Pleiades ACV Equer

With this software platform, designed and developed at MINES ParisTech, it is possible to perform regulatory calculations and physics-based life-cycle assessment (LCA) with the Equer tool. For example, the primary energy content of an electric kWh is not reduced for the electricity exported from a photovoltaic system and can be calculated dynamically.

The data comes from the international Ecoinvent database: each life-cycle inventory contains several thousand flows, including substances such as dioxins. LCA is therefore an effective tool for supporting eco-design, which makes it possible to compare architectural variants, construction materials or energy sources in order to choose solutions with a lower environmental impact.

The measured indicators include, among others, energy resources, water, raw materials, health and biodiversity, and climate.

The graphic modeller enables the entry of a set of buildings and the automatic generation of the corresponding solar masks. It is then possible to perform thermal simulations and life-cycle assessments by building type or for an entire urban project. In LCA, roads and other outdoor spaces, such as parks, are taken into account as well as networks (heat, drinking water and wastewater), waste management and transport.