Welcome to the Federal LCA Commons

The USLCI Fall Quarter 2025 release is ready. The new release is available through NREL’s USLCI repository on the Federal LCA Commons (FLCAC). The update in openLCA zolca and JSON-LD formats can also be downloaded from the USLCI GitHub Support Content Downloads page.

Overview of USLCI 2025 Fall Quarter Changes:

The Engineering Laboratory (EL) in collaboration with the Material Measurement Laboratory (MML) updated the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Building Systems repository. In addition to the production supply chain of single- and multi-silicon panel, it now includes residential photovoltaic systems using those panels, and a recycling process. As part of the residential system, the following models were created: seven mounting structures, four string inverters, a microinverter, a string optimizer, and other electrical equipment. 

The National Energy Technology Laboratory Coal Extraction repository has been updated to reflect their latest published research. The repository reflects the data available in the full model, "LCA Baseline for U.S.

The Engineering Laboratory (EL) in collaboration with the Material Measurement Laboratory (MML) released the second National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) repository on the Federal LCA Commons (FLCAC): a set of building systems models built using data from the FLCAC. This repository contains single- and multi-silicon photovoltaic panel supply chain data. It includes silicon refining from metallurgical grade to single- and multi-crystalline silicon, and the manufacturing of wafers, cells, panels and laminates, as well as consumption mixes for 2018.

The USLCI Summer Quarter 2025 release is ready. The new release is available through NREL’s USLCI repository on the Federal LCA Commons (FLCAC). The update in openLCA zolca and JSON-LD formats can also be downloaded from the USLCI GitHub Support Content Downloads page.

The Federal LCA Commons has released an updated version of the U.S. Electricity Baseline to reflect conditions in 2022. This data reflects version 2.0 of the ElectricityLCI, from which the 2022 data was released by NETL earlier this month.

The Engineering Laboratory (EL) in collaboration with the Material Measurement Laboratory (MML) released the first National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) repository on the Federal LCA Commons (FLCAC): a set of construction material product models built using data from the FLCAC. This repository contains concrete and gypsum board supply chain data. Concrete's supply chain includes limestone quarrying, clinker, and Portland cement production, and aggregates quarrying and crushing.

The US Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory released an updated version of the Forestry and Forest Products repository. This repository contains updated forest product’s supply chain data from harvesting lumber through the processing of the lumber at sawmills. Future updates are planned this year for secondary wood products (e.g., pallets and wood flooring). This repository will eventually replace the CORRIM Forestry and Forest Products repository once all updates are completed.

The Federal Commons has released the latest version of EPA’s Tool for Reduction and Assessment of Chemicals and Other Environmental Impacts (TRACI) life cycle impact assessment method. Version 2.2 includes updated eutrophication potential characterization factors for marine and freshwater environments. The eutrophication factors are spatially explicit and can be applied to specific countries or U.S. states.

The new release is available on the Federal LCA Commons in the NREL USLCI group repository. The update in openLCA, zolca, and JSON-LD formats can also be downloaded from the USLCI GitHub Support Content Downloads page along with the associated libraries.