ecoEditor
A software available for free on the ecoinvent website. This tool is recommended to be used to create LCI datasets in ecoSpold2 format and submitting LCI data to the ecoinvent database.
ecoinvent Database Version 2
An older version of the ecoinvent database.
ecoinvent Database Version 3
The current version of the ecoinvent database.
ecoQuery
A web user interface through which all the users of the ecoinvent database can access the database (registration required). Even users usually accessing the ecoinvent database through LCA software tools (such as openLCA, SimaPro or GaBi) can also always access the ecoinvent database through the ecoQuery. Users who did not purchase the ecoinvent licence can still register as guests and see the meta data (description) of all the datasets available in the database.
Login at https://ecoquery.ecoinvent.org/
ecoSpold Format
ecoSpold is a name for a format used by ecoinvent to create life cycle inventories. This format sets up standards on what are mandatory and what are optional fields for a standard life cycle inventory. While the ecoSpold 1 format is used for ecoinvent version 1 and 2, it is the ecoSpold2 format for ecoinvent version 3. The ecoSpold2 format offers many new fields, such as mathematical relation, variable names or properties of an exchange which were not available in the older ecoSpold1 format.
Elementary Exchange
Exchange with the natural, social or economic environment. Examples: Unprocessed inputs from nature, emissions to air, water and soil, physical impacts, working hours under specified conditions.
Evaporation
The process in which water changes from a liquid to a gas state.
Evaporation Rate
The ratio of the amount of water evaporated during the process to the amount of water entering the process.
Evapotranspiration
The evaporation of water from a vegetated surface through the combined processes of soil evaporation and plant transpiration.
Exchange
Two basic types of exchanges exist – elementary exchanges and intermediate exchanges.