brightway

Brightway2 print_recursive_calculation result interpretation and activity contribution


Understanding the output from print_recursive_calculation

I want to attribute the emission for each modelled unit processