Learning and Support
Free resources
To help you get started with openLCA, we are providing many free resources, from manuals on the software to handbooks on specific topics, to guidance on impacts assessment methods and some ready to use case studies to get inspiration on modeling your own LCA study.
Manuals and presentations
Sometimes it is good to have a more comprehensive text which explains details – this section contains some manuals for different openLCA versions and related, typically more specific, topics. Also the format converter documentation is available.
Version 2
- Comprehensive manual for openLCA 2 (updated October 2024)
- openLCA 2.0 manual in the Chinese language (updated December 2023)
Version 1.10.2
- Comprehensive openLCA manual for version 1.10 (updated February 2020)
Version 1.9.0
- Comprehensive openLCA manual for version 1.9.0 (updated June 2019)
Version 1.7
- Comprehensive openLCA manual for version 1.7.1 (updated November 2017)
Version 1.5/1.6
- Implementation of the cumulative energy demand (CED) LCIA method with lower heating values, LHV (October 2017)
- What’s new in openLCA 1.6? (May 2017) (You can also watch the webinar on our YouTube channel)
- Getting started with openLCA 1.6 (March 2017)
- LCIA method pack manual (February 2017) (There is additional information about the LCIA methods on the downloads page)
Version 1.4
- Comprehensive openLCA User Manual v. 1.1 (March 2015)
- openLCA 1.4 overview and first steps (June 2014)
- Using openLCA to read SimaPro csv files and to create data sets that can be used in the ecoEditor of the ecoinvent centre (April 2014)
- Expanding openLCA memory on a Mac
- Changing the directory location for openLCA databases on your computer
Previous versions
- Mapping file for conversion of elementary flows from openLCA reference flow list to the Federal LCA Commons elementary flow list for use with U.S. federal agency databases (July 2020)
- Flow mapping in openLCA (June 2020)
- A results comparison of PSILCA SimaPro and PSILCA Starter in openLCA (May 2016)
- Regionalized LCIA in openLCA (March 2016)
- Life Cycle Costing in openLCA (March 2016)
- EPD Editor in openLCA (English, July 2015)
- EPD-Editor in openLCA (German, May 2015)
- How to perform Life Cycle Costing in openLCA (June 2013)
- Using pedigree features in openLCA (June 2012)
All database documentation can be found in openLCA Nexus under the specific database you are looking for: https://nexus.openlca.org/databases
Version 1.10.2
- New! EN15804 add-on to ecoinvent v.3.8: Manual and documentation (February 2022)
- PSILCA database: Manual and documentation for PSILCA v3 (June 2020)
Version 1.6.3/1.7
- PSILCA database: Manual and documentation for PSILCA v2 (December 2017)
- Webinar: What´s new in PSILCA 2.0? (You can also watch the video on our YouTube channel)
Version 1.5/1.4.2
- The GaBi 2016 database in openLCA (February 2017)
- The Soca v.1 add-on – Adding social impact information to ecoinvent (January 2017)
- The NEEDS database in openLCA (January 2017)
- The ecoinvent 3.3 database in openLCA (September 2016)
- The ELCD 3.2 database in openLCA (June 2016)
- The PSILCA database (March 2016)
- The database ecoinvent v.3.2 in openLCA (March 2016)
- Die ProBas+ Datenbank in openLCA (German, Januar 2016)
Previous versions
- Die ProBas Datenbank in openLCA (German, Juli 2014)
- The database Ökobau.dat in openLCA and SimaPro (April 2015)
- Die Datenkbank Ökobau.dat in openLCA and SimaPro (German, April 2015)
- Using nexus and different databases in openLCA (May 2013)
- Social Hot Spots Database (SHDB) in openLCA – quick overview (September 2013)
- Using GaBi databases in openLCA (November 2013)
New presentations and publications can be found at https://www.greendelta.com/resources/
- Bunsen, J., Greve, S., Ciroth, A. (2019): LCA Collaboration Server – User Manual and Instruction:
- Ciroth, A. (2018): Using social LCA databases for support of policy and business decisions: Where and how, presentation, 70th LCA Discussion Forum – Social LCA – Challenges and solutions in application and implementation, Zürich, 22.11.2018
- Di Noi, C., Eisfeldt, F., Ciroth, A. (2018): Sustainable mining: how to quantify social issues in the mining industry and metals supply chain, presentation, 70th LCA Discussion Forum – Social LCA – Challenges and solutions in application and implementation, Zürich, 22.11.2018
- Di Noi, C., Ciroth, A. (2018): The importance of a three-dimension approach in LCA – A screening study on mining addressing environmental, social and cost aspects, presentation, extended abstract, ACLA LCA XVIII, Fort Collins, 26.09.2018
- Bunsen, J., Ciroth, A. (2018): Regionalisation in openLCA, presentation, 69th LCA Discussion Forum – Regionalization in LCA: Current status in concepts, software and databases, Zürich, 13.09.2018
- Di Noi, C., Eisfeldt, F., Ciroth, A., Bizarro, D. (2018): Complementarity of social and environmental indicators in assessing the sustainability of the mining industry, presentation, extended abstract, 6th International Social LCA Conference – People and Places for Partnership, Pescara, 10.09.2018
- Eisfeldt, F. (2017): What´s new in PSILCA 2.0, Webinar – slides and video, 14. and 19.12.2017.
