Search Results (164)

The environmental profile of the electricity grid varies throughout the year, especially with the introduction of renewables, given their high level of discontinuity. Additionally, positive energy districts emerged as a solution for decarbonizing the building sector, thanks to high levels of self-consumed electricity and the benefits of exporting electricity to the national grid. Most life cycle assessment studies assume a retrospective and static background system for these evaluations. This study presents a prospective attributional life cycle assessment of the Italian national electricity grid for 2024–2040. Hourly factors were derived from a cost-optimization energy model, plus ecoinvent and PREMISE for background modeling. The model projects a sharp decline in fossil-based generation and a significant expansion of solar photovoltaics and wind, which together exceed half of national production by 2040. A total of 16 impact categories were evaluated, revealing decreasing trends in climate change (255 to 141–100 gCO₂-eq/kWh_e) and others, and rising temporal variability in mineral/metal resource depletion and land use due to renewable intermittency. Applying the method to a positive energy district in Bologna shows that time-resolved factors offer clearer insights than annual averages, especially for season-dependent impacts, and demonstrate substantial reductions in impact by 2040, alongside notable differences between consuming and exporting electricity. Full article

As structural engineers face increasing pressure to minimize the embodied carbon of building components, selecting appropriate materials is critical for sustainable design. Thiemission ts study evaluates the life cycle performance of engineered bamboo beams to determine their viability as a low-carbon alternative to traditional timber in structural framing applications. Utilizing OpenLCA software and the Ecoinvent database, a cradle-to-grave analysis was conducted to inform material selection for the Australian construction context. A parametric design study compared two specific bamboo species, Moso and Asper, against traditional Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) to identify the optimal material for minimizing environmental impact. The assessment revealed that Asper bamboo beams represent a superior design choice; a 30.74 kg strand-woven functional unit (FU) achieved net-negative emissions of −13.30 kg CO₂e under 2025 conditions. This offers a significant design advantage over traditional LVL options, which are net-positive emitters, and outperforms Moso bamboo, which yielded higher net emissions (+24.60 kg CO₂e) due to lower sequestration rates. Furthermore, dynamic analysis demonstrated the temporal efficiency of this material in the structural life cycle: in the time required for a single Radiata Pine rotation, Asper bamboo completes five growth cycles, storing a net 103.25 kg of CO₂e per functional unit. Confirmed by a sensitivity analysis for robustness, these findings provide quantitative design criteria supporting the integration of Asper bamboo into sustainable building standards and structural specifications. Full article

District heating networks (DHNs) are a key technology in the transition toward sustainable heat supply, increasingly integrating renewable sources and thermal energy storage. High-temperature aquifer thermal energy storage (HT-ATES) can enhance DHN efficiency by shifting heat production over time, potentially reducing both costs and greenhouse gas emissions. However, most life cycle assessments (LCAs) remain static, rely on average data, and neglect temporal dispatch dynamics and marginal substitution among heat sources for environmental evaluation. This study introduces a dynamic life cycle inventory framework that explicitly links HT-ATES-operation scheduling in DHNs with marginal life cycle data. The framework expands system boundaries to capture time-varying changes in heat composition, combines a district heating merit-order representation (distinguishing must-run and flexible capacities) with linear programming to determine least-cost dispatch, and translates marginally displaced technologies into environmental and economic consequences. Foreground inputs are derived from an existing third-generation DHN (heat demand, generation assets, efficiencies) and publicly available energy carrier cost data and are linked to consequential background inventory datasets (ecoinvent). The framework is demonstrated for one year of operation for an HT-ATES concept with 50 GWh of injected heat. Hourly resolved results identify the marginally displaced technologies and indicate annual reductions of 5.86 kt CO₂e alongside cost savings of EUR 1.09 M. A comparison of alternative operation schedules shows strong sensitivity of both economic and environmental performance to operational strategy. Overall, the proposed framework provides a replicable and adaptable basis for consequential assessment of HT-ATES operation in DHNs and supports strategic decision-making on seasonal thermal storage deployment in low-carbon heat systems. Full article

In a context in which the construction sector is significantly contributing to environmental degradation, LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) is a fundamental tool for analyzing the impact of materials and processes. This systematic literature review highlights the potential of integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) with LCA to encourage sustainable practices in the construction sector. To this end, a systematic search was conducted in the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases and, after a rigorous selection process, 65 peer-reviewed studies were chosen from an initial pool of 817 records for final analysis. The quantitative analysis of the 65 studies revealed a well-defined technological landscape, demonstrating that BIM–LCA integration can enhance decision-making. The main findings reveal that Autodesk Revit is the prevailing BIM authoring tool, used in 77% of the cases analyzed, establishing itself as the de facto standard for sustainability assessments. Regarding environmental data, the Ecoinvent database was the most cited Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) source, employed in 32% of the selected articles. This review highlights critical issues that hinder its adoption, including interoperability problems with software, a lack of standardized data, and high implementation costs. It is therefore necessary to overcome these barriers to fully exploit this approach and contribute to global sustainability goals, such as reducing CO₂ emissions and waste in the construction sector. Full article

