Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP
Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP

Sustainability Stress Test to assess environmental effects of product use

Exploring the impact of individual users in the product development phase

Realistic map of the product use phase

Life cycle assessments (LCA) contain in-depth information about the ecological aspects of the processes used to manufacture products. The use phase, on the other hand, is generally only evaluated on the basis of estimated values. This makes it is impossible to realistically map the effects on the environment that actually stem from use of the product. The problem is further exacerbated by the fact that usage patterns are becoming more and more individualized. This is exactly where our scientists come in. Using the “Sustainability Stress Test”, they reveal the variable environmental effects of products in the use phase in a life cycle assessment.

 

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Our scientists work closely with you to prepare different product usage scenarios. These are based on data such as user behavior, user preference or life expectancy and can be individually tailored to your customers. Based on this, thousands of life cycle assessments are calculated to cover the entire range of possible or expected uses. The results are then summarized in interactive and practical visualizations. This enables you to realistically assess the usage behavior of your customers and provides useful data which can be used in your product development processes.

Based on information about your customers, we carry out the “Sustainability Stress Test” in the course of the LCA project to give you valuable insights into the environmental effects of your products during the use phase. Already in the processing phase, you receive predictions about the future environmental impact of your product. With this information, you can estimate the effects of decisions made during the product development stage on the environmental impact in the use phase. The results of the project are presented to you in the form of an interactive visualization. In this way, you can explore the different influencing variables and improve your understanding of their impact on LCA results.

Our experts have many years of experience in life cycle assessments and data science expertise. Our application-oriented approach - a hallmark of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft - means that we can give you the latest research results with the highest practical relevance. Our wide-ranging expertise also enables us to provide you with usage profiles as part of our cooperation, should you not have these available in your company.

We work in a practice-oriented yet scientifically-based manner. To make sure that you derive the greatest possible benefit from our services, we tailor them to the needs of your company. All results are reliably documented and made available to you via an interactive dashboard for further use.

 

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The area of "Data-Science enhanced Product Stewardship"

Data-Science enhanced Product Stewardship

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