AG1800 Life Cycle Assessment (Ersättts av AG2800) 7,5 hp

The course includes lectures and a group project. Lectures will cover the following areas:

• LCA in relation to other environmental systems analysis tools.
• Methodology for the different phases of an LCA (goal definition and scoping, inventory analysis, impact assessment and interpretation).
• Methodology for simplified LCA.
• LCA software tools and databases.
• Critical review of an LCA study.
• Application areas of LCA and limitations.

Groups of 2-4 students will perform projects in which an LCA is performed with the software SimaPro. Projects are presented in a report and at a seminar. Each group will also make a critical review of the LCA of another group.

After completing the course, you should be able to:

• Explain the overall purpose and principles of LCA.
• Discuss possible applications and limitiations of LCA.
• Describe the content and explain the purpose of the analytical steps of LCA.
• Carry out a complete LCA of a product or service system, including:

1. identify and delimit the system,
2. specify and handle allocation problems,
3. identify and use relevant data from LCA databases,
4. collect and use data from other sources,
5. choose characterisation method based on coverage and relevance to the intended application,
6. implement and use a computer model of the system in the LCA software SimaPro,
7. analyse, explain, and interpret model results.

• Write a report of the performed LCA, applying to the reporting guidelines and terminology as defined in the ISO standard for LCA.
• Make a critical review of another LCA.

Eligibility for single course students:

• Completed documented upper secondary education including documented proficiency in English and
• 180 in Engineering, Planning, or Natural Sciences, including 15 univ cred (hp) in Environmental Sciences or equivalent.

Baumann, H, and Tillman, A.-M. (2004): The Hitch Hiker´s Guide to LCA. Studentlitteratur.

Recent scientific papers will be handed out at the start of the course.

• PRO4 - Critical Review, 1,0 hp, betygsskala: P, F
• PRO3 - Projekt, 4,0 hp, betygsskala: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
• TEN1 - Tentamen, 2,5 hp, betygsskala: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

Examinator beslutar, baserat på rekommendation från KTH:s handläggare av stöd till studenter med funktionsnedsättning, om eventuell anpassad examination för studenter med dokumenterad, varaktig funktionsnedsättning.

Examinator får medge annan examinationsform vid omexamination av enstaka studenter.

När kurs inte längre ges har student möjlighet att examineras under ytterligare två läsår.

Written exam (TEN1, 2,5 hsp). Graded A/B/C/D/E/Fx/F.
Project report (PRO3, 4.0 hsp). Graded A/B/C/D/E/Fx/F.
Critical Review (PRO4, 1.0 hsp). Graded P/F
Slutbetyg viktas mellan tentamen och skriftlig rapport. Godkänd kritisk granskning krav för slutbetyg.

• Vid grupparbete har alla i gruppen ansvar för gruppens arbete.
• Vid examination ska varje student ärligt redovisa hjälp som erhållits och källor som använts.
• Vid muntlig examination ska varje student kunna redogöra för hela uppgiften och hela lösningen.

Gammal kod: 1N1800