted for verification in a GHG Statement project emissions are automatically allocated to them. Read more about this here.