Australian based life cycle assessment software developers eTool have announced the release of eTool LCA version two: an advanced, freely accessible, streamline LCA software tool for the built environment.

“We’re very proud to be releasing our latest software development to the construction industry. 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 releases latest life cycle assessment software eTool LCA V2, including:

 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.
           
  “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.