The sustainable management of sewage sludge (SS) requires comparative evaluations that capture both environmental impacts and the trade-offs associated with emerging and established treatment routes. This study applies life cycle assessment (LCA) to compare hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), rotary kiln pyrolysis, and incineration using SS from the Salitre WWTP in Bogotá, Colombia, based on a life cycle inventory that integrates experimental characterization, Aspen Plus simulations, and Ecoinvent datasets modeled in EASETECH. Thirteen ILCD midpoint impact categories were assessed, and uncertainty was evaluated through global sensitivity analysis (GSA) and Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that the three technologies distribute their impacts differently across categories, as follows: HTC yields reductions in several categories due to carbon storage and fertilizer substitution but presents toxicity-related impacts linked to heavy metal transfer to soils; pyrolysis produces a pyrochar with metal retention and nutrient recovery potential that influences climate and resource-related categories while remaining sensitive to sludge composition; and incineration influences climate categories without the potential toxic effects of using chars in soils, reduces sludge volume, and facilitates subsequent nutrient recovery processes from ash, with lower uncertainty due to its technological stability. These results support circular economy strategies in low- and middle-income countries by clarifying the environmental conditions under which carbonized materials or ash-derived recovery pathways can be incorporated into sludge treatment systems. Full article

The environmental sustainability of cleaning materials used in heritage conservation remains poorly quantified despite growing attention to the replacement of hazardous petroleum-based solvents with bio-based alternatives. This study applies a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCIA) to compare conventional solvents with innovative bio-based formulations, including Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAMEs), Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES), and aqueous or organogel systems used for cleaning painted surfaces. Following ISO 14040/14044 standards and using the Ecoinvent v3.8 database with the EF 3.1 impact method, three functional units were adopted to reflect material and system-level scales. Results demonstrate that water-rich systems, such as agar gels and emulsified organogels, yield significantly lower climate and toxicity impacts (up to 85–90% reduction) compared with petroleum-based benchmarks, while FAME and DES exhibit outcomes highly dependent on allocation rules and baseline datasets. When including application materials, cotton wipes dominate total environmental burdens, emphasizing that system design outweighs solvent substitution in improving sustainability. The study provides reproducible data and methodological insights for integrating LCIA into conservation decision-making, contributing to the transition toward evidence-based and environmentally responsible heritage practices. Full article

The environmental impact of seawater reverse osmosis desalination in central Chile was assessed using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with the EcoInvent database to address the region’s high water stress. The study analyzed the operational phase using 1 m³ of product water as the functional unit, considering power demand, chemicals, and membranes across eight scenarios that varied energy matrix composition, membrane lifespan, water use, and seawater source. Eighteen environmental indicators were evaluated using the ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H) method. Results revealed that eight impact indicators were primarily national in origin, while ten exhibited transboundary characteristics. Power demand was the dominant contributor, exceeding 75% of impacts in 17 of 18 categories. A 25% power increase raised environmental impacts by an average of +21.5%, while the projected 2050 renewable energy scenario showed substantial reductions averaging −43.0%. This demonstrates that power consumption is the principal driver of environmental impacts, underscoring the importance of energy-efficiency measures and integration of Non-Conventional Renewable Energies (NCRE), particularly as fossil-based sources constitute the main contributors to environmental burdens at both national and transboundary scales. Full article

Cement production in Africa remains carbon-intensive, primarily due to the use of coal-based thermal energy. This study conducts a comparative cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) of cement production using 100% coal (Scenario A) against partial substitution with refuse-derived fuel (RDF) at a 20% thermal input rate (Scenario B), with case studies in South Africa and Ethiopia. The LCA, modeled in SimaPro 9.2.0.1 with Ecoinvent v3.7.1 and regional data, evaluates midpoint environmental impacts across the following five stages: raw materials, clinker production, electricity, fuel use, and transportation. The results show that Scenario B reduces the global warming potential (GWP) by 3.3–4.2% per kg of cement, with minimal increases in other impact categories. When avoided landfill methane is accounted for, GWP reduction improves to 6.7%. Fossil resource depletion drops by 10%, and toxicity and particulate emissions show marginal improvements. Economic analysis under South Africa’s 2025 carbon policy reveals a modest net cost increase of $2–3 per ton of cement and an abatement cost of $64–87 per ton of CO₂. The study provides new insights by harmonizing LCA models across national contexts, linking emissions reductions to economic instruments, and quantifying the co-benefits of RDF for waste management. The results support RDF co-processing as a scalable mitigation strategy for the African cement sector, recommending substitution rates of 15–30%, policy alignment, and enhancement of the RDF supply chain to maximize impact. Full article

