Module: Life Cycle Assessment & Decarbonisation

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Life Cycle Assessment & Decarbonisation
Module Code	MEC1021 (ITS: MM322)
Faculty	Engineering & Computing	School	Mechanical & Manufacturing Eng
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5

Description

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is widely accepted as the gold standard of holistic environmental impact analysis tools. The LCA methodology was developed to assess the impact that industrial practices have on ecological and biological systems by measuring lithospheric (terrestrial toxicity), hydrospheric (freshwater and marine toxicity, eutrophication), and atmospheric (global warming, acidification, ozone depletion) emissions from a given product system. Within the scope and framework of LCA practice, is the identification of carbon-intensive unit processes, or ‘hotspots’ within a system, and the potential for decarbonisation innovation. This forms a natural synergy between the LCA methodology and decarbonisation initiatives. The objective of this module is firstly to educate students on the concept of “the lifecycle” as it pertains to a product, system, or service. The students will then develop the knowledge and skills required to carry out Carbon Footprinting as part of a full LCA study of a product system. The students will become familiar with, and learn to interpret the ISO 14040 series of LCA standards. Students will develop LCA models for a given product system using LCA software, present their results and make recommendations.

Learning Outcomes

1. Apply the concept of life cycle thinking to engineering design solutions
2. Apply the LCA framework as defined by the ISO 14040 series of LCA standards
3. Compile life cycle inventories for a range of engineering product systems
4. Conduct life cycle impact assessments with suitable impact assessment methodologies
5. Conduct carbon footprinting on a range of product systems and services
6. Identify and develop decarbonisation opportunities in industrial applications
7. Apply chemical exergy analysis to quantify resource use
8. Articulate how individual and societal values, norms and goals can support or hinder transformative sustainability
9. Identify relevant collaborators in order to promote transformative sustainability

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	24	2 hour lecture per week
Laboratory	24	Tutorial/computer lab sessions 2 hour per week
Group work	24	Group work for assignment completion
Independent Study	53	No Description
Total Workload: 125

Section Breakdown
CRN	10224	Part of Term	Semester 1
Coursework	30%	Examination Weight	70%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	N
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Greg McNamara	Module Teacher	Lorna Fitzsimons

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Project	Student are required to conduct an LCA and carbon footprint of a selected unit process	30%	Week 12
Formal Examination	n/a	70%	End-of-Semester

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Data management
Assessment of required data and quality; conducting a literature search/review; sourcing primary and secondary data; data normalisation; evaluation of LCA datasets

System modelling
Use of LCA software for development of product system models

Reporting
LCA report compilation

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Olivier Jolliet,Myriam Saade,Shanna Shaked,Alexandre Jolliet: 2015, Environmental Life Cycle Assessment, CRC Press, 296, 9781439887660
Peter Newton,Deo Prasad,Alistair Sproul,Stephen White: 2020, Decarbonising the Built Environment, Palgrave Macmillan, 555, 9789811379420
Walter KlÃ¶pffer,Birgit Grahl: 2014, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), John Wiley & Sons, 440, 3527655646
Aiduan Borrion,Mairi J Black,Onesmus Mwabonje: 2021, Life Cycle Assessment: A Metric for the Circular Economy, Royal Society of Chemistry, 400, 1839161361

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None