title: Method applied to the background analysis of energy data to be considered for the European Reference Life Cycle Database (ELCD).
abstract: Under the framework of the European Platform on Life Cycle Assessment, the European Reference Life-Cycle Database (ELCD - developed by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission), provides core Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data from front-running EU-level business associations and other sources. The ELCD contains energy-related data on power and fuels. This study describes the methods to be used for the quality analysis of energy data for European markets (available in third-party LC databases and from authoritative sources) that are, or could be, used in the context of the ELCD. The methodology was developed and tested on the energy datasets most relevant for the EU context, derived from GaBi (the reference database used to derive datasets for the ELCD), Ecoinvent, E3 and Gemis. The criteria for the database selection were based on the availability of EU-related data, the inclusion of comprehensive datasets on energy products and services, and the general approval of the LCA community. The proposed approach was based on the quality indicators developed within the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) Handbook, further refined to facilitate their use in the analysis of energy systems. The overall Data Quality Rating (DQR) of the energy datasets can be calculated by summing up the quality rating (ranging from 1 to 5, where 1 represents very good, and 5 very poor quality) of each of the quality criteria indicators, divided by the total number of indicators considered. The quality of each dataset can be estimated for each indicator, and then compared with the different databases/sources. The results can be used to highlight the weaknesses of each dataset and can be used to guide further improvements to enhance the data quality with regard to the established criteria. This paper describes the application of the methodology to two exemplary datasets, in order to show the potential of the methodological approach. The analysis helps LCA practitioners to evaluate the usefulness of the ELCD datasets for their purposes, and dataset developers and reviewers to derive information that will help improve the overall DQR of databases.
authors.affiliation: European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Sustainability Assessment Unit, Via E. Fermi 2749 TP290, I-21027 Ispra, Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fazio
authors.affiliation: Spanish Ministry of Economy & Competitiveness CIEMAT (Research Centre on Energy, Environment & Tech) Energy Dpt. - Energy Systems Analysis Unit, Av. Complutense 40, E28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garraín
authors.affiliation: European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Sustainability Assessment Unit, Via E. Fermi 2749 TP290, I-21027 Ispra, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mathieux
authors.affiliation: Spanish Ministry of Economy & Competitiveness CIEMAT (Research Centre on Energy, Environment & Tech) Energy Dpt. - Energy Systems Analysis Unit, Av. Complutense 40, E28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De la Rúa
authors.affiliation: European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Sustainability Assessment Unit, Via E. Fermi 2749 TP290, I-21027 Ispra, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Recchioni
authors.affiliation: Spanish Ministry of Economy & Competitiveness CIEMAT (Research Centre on Energy, Environment & Tech) Energy Dpt. - Energy Systems Analysis Unit, Av. Complutense 40, E28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lechón
keywords: Data quality; ELCD; Energy; LCI database; LCI datasets; PEF