Curriculum
Full openLCA training curriculum
Every module in the DEISO openLCA training curriculum, grouped by subject and ordered the way an LCA study is built. Each module shows which of the four plans covers it, with a short description where one adds clarity.
Included
Not included
Pro · Professional | Exp · Expert | Exp+ · Expert+ | Master
Format and access
- English trainingTraining is given in English by an expert LCA trainer at PhD level.ProExpExp+Master
- Flexible training schedulingScheduling is arranged regardless of time zone.ProExpExp+Master
- Extensive trainingIntensive coverage of the complete programme.ProExpExp+Master
- Accelerated learning approachAn active learning approach that speeds up understanding by adapting instruction to the individual, using discussion, interactive elements, demonstrations, worked examples, assignments, and trainee feedback.ProExpExp+Master
- Remote (online) or in personChoose the training format: online, at your company’s location in Japan, or at an international location. Prices vary by format, and a minimum number of trainees applies to every format except online, which can be one-to-one or one-to-group. A single trainee is enough to run the chosen programme online.ProExpExp+Master
- On-site training at the client’s location in JapanA minimum number of trainees applies. Contact DEISO for details.ProExpExp+Master
- On-site training at the client’s location outside JapanChoose the training format: online, at your company’s location in Japan, or at an international location. Prices vary by format, and a minimum number of trainees applies to every format except online, which can be one-to-one or one-to-group. A single trainee is enough to run the chosen programme online.ProExpExp+Master
- Case studies included1Pro2Exp4Exp+6Master
Case studies
- Basic case studyProExpExp+Master
- Advanced case studyProExpExp+Master
- Production case studyCase studies in life cycle assessment fall into two broad categories: production and manufacturing, and end-of-life or waste management. This module works through a case study centred on production.ProExpExp+Master
- Waste management case study with global parametersA complete waste management case study covering downstream municipal solid waste management.ProExpExp+Master
Getting started
- Getting started with openLCAA detailed walkthrough of the openLCA interface and its function menus, explained panel by panel. The module also covers everyday tasks such as creating new projects, opening existing ones, and working through openLCA’s functions — interface options, tools, data organisation, and overall structure — with productivity tips for the main interface.ProExpExp+Master
- Database elementsFlows, processes, documentation, categorisation, functional units and reference amounts, and process inputs and outputs.ProExpExp+Master
- Flow propertiesProExpExp+Master
- Understanding database documentationRead process documentation before selecting a process for a project. Relying on process names alone is not sound practice; documentation has to be assessed for fit with the case study in hand. This module covers how to read it and which information to verify every time.ProExpExp+Master
Databases and data exchange
- Database creationSetting up a blank database and importing customised processes into it.ProExpExp+Master
- Combining databasesMerging several databases into a single unified database.ProExpExp+Master
- Importing and restoring databasesImporting and restoring databases in openLCA, needed for linking new databases and for backing up existing ones.ProExpExp+Master
- Importing databases from exported .zolca filesopenLCA supports several file formats for importing and exporting data. This module covers each format, its characteristics, and when to use it for a given project.ProExpExp+Master
- Advanced database importImporting from EcoSpold, Excel, ILCD, SimaPro CSV, and JSON-LD formats.ProExpExp+Master
- Exporting data: ILCD ZIP formatProExpExp+Master
- Exporting data: Excel formatProExpExp+Master
- Exporting data: EcoSpold formatProExpExp+Master
- Exporting data: CSV matrixProExpExp+Master
- openLCA Nexus databasesProExpExp+Master
- Database update, maintenance, and backupProExpExp+Master
- openLCA project management and backupsProExpExp+Master
Modelling
- Modelling aspects and principlesProExpExp+Master
- Creating new processesProExpExp+Master
- Process inputs and outputsWorking with process inputs and outputs is central to understanding the material, energy, and other inputs of a process, along with its main product and by-products. The module covers emissions to and from nature and the technosphere, and the media involved — water, air, and soil — applied directly to openLCA processes.ProExpExp+Master
- Creating product systemsAn openLCA-specific technical feature.ProExpExp+Master
- Model graphAn openLCA-specific technical feature.ProExpExp+Master
- System process modellingProExpExp+Master
- Building and connecting multiple modelsCreating sub-models and linking them into a primary model. Each sub-model represents a distinct life cycle stage — production, transport, use, waste management — and the module covers the principles of building several models for different purposes.ProExpExp+Master
- Basic: system process vs. unit process — theory and practiceSome databases, ecoinvent among them, offer both unit process and system process options. This module covers the theoretical, technical, and mathematical aspects of each type, how they differ, and when each is used.ProExpExp+Master
- Advanced: system process vs. unit process — theory and practiceAdvanced treatment of unit and system processes, including the mathematical basis of each type, how results diverge between them, and how to choose correctly for a given study.ProExpExp+Master
Life cycle scope and end-of-life
- Transport modellingProExpExp+Master
- End-of-life (EoL) modelling and material flow logicProExpExp+Master
- EoL modelling: the opposite approachProExpExp+Master
- Understanding life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methodsProExpExp+Master
- Importing LCIA methodsProExpExp+Master
- Basic: inventory resultsLife cycle inventory (LCI) analysis, the second phase of the LCA framework.ProExpExp+Master
