Australian based life cycle assessment software developers eTool have today announced the release of eTool LCA version two: the world’s most advanced, freely accessible, streamline LCA software tool for the built environment.
“We are very proud to be releasing our latest software development to the construction industry. Our key motivation when we started was to reduce global greenhouse gas emission, and as buildings account for 30 to 40 per cent of anthropogenic greenhouse emissions there was a lot of room for improvement. With eTool LCA, not only can designers reduce the CO2 footprint of their buildings but using our integrated life cycle cost analysis they can also reduce the costs of their building design too. It’s a win-win for the environment and the economy!” - Richard Haynes, Product Development Manager and Co-Founder.
With more than 100 innovative new features and improvements on the first online prototype, eTool LCA V2 includes:
- Life cycle costing, financial performance reporting and comparison charts to highlight maintenance and operational cost benefits or excesses. Track your return on investment and expenditure over the design life of the building.
- New environmental impact categories/intensities, now tracking life cycle Global Warming, Cost, Fossil Fuel Consumption, Water Use, Land Use, Ozone Depletion, Acidification and Human Toxicity.
- International electricity grids, with over 24 additional grids covering the US, EU and AU.
- Annual energy cost summary, calculate a building’s energy expenses by year for greater understanding of operating costs.Better materials categorisation, and over 50 new materials have been added to make selection easier and new functionality enables material manufacturers to submit their own materials for listing.
- Basic default costs for all materials, equipment, grids and energy sources are now available and LCA cost estimation from simply entering quantities of materials, equipment run time and operational energy.
- An improved user interface including the redesign of key screens and popups.
- “Nested” templates for greater speed and accuracy in producing a library of readily accessible templates.
- Ability to clone LCA models and share with other users; great for advanced users interacting with multi-disciplinary teams, liaising with clients and seeking feedback from eTool certifiers.
- Greater transparent and editable distance calculations for local materials.
- Expression builder for selected fields: build a template for operational energy that takes the number of occupants and fully enclosed building area into consideration to calculate your energy demand.
- Enhanced calculations and coefficients for greater accuracy.
- Regional Life Cycle Environmental and Cost Inventories: this exciting new feature has successfully passed functionality tests and regional datasets are now being collating ready for implementation into the software.
Additional features in eTool LCA coming soon include more reporting options on all environmental impact categories; amended user interface for easier navigation; additional options to customise grids, materials, costs and transport and a software user forum for feedback and support.
Pricing
eTool LCA V2 is now available to use online through the eTool app website www.app.etool.net.au. Individuals wanting to use the software for personal use can register for free and access all the new functionality and features. Subscriptions packages for commercial users are also now available and range from Assessor Lite and Pro to Certifier and Regional Partner. Packages are tailored to the individual or organisation size and prices start from $2,000 for comprehensive training and project certification. Subscriptions can be purchased internationally and commercial users will receive either in-house or online training and support from the eTool team of engineers and architects.
About eTool…
eTool developed eTool LCA, the world’s most advanced, streamlined life cycle assessment software for the built environment. eTool has redefined the way we think about building design and our low carbon future; ensuring cost effective and sustainable outcomes are available to everyone, the world over.
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