NREL and its partners created the U.S. Life-Cycle Inventory (LCI) Database to help life-cycle assessment (LCA) experts answer their questions about environmental impact. This database provides a cradle-to-grave accounting of the energy and material flows into and out of the environment that are associated with producing a material, component, or assembly. It's an online storeroom of data collected on commonly used materials, products, and processes.
The critically reviewed LCI data are consistent with a common research protocol and with international standards. The LCI data support efforts to develop product LCAs, support systems, and LCA tools.
Read the plan to achieve the goals of the LCI Database Project in the U.S. Life Cycle Inventory Database Roadmap (PDF 1.3 MB). Download Adobe Reader.