Life Cycle Assessment for Complex Systems

Life cycle modeling of products, industrial processes, and infrastructure/building systems; material and energy balances for large interdependent systems; environmental accounting; and life cycle costing. These methods, based on ISO 14000 standards, are used to examine emerging technologies, such as biobased products, building materials, building integrated photovoltaics, and alternative design strategies, such as remanufacturing, dematerialization, LEED, and Design for Environment: DfE. Student teams complete a life cycle assessment of a product or system chosen from industry.