- Advanced: inventory resultsAdvanced life cycle inventory analysis, the second phase of the LCA framework, applied to larger and more complex models.ProExpExp+Master
- Basic: impact analysisLife cycle impact assessment (LCIA), the third phase of the LCA framework.ProExpExp+Master
- Advanced: impact analysisAdvanced life cycle impact assessment, the third phase of the LCA framework, applied across methods and comparative studies.ProExpExp+Master
- Midpoint modellingLCA results can be produced at midpoint level, covering impact categories such as climate change, acidification potential, and human health potential. These categories — typically 15 or more depending on the LCIA method — are the midpoint impacts.ProExpExp+Master
- Endpoint modellingLCA results can also be produced at endpoint level, where the midpoint categories are aggregated into three or four indicators such as damage to ecosystems, damage to human health, and damage to resources. That aggregation is endpoint modelling.ProExpExp+Master
- NormalisationAn LCA-specific technical step.ProExpExp+Master
- WeightingAn LCA-specific technical step.ProExpExp+Master
- GroupingAn LCA-specific technical step.ProExpExp+Master
Analysis and interpretation
- Basic: results interpretationThe fourth phase of the LCA framework.ProExpExp+Master
- Advanced: results interpretationAdvanced work in the fourth phase of the LCA framework, applied to complex and comparative studies.ProExpExp+Master
- Process contribution analysisAn openLCA-specific technical feature.ProExpExp+Master
- Basic: hotspot (weak-point) analysis in ExcelHotspot analysis pinpoints the weak points in a product’s life cycle. Identifying them lets practitioners prioritise where to reduce environmental impact and focus effort on the processes or materials carrying the largest burden, which supports better-informed decisions.ProExpExp+Master
- Advanced: hotspot (weak-point) analysis in ExcelAdvanced hotspot analysis, working through more complex models to isolate the processes and materials carrying the largest environmental burden and to structure the results for decision-making.ProExpExp+Master
- Product and scenario comparisonProExpExp+Master
- Model local and global parametersParameterising an openLCA model with local and global parameters so it absorbs future data changes. Supports scenario analysis and development, eco-design modelling, and comparison between products and technologies, and covers how to update parameters as new data arrives.ProExpExp+Master
- Training on advanced featuresWorking with openLCA’s advanced modelling features to carry out fuller LCA modelling and analysis, and to save time on repeated work.ProExpExp+Master
- Basic: Monte Carlo simulationMonte Carlo simulation runs a model repeatedly using random input values drawn from specified probability distributions. It accounts for uncertainty in LCA inputs and returns probability distributions of the outputs, which strengthens the reliability of the results and supports defensible conclusions.ProExpExp+Master
- Advanced: Monte Carlo simulationAdvanced uncertainty work: setting up distributions across a complex model, running the simulation, and reading the resulting probability distributions in a comparative study.ProExpExp+Master
- Sensitivity analysis with openLCA parameters and ExcelSensitivity analysis evaluates how varying parameters change study outcomes, identifying the influential factors and what they mean for the reliability of the results. Systematically testing input variables — data uncertainties or methodological choices — strengthens the credibility of LCA findings and shows how much the assumptions matter.ProExpExp+Master
Advanced modelling
- Regionalised LCAAssigns locations to processes and runs regionalised impact assessment in openLCA, so results reflect where each activity takes place rather than global averages.ProExpExp+Master
- Circularity modellingModels recycling, reuse and end-of-life choices in openLCA, compares allocation approaches for recycled content, and shows how circular design decisions change the results.ProExpExp+Master
Scripting and automation
- Introduction to scriptingIntroduces the scripting tools in openLCA, the built-in Python console and the IPC interface, and the modelling tasks they can automate.ProExpExp+Master
- Python scripting with a case studyWrites Python scripts that create processes, run calculations and export results in batch, applied to a worked case study that shows the time saved on repeated assessments.ProExpExp+Master
Social LCA
- Basic S-LCA modelling with DEISO training processesIntroduces basic S-LCA modelling in openLCA using a training set of processes from the DEISO S-LCA database: building a simple social product system, linking activity variables and calculating results. Only the processes used in the training are provided; the full database is not included.ProExpExp+Master
- S-LCA case studyWorks through a complete S-LCA study in openLCA, from goal and scope to interpreted results, using the DEISO training processes. Participants finish with a modelled case they can use as a reference for their own studies.ProExpExp+Master
Results and reporting
- Basic: exporting and analysing LCA results in ExcelAnalysis inside openLCA alone is limited, so Microsoft Excel is used alongside it for fuller study. This module covers exporting LCA results to Excel and then formatting, filtering, scoring, and visualising them there.ProExpExp+Master
- Advanced: exporting and analysing LCA results in ExcelAdvanced work with exported results in Excel, applied to larger models and comparative studies, including structuring the output for reporting.ProExpExp+Master
- Generating and sharing interactive LCA results in HTMLGenerating, preparing, and sharing interactive LCA results in HTML directly from the openLCA model environment. Covers customising reports, tables, and figures, and interpreting the results, so detailed reports can go to clients, supervisors, or team members without a word processor.ProExpExp+Master
- Life cycle costing (LCC)Environmental life cycle costing assesses the total costs of a product or service across its life cycle, from resource extraction to disposal, alongside its environmental impacts. It brings environmental factors into conventional life cycle cost analysis so the two can be weighed together.ProExpExp+Master