Cocoa is a key tropical crop with profound environmental, social, and economic implications throughout its value chain. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been widely employed to assess these impacts; however, most applications remain fragmented and focus primarily on environmental dimensions. This review addresses the issue related to which phases of the cocoa life cycle generate the most significant environmental impacts and how LCA methodological choices, such as the definition of system boundaries, functional units, and data sources, influence the integration of socioeconomic dimensions. A systematic literature review of 33 LCA studies published between 2008 and 2025 was conducted. The dominant categories, impact indicators, and boundary conditions were identified by applying the PRISMA methodology and cluster analysis. Results show that cultivation involves high water consumption, especially in conventional monocultures, while processing is the most energy-intensive due to machinery and transport demands. Most studies adopt cradle-to-gate system boundaries and rely heavily on secondary databases, that is, pre-existing datasets from LCA repositories like Ecoinvent or GaBi, which provide generic or averaged inventory data rather than specific measurements for each case, such as those obtained in the field of study. Overall, LCA helps identify environmental hotspots and guide decisions, but is limited by data gaps and poor integration of social and economic factors. Advancing toward comprehensive assessments requires region-specific datasets, sensitivity analyses, and hybrid frameworks, including UNEP/SETAC Social LCA guidelines, to fully integrate environmental, social, and economic dimensions of cocoa value chains. Full article

Increasing regulatory and societal pressures to reduce environmental impacts have led the industry to adopt more robust evaluation methods. This study assessed the potential impacts of quick-change abrasive discs—short-life-cycle products made from aluminium oxide, zirconia, and ceramic gel. The evaluation used a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) in accordance with ISO 14040 and 14044. The functional unit examined was a 0.29 m² abrasive sheet containing 180 discs, with an average use time of 10 min per disc. Environmental impacts were estimated in SimaPro 9.2 using the ReCiPe Midpoint (H) method and the Ecoinvent 3.6 database. Results indicated that the highest impacts were marine ecotoxicity (49.5%, 0.67–0.74 kg 1,4-DCB eq), freshwater ecotoxicity (32.8%, 0.52–0.58 kg 1,4-DCB eq), human carcinogenic toxicity (10.4%, 0.37–0.44 kg 1,4-DCB eq), non-carcinogenic toxicity (3.6%, 6.9–7.9 kg 1,4-DCB eq), and terrestrial ecotoxicity (2.0%, 27–33 kg 1,4-DCB eq), primarily resulting from raw material production and the high consumption of electricity and fuel during manufacturing. Improvement strategies, such as changes in disc geometry and the integration of photovoltaic systems, reduced impacts by 14–27%. Additional measures addressed energy efficiency, local supplier development, and user awareness for responsible use and disposal. Full article

Achieving sustainability is a strategic challenge for manufacturing. This study investigates the environmental and economic benefits of remanufacturing as a circular strategy to extend the lifetime of mechanical components while ensuring structural integrity, safety, and compliance with EU regulations. A mechanical synchronizer shaft used in the continuously variable transmission (CVT) of earth-moving machinery is analysed through a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA). Three scenarios are modelled: (i) the production of a new component; (ii) the remanufacturing of a discarded (at the end of its nominal life) component, considering the current remanufacturable rate of the inspected discarded lot (53.6%); and (iii) the remanufacturing of a discarded component assuming an improved remanufacturable rate (85%). Industrial data combined with Ecoinvent datasets are used to model cradle-to-grave impacts through SimaPro^®. Results show that a remanufactured component significantly decreases the global warming potential compared with a new component. However, when accounting for the actual remanufacturable rate achievable in practice, the reduction in the global warming index is more limited, highlighting the need to improve remanufacturability to unlock the full environmental benefits. A parametric LCA model integrating the DfRem approach is developed to evaluate how increasing the initial shaft diameter enables multiple remanufacturing cycles. Over multiple remanufacturing cycles, the improved design demonstrates substantial cumulative emission savings compared with repeated production of new components, also confirming the long-term environmental benefits of remanufacturing strategies. In addition to the environmental analysis, a cost evaluation is carried out to evaluate the economic feasibility of the different scenarios. The results confirm that higher remanufacturable rates not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also lower overall production costs, providing a comprehensive perspective on the benefits of remanufacturing-oriented design. Full article

