Sustainable Systems: Life Cycle Assessment & Energy Efficiency Report

This assignment comprises two reports: a life cycle assessment (LCA) comparing kerosene lamps and electric bulbs, and an energy efficiency analysis focusing on air conditioners. The LCA utilizes the GaBi software to evaluate the environmental impacts of each lighting alternative, revealing the kerosene lamp's significant carbon emissions and potential for climate change, while advocating for sustainable electricity sources like wind, solar, and geothermal energy for electric bulbs. Remedial measures to reduce kerosene lamp usage are suggested. The energy efficiency analysis assesses the energy consumption, costs, and environmental effects of air conditioners, ultimately favoring electric air conditioners for their efficiency and reduced environmental impact. The report emphasizes the importance of sustainable practices and environmentally friendly technologies. Desklib offers a wealth of similar solved assignments and study resources for students.

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SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS ASSIGNMENT NO.2
Name of student:
Name of Institution:
Date:

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Executive Summary
Life cycle assessment if one of the common methods of evaluating whether a product or system
is sustainable or not sustainable. A life cycle assessment is a practice of compiling and
evaluating the inputs, outputs and the potential impacts on the environment of a product. A life
cycle of a product is the entire period of its existence right from the raw material stage to the end
products and the by- products (Pilselli & Federico, 2019).
A life cycle assessment of two alternative products have been considered. The two products that
have been considered are the electric bulb and a kerosene lamp. The two alternative products are
used to provide light at home and in offices. The life cycle assessment report demonstrated that
the use of kerosene lamps produces a carbon into the atmosphere. Excessive release of carbon
into the atmosphere may lead to the depletion of the ozone layer. The depletion of ozone layer
can easily lead to climate change (Karabegovic & Isak, 2019).
On the other hand, the use of an electric lamb is relatively safe compared to the use of kerosene
lamp. However, the source of energy or electricity for an electric lamp should be controlled. The
use of an electric lamp will be sustainable if the source of electricity does not cause any change
on the environment. Some of the sources that are environmentally friendly are: Wind energy,
solar energy and the geothermal energy (Mannina & Giorgio, 2019).

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Table of Content
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................4
Problem Definition..................................................................................................................................4
Service wanted........................................................................................................................................4
Two alternatives......................................................................................................................................4
Reason for Choosing the problem............................................................................................................4
Flow chart of LCA...................................................................................................................................5
Estimated Weight of Each Component........................................................................................................5
Well defined Functional Unit......................................................................................................................5
A balanced Material Flow...........................................................................................................................6
Impact Analysis...........................................................................................................................................6
Hot spot identification for each alternative..................................................................................................9
Remedial measures for the identified Hotspots.........................................................................................10
Selecting the best alternative.....................................................................................................................10
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................10
References.................................................................................................................................................11
Energy Efficiency......................................................................................................................................13
Executive Summary...................................................................................................................................13
Introduction...............................................................................................................................................14
All Relevant Information...........................................................................................................................14
Selecting area............................................................................................................................................14
Opportunities to decrease energy consumption.........................................................................................15
Cost benefit analysis..................................................................................................................................15
Best option/conclusion..............................................................................................................................16
References.................................................................................................................................................17

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Introduction
Problem Definition
A source of lighting is a requirement in all homes and offices. There are several alternative
sources of light at home and at the offices. Some of the common sources of light include: The
sun, electricity and the lamps powered with kerosene. The question is to find out whether the
choice of a source of light is environmentally sustainable (Mannina & Giorgio, 2019). To answer
the question of whether the source light is sustainable, a light cycle assessment is necessary. In
this report, a life cycle assessment of a kerosene lamb and a light bulb has been conducted
(Karabegovic & Isak, 2019).
A life cycle assessment provides the impact of the product right from the raw material stage to
the end product and by-product. The effects of the product during the life cycle determines
whether the product is environmentally sustainable or not (Kaltschmitt & Martin, 2019).
Service wanted
The service wanted is the lighting system at home or in the office.
Two alternatives
The two alternatives available are: The kerosene lamb and an electric bulb. The two alternatives
can be used as a source of light at home.
Reason for Choosing the problem
A source of light is a basic item at homes and at offices. A source of lighting is required both at
night and during the day. Therefore, there is a need to have an environmentally sustainable
source of lighting (Diaz-Sarachaga, et al., 2019).

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Flow chart of LCA
A life cycle assessment commonly known as LCA is a process of evaluating the inputs and
outputs of a process to establish their effects on the environment. The effects of the products can
be used to gauge whether the product is sustainable or not. There is a standard flow chart that is
internationally recognized. The flow chart below represents a flow chart that is recognized by
ISO (Pires, et al., 2019).
Estimated Weight of Each Component
The two alternatives are measured using different units. Kerosine is a fuel that is measured in
litres. On the other hand, the average weight of an electric bulb is 500 grams.
Well defined Functional Unit
A kerosene is bought in Litres.

