Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment Professional

The Whole-Building Life Cycle Assessment Professional microcredential provides the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use LCA in design decisions for works of construction. Developed in partnership with the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute, this microcredential consists of four courses delivered online by experienced LCA professionals through a combination of self-paced work and virtual live lectures.

Learners will gain foundational knowledge of life cycle thinking, embodied carbon, and LCA standards and methods that they will apply as they conduct whole-building LCAs and calculate the carbon impact of building materials using Athena’s free LCA software. Learners will complete the microcredential with a final project where they will undertake a thorough whole-building LCA and produce a comprehensive report in compliance with the national guidelines on whole-building LCA.

Architects, Designers, Energy Specialists, and Policymakers will learn about life cycle thinking, embodied carbon, LCA standards, and methods for conducting a whole-building life cycle assessment (WBLCA) using National guidelines for whole-building life cycle assessment. Learners will gain practice conducting a WBLCA using Athena’s free LCA software and reporting embodied carbon and environmental impacts in an environmental building declaration.

Upon completion, learners will have:

• Advanced knowledge and skills in whole-building LCA, including a solid foundation in LCA standards, method, and data
• Experience conducting whole-building LCA using Athena LCA software
• Ability to interpret results, assess uncertainty and limitations, make fair comparisons, and create proper

This microcredential prepares learners and their design projects make informed design decisions to reduce embodied carbon emissions with the skills required for reporting the carbon emissions associated with extracting, manufacturing, and transporting materials, and constructing buildings in-line with international and regional standards, governing bodies, and municipalities.

Topics covered include:

• Fundamentals of life cycle assessment (LCA) and embodied carbon in construction for designers, energy advisors, energy modelers, and policymakers (XZEB 1160)
• Applying LCA standards for whole-building Life Cycle Assessment using Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings software (XZEB1165)
• Advanced topics for assessing data sources, interpreting, and reporting results of a whole-building life cycle assessment (WBLCA) preparing students to conduct a WBLCA and prepare an environmental building declaration (XZEB 1166)
• Conducting a high-quality WBLCA and preparing an environmental building declaration with case studies from industry experts of WBLCAs conducted for design projects (XZEB 1169)

• Essentials of Net-Zero and Passive House Construction
• Essentials of Community Energy and Emissions Management