Viticulture in insular and volcanic environments faces mounting pressures from land abandonment, limited mechanization, and climate-related stress on soil and water resources. This study develops an integrated framework combining Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and soil diagnostics to evaluate the environmental and agronomic performance of vineyards on the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). Fifteen representative vineyards located between 100 and 1000 m a.s.l. within the Tacoronte–Acentejo Denomination of Origin were assessed using the ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H) method and the Ecoinvent 3.8 database. The average carbon footprint reached 1.40 kg CO₂-eq kg⁻¹ of grapes, with diesel use for field access and transport contributing over 50% of total impacts and 64% of human toxicity. Copper-based fungicides accounted for ~11% of impacts, underscoring their environmental persistence. Soil analyses revealed widespread Ca/Mg imbalances and sporadic K deficiencies, while organic matter and pH levels were generally adequate. Importantly, vineyards with balanced nutrient ratios exhibited both higher yields and lower environmental burdens, suggesting that improved soil health can enhance eco-efficiency, primarily by supporting higher yields under similar input regimes. Targeted strategies—such as magnesium supplementation, reduced copper inputs, and low-carbon mobility practices—can therefore mitigate emissions while improving productivity. The proposed LCA–soil integration provides a replicable model for sustainable resource management and climate-resilient viticulture in other fragile and topographically constrained agricultural systems. Full article

Engineered wood products have become key sustainable alternatives to conventional building materials, offering strong potential for reducing climate impacts in the construction sector. This review systematically assesses recent life cycle assessment studies on engineered wood products to compare their environmental performance and support low-carbon building practices. The peer-reviewed literature published over the past decade was analyzed for publication trends, geographic focus, and methodological approaches, including goal and scope definition, life cycle inventory, and life cycle impact assessment. Comparative analyses examined climate change impact and key parameters influencing environmental outcomes. Results indicate a steady growth of research in this field, led by China, the United States, and Europe. Volume-based functional units (e.g., 1 m³) are predominant in structural wood studies, while mass-based units are more common for composites. Cradle-to-gate boundaries are most frequently used, and data are primarily drawn from Ecoinvent, Environmental Product Declarations, and regional databases such as GaBi and CLCD. Common impact assessment methods include CML-IA, ReCiPe, and TRACI, with climate change identified as the core impact category. Cross-laminated timber and glue-laminated timber consistently show lower and more stable climate change impacts, while fiberboards exhibit higher and more variable results due to adhesive content and energy-intensive manufacturing. Key factors influencing environmental outcomes include service life, wood species, and material sourcing. The review highlights the need for standardized methodologies and further exploration of emerging products, such as nail-laminated and dowel-laminated timber and laminated bamboo, to improve comparability and inform sustainable design practices. Full article

This review analyzes how recent electric-vehicle LCAs have been carried out, emphasizing goals and scope, functional units, system boundaries (cradle-to-grave and well-to-wheel), and attributional versus consequential modeling rather than reporting outcomes. Using a systematic search of studies mainly from 2018–2025, it maps common tools and data sources (Ecoinvent, GREET, GaBi, and regional inventories) and summarizes LCIA practices, underscoring the need to report versions, regionalization, and assumptions transparently for comparability. Uncertainty studies are uneven: sensitivity and scenario analyses are common, while probabilistic approaches (e.g., Monte Carlo) are less used, indicating room for more consistent, multi-parameter uncertainty analysis. The results show that outcomes are context-dependent: BEVs deliver the largest life-cycle GHG cuts on low-carbon grids with improved battery production and end-of-life management; PHEVs and HEVs act as transitional options shaped by real-world use; and FCEV benefits depend on low-carbon hydrogen. Vehicle-integrated photovoltaics and solar-powered vehicles are promising yet under-studied, with performance tied to local irradiance, design, and grid evolution. Future research suggests harmonized reporting, more regionalized and time-aware modeling, broader probabilistic uncertainty, and comprehensive LCAs of VIPV/SPV and circular pathways to support policy-ready, comparable results. Full article

The intelligence of sustainable design is reflected in the demands for accurate and real-time environmental impact assessments; traditional LCA methods are slow and static. In this paper, we propose a novel deep learning framework that serially links Shuffle-GhostNet (a lightweight convolutional neural network employing a combination of Ghost and Shuffle modules) improved by an enhanced version of Hippopotamus Optimizer (EHHO) for hyperparameter tuning and enhanced convergence. Upon testing the model on the Ecoinvent and OpenLCA Nexus datasets, pronounced advantages in predicting CO₂ emissions, energy use, and other sustainability indicators were found. Coupling the integration of multi-source sensor data and optimizing the architecture via metaheuristic search enables rapid and reliable decision support on eco-design. Final results are significantly better than the baseline models, achieving an R² of up to 0.943 with actual performance gains. AI-driven modeling integrated with LCA constitutes a pathway toward dynamic and scalable sustainability assessment in Industry 4.0 and circular economy applications. Full article