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A balanced Material Flow
Impact Analysis in GaBi

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Hot spot identification for each alternative
The impact analysis on GaBi reveals the effects of each of the alternatives. The use of kerosene
lamps produces a carbon into the atmosphere. Excessive release of carbon into the atmosphere
may lead to the depletion of the ozone layer. The depletion of ozone layer can easily lead to
climate change (Charytonowicz, et al., 2019).
A change in climate leads to a change in the patterns of a number of factors. A climate change
may lead to the change in the rain patterns as well as the patterns of the winds. In some cases,
climate change may lead to desertification. Therefore, a climate change may lead to a serious
effect on agriculture. An effect on agriculture results to an effect on the food patterns and food
supply (Diaz-Sarachaga, et al., 2019).

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The gases produced from kerosene are toxic to the life of human beings. Therore, a long term
consumption of the gases may lead to infection or even death. In other words, the use of
kerosene is not sustainable (Scholz & Miklas, 2019).
On the other hand, the use of an electric lamb is relatively safe compared to the use of kerosene
lamp. However, the source of energy or electricity for an electric lamp should be controlled. The
use of an electric lamp will be sustainable if the source of electricity does not cause any change
on the environment. Some of the sources that are environmentally friendly are: Wind energy,
solar energy and the geothermal energy (Bhattacharya, et al., 2019).
Remedial measures for the identified Hotspots
The measured that should be taken must have an aim of reducing the use of kerosene lamps.
Some of the beneficial remedial measures include: Making electricity more affordable, making
kerosene more expensive so that majority of people do no use, sensitizing people on the benefits
of using sustainable products and constantly evaluating the widely used sources energy to
establish whether they are sustainable (Storkey & Jonathan, 2019).
Selecting the best alternative
Based on the impact analysis, the best alternative is the use of an electric lamp. An electric lamp
is more sustainable compared to kerosene lamp. Furthermore, an electric lamp/bulb is
environmentally friendly and does not produce toxic gases into the environment (Aagaard &
Annabeth, 2019).
Conclusion
A life cycle assessment is important for evaluating the sustainability of a product. A product
should be sustainable right from the raw material stage to the by-products and end product stage.
A products that is environemetally friendly, biodegrable and does not produce toxic gases to the
environment is an example of a suatanable product. A product with such qualities should be
made affordable to everyone so that the ecosystem does not get destroyed (Uskov, et al., 2019).

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References
Aagaard & Annabeth, 2019. Sustainable Business Models || Managing Innovation for Circular
Industrial Systems. The Journal of Innovation, Implementation and Success, 97(10), p. 2.
Bhattacharya, et al., 2019. Sensors for Automotive and Aerospace Applications || Wireless
Sensing Systems. Journal of Energy, Environment, and Sustainability, 7(10), pp. 1-11.
Charytonowicz, Jerzy, Falcao & Christianne, 2019. Advances in Human Factors, Sustainable
Urban Planning and Infrastructure. The Journal of Space Architecture, 788(1), pp. 1-10.
Diaz-Sarachaga, Jose, M., Jato-Espino & Daniel, 2019. Development and application of a new
Resilient, Sustainable, Safe and Inclusive Community Rating System. Journal of Environment,
207(16), pp. 1-10.
Kaltschmitt & Martin, 2019. Energy from Organic Materials (Biomass) (A Volume in the
Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, Second Edition). The Journal of
Biomass Energy Heat Provision in Modern Small-Scale Systems, 97(10), pp. 1-10.
Karabegovic & Isak, 2019. Contributions to Improve the Sustainability in Services Based
Organizations. Journal of sustainable systems, 97(07), p. 2.
Mannina & Giorgio, 2019. New Trends in Urban Drainage Modelling || Modelling to Support the
Planning of Sustainable Urban Water Systems. The Journal of Green Energy and Technology,
97(10), p. 2.
Pilselli & Federico, M., 2019. System Sustainability. Encyclopedia of Ecolog, 12(16), p. 23.

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Pires, et al., 2019. Sustainable Solid Waste Collection and Management || Technology Status of
Waste Collection Systems. The Journal of Sustainable Systems, 319(3), p. 2.
Scholz & Miklas, 2019. Sustainable Water Treatment || Shallow Pond Systems Planted With
Duckweed Treating Azo Dyes. Journal of Environmental Conservation and Management, 12(1),
p. 2.
Storkey & Jonathan, 2019. The Future of Sustainable Crop Protection Relies on Increased
Diversity of Cropping Systems and Landscapes. Journal of Agroecosystem Diversity, 12(1), pp.
2-11.
Uskov, V. L., Howlett, R. J., Jain, L. C. & VIacic, L., 2019. Proposing an Innovative Design
Based Evaluation Model for Smart Sustainable Learning Technologies. The Journal of Smart
Innovation, Systems and Technologies, 99(10), pp. 2-20.