Life Cycle Assessment
Life Cycle Assessment Course 2008 - Melbourne
Description
The LCA course is a detailed introductory course starting from the basics of LCA and then providing participants with practical experience working with LCA and an appreciation for the major methodological issues to be worked through when reading, reviewing or undertaking LCA.
Who should attend?
The course is designed for professionals (policy makers, managers, designers, engineers, and environmental specialists), educators and students interested in understanding or practising Life Cycle Assessment.
Course content
• An overview of the development of LCA and the standardisation of the methodology through the ISO 14000 environmental management series standards.
• Detail explanation of each stage of LCA from the setting of goal and scope, through to inventory analysis, impact assessment and finally to interpretation.
• Practical examples and case studies are used throughout to demonstrate how the methodology is used.
• Streamlined LCA techniques to demonstrate how a majority of the benefits of LCA can sometimes be achieved at a fraction of the cost.
• Overview of LCA software tools with a four-hour workshop, using SimaPro LCA software, so that participants can undertake their own mini-LCA.
• Contextualisation of LCA with other tools such as Risk Assessment, Life Cycle Costing and Environmental Impact Assessment
Course Program
Prior to course
Participants must complete a Software tutorial and LCA and the use of SimaPro, and LCA softwaretool. The tutorial takes between 2-4 hours. The tutorial can be found on the internet: http://www.pre.nl/download/manuals/SimaPro7Tutorial.pdf
Please complete sections 1 - 5.2 (page 39) before attending the course. (Of course you can alwayscomplete the rest if you have more time available.)
Day 1
Introduction
• History and developments of LCA
• Definitions of LCA
• Overview of LCA processes
Goal and Scope
• Standards - Overview of ISO 14040 series
• Functional units
• System boundaries
• Dealing with Allocation Issues
• Prospective and Retrospective LCA
• Geographic and Temporal issues
• Case studies
Introduction of project
• Setting of goal and scope
• Short presentation from each student on their selected project
Inventory
• Data collection and data selection
• Available databases
• Input Output LCA
Practical Session 1
• Introduction of software tool
• Introduction of basic tool functions
• Hands on - Model selected product
DAY 2
Impact assessment
• The basic mechanics of Impact Assessment
• The importance of normalisation
• Existing impact models and valuation approaches
• Pros and cons of using different impact models
Interpretation
• Making conclusions from your LCA
• Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis
• Data quality and consistency
Practical session 2
• Impact Assessment on modelled product
• Sensitivity analysis, and interpretation
LCA and other tools
• When is LCA the right tool
• Using LCA in conjunction with other tools including LCC
• Future direction for LCA
Evaluation
Course outcome
• Understanding of LCA methodology.
• Understanding of the limits and potentials of LCA.
• Ability to critically analyse LCA reports.
• Ability to undertake basic LCAs.
• Understanding for critical areas of conjecture, uncertainty and direction of LCA in the future.
Course leader
Scott McAlister, LCA Research Fellow, Centre for Design
Tim Grant, Life Cycle Strategies
Enrolment info
Enrol via the RMIT short course website. Enrolments close 1 week prior to the commencement of the course as there is a tutorial exercise which participants need to complete prior to undertaking the course.
Cost
Full AUD$1045 (inclusive of GST).
Full time students AUD$330 (inclusive of GST).
Full time post graduate students AUD$440 (inclusive of GST).
Venue
TBC
Certificate
Certificate of completion awarded.
For further information contact:
Scott McAlister, ph: +61 3 9925 9018, E: scott.mcalister@rmit.edu.au
Also note there is an associated SimaPro Techniques course proposed for the following day run by Life Cycle Strategies Pty Ltd