What do we mean by residual mix of electricity data?
One Click LCA produces residual mix of electricity data for European countries that can be easily used in scope 2 calculations and reporting based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
The residual mix of electricity of a country represents the share of the electricity supply for which the energy source is not proven by guarantees of origin or other reliable tracking mechanisms. As the residual mix of electricity is based on the fuel mix left over after all claims on particular energy generation have been accounted for, and as in this context the renewable sources of energy are usually proven to a much higher degree than other sources of energy, the residual mix of electricity normally includes a higher share of high carbon fuels like coal and gas than the grid average mix. Hence, the residual mix of electricity has emission factors that are normally much higher than the grid average mix.
Why do we produce residual mix of electricity data?
At One Click LCA, we understand that you need high-quality energy data to complete the LCA for your project at hand. We produce reliable, consistent and recent energy data to make LCA easy for you.
Residual mix of electricity data for European countries is required by many of our customers for use in scope 2 calculations and reporting based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
While residual mix of electricity data is available from industry sources, it is typically reported as GWP only which is not accepted by most regulations or certifications, and hence such data can’t be used in most of the One Click LCA tools either. One Click LCA’s residual mix electricity data overcomes this challenge. By making our own calculations, we enable a broader usability of residual mix of electricity data as it includes environmental impact indicators as required by all regulations and standards.
How do we make residual mix of electricity data?
The residual mix of electricity composition, i.e. the quantity of every fuel or energy source used in forming the respective mix, is obtained from reputable and publicly available data providers, such as the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB).
Underlying processes and elementary flows are modelled with generally available or customised life-cycle inventory (LCI) data.
Residual mix of electricity data is modelled using state-of-the-art software for energy LCA and passes through a rigorous quality assurance process before publication, including automated benchmarking against existing datasets in the world’s largest construction LCA database.
What step-by-step process do we apply?
When producing energy data at One Click LCA, we follow a rigorous four-step process to ensure quality, accuracy and transparency.
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Sourcing upstream and quantitative data
We start by acquiring the quantitative data for the residual mixes of electricity. Source data is obtained from reputable and publicly available data providers, such as the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB).
Below is a screenshot of AIB's report on several country-specific residual mixes of electricity.
Figure 1: Source: AIB report, https://www.aib-net.org/sites/default/files/assets/facts/residual-mix/2022/AIB_2022_Residual_Mix_Results_inclAnnex.pdf
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Modelling with energy creation software
The residual mix of electricity data modelling process starts with selecting the appropriate fuels or energy sources from a special energy production-modified version of the upstream life-cycle inventories, then calculating the residual mixes of electricity in One Click LCA’s Energy LCA profile tool (for internal use only) and is finalised by making it available for customer use.
From Figure 1 it is possible to see that for each residual mix of electricity, there is a share of the amount of electricity produced by that specific fuel that adds up to 100%. For “unspecified” fuels, experts at One Click LCA are making an educated assumption in what fuel it most likely represents.
For the modelling, One Click LCA is using generally available life-cycle inventories for underlying processes and flows with few customisations. The first addition is that the voltage transformation burden is added to the original dataset. The transmission burdens are obtained from the IEA and World Bank and their DataBank World Development Indicators.
The second addition is that direct emissions (smokestack emissions) are added. They are a necessary part of the fuels for producing residual mixes of electricity data but are not part of the standard EN15804 +A1/+A2 data arrays so the data is sourced and added separately. The source is the emission factors database EFDB 2020 issued based on IPCC 2006 Guidelines.
The calculations are made so the final result in One Click LCA energy models have the full array of emission factors for the impact indicators covered in the standards EN15804 +A1 and +A2, as well as any other more specific certification scheme and PCRs such as International EPD system, INIES France, and TRACI applicable for the US.
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Review and internal verification process
The LCA data expert responsible for modelling the specific residual mix of electricity data in question is supported by a team of experienced peers throughout an internal quality assurance process to ensure model accuracy, rigidity and integrity.
First, the model and resulting environmental impacts are reviewed as a stand-alone case to verify calculation logic and completeness of data. The expertise of the LCA data team at One Click LCA is critical in ensuring the high quality and reliability of this manual review and verification phase.
Second, the resulting environmental impacts are benchmarked against other similar energy data, both from the country in question and also with source data from other calendar years and residual mix of electricity data for other countries.
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Publishing and availability
Once the review process is complete and data quality has been confirmed, the residual mix of electricity data is published and becomes available in the One Click LCA database. You can now find the data in our software for both design & construction and manufacturing.
In most cases, One Click LCA residual mix of electricity data includes environmental impact indicators as required by all regulations, standards and Green Building Councils (GBC) across the world so you can find it in most of our tools globally, subject to the specific rules applicable to the use of residual mix of electricity data in the tool in question.
One Click LCA energy data typically includes environmental impacts for standards EN 15804+A2, EN 15804+A1, TRACI, ISO 14040, ISO 14044 and ISO 21930. They also typically include additional indicators as required by specific Product Category Rules (PCR) and EPD programs globally, including International EPD System, INIES France, Boverket Sweden and EPD Norge.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I request One Click LCA to add residual mix electricity data needed in my LCA projects?
Yes. You can contact our Customer Success team at One Click LCA to request integration of the new residual mix of electricity data that you need in your LCA projects.
Please note though that One Click LCA will evaluate and prioritise such integration based on the needs of its global customer base. You can also make the data integration order via your support services subscription to ensure timely delivery. This is a paid service and our team is happy to assist you with details and options.
Please also bear in mind that in any case, the expert LCA data team will need to assess if it is possible to fulfil your request, as not all requests can be completed.
If you have a specific data you wish to use you can also add it directly to your company account via the user interface as Private data. This feature is available to all Expert licence users and the instructions how to create Private data can be found on One Click LCA Help Centre.
Why are the environmental impacts of One Click LCA residual mix of electricity different to the data reported by AIB? Why don't you integrate data directly from the AIB report?
Data reported by AIB is available in the One Click LCA platform, in parallel with the residual mixes of electricity data calculated by One Click LCA with AIB as a quantitative data source. It is important to understand that AIB reports direct GWP kgCO2/kWh data only which limits its usability and applicability. Depending on your needs, you can choose which data best suits you.
GWP-only data as reported by AIB is not accepted by most regulations or certifications, and hence it can’t be used in most of the One Click LCA tools either. One Click LCA residual mix of electricity data overcomes this challenge. By making our own calculations, we enable a broader usability of residual mix of electricity data as it includes environmental impact indicators as required by all regulations and standards.
Please note that residual mix of electricity data impacts as reported by AIB and One Click LCA are somewhat different. The probable cause for this is that there is some variation in the calculation methods and assumptions used by AIB and One Click LCA respectively. This document describes data sources and calculation methods applied by One Click LCA, such as adding direct emissions to the upstream life-cycle inventories used to model the residual mixes of electricity data.
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