- Ciroth, A., Bizarro, D. (2017): Implementing AWARE as regionalized LCIA method in software – challenges, outcomes, findings, poster, ACLCA Conference Series, Portsmouth 03.-05.10.2017
- Ciroth, A., Hildenbrand, J., Krewer, Chr. (2017): SuBoot – Sustainability Bootstrap, poster, LCM Conference Series, Luxembourg, 03. – 06.09.2017
- Ciroth, A. (2017): Hotspots analysis in LCA supported by novel visualisations, presentation, LCM Conference Series, Luxembourg, 03. – 06.09.2017
- Ciroth, A., Greve, S., Srocka, M. (2017): SuBoot-Sustainability Bootstrapping The Frist Implementation, presentation, LCM Conference Series, Luxembourg, 03. – 06.09.2017
- Eisfeldt, F., Ciroth, A. (2017): Contribution of Social Life Cycle Assessment to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, presentation, CILCA 2017, Medellín, 14.06.2017
- Eisfeldt, F., Rodríguez, C., Ciroth, A. (2017): Soca – A database add-on for Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment, presentation, CILCA 2017, Medellín, 14.06.2017
- Eisfeldt, F., Rodríguez, C., Ciroth, A. (2017): Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of photovoltaic panels using soca, presentation, SETAC Europe 2017, Brussels, 10.05.2017
- Ciroth, A., Srocka, M. (2017): Introducing the LCA data machine, presentation, SETAC Europe 2017, Brussels, 08.05.2017
- Social and environmental impacts of a T-shirt: A life cycle approach. Jan 2017 (pdf, 2MB)
- Life Cycle Costing in openLCA 1.5 with ecoinvent 3.2 extended. June 2016 (pdf, 1.4MB)
- Introducing Regionalized LCIA in openLCA. May 2016 (pdf, 1.5MB)
- Towards more interoperable databases: openLCA, SimaPro, summary of tools. Jan 2015 (pdf, 811KB)
- openLCA training slides. December 2014 (pdf, 17MB)
- openLCA training slides. September 2014 (pdf, 10MB)
Case studies
Quite frequently, practical cases are more instructive than mere theoretical discussions. Aim of this section is, therefore, to provide these practical cases. If you think you have also an interesting study or that you would like to present and share, let us know.
For the latest case studies, go to /case-studies/
- Tutorial: Basic modelling of a PET bottle in openLCA 1.10 (June 2020, based on the free ELCD database 3.2, link to the tutorial database in the document)
- Tutorial: How to use parameters in openLCA (March 2020, extension of the PET bottle tutorial above)
- Tutorial: Social and environmental impacts of a T-shirt: A life cycle approach (Jan 2017, presentation)
- Tutorial: Viticulture – Organic vs. Conventional production; (Sep 2016, based on the ecoinvent 2.2 database, modelled in openLCA 1.5, documentation only)
- Tutorial: PET water bottles from different production locations (Dec 2014, based on the ecoinvent 2.1 database, modelled in openLCA 1.4, documentation only)
- Tutorial: Beer Containers: Aluminum can vs. PET bottle (Oct 2014, based on the free US LCI database, download the tutorial database for this study here, modelled in openLCA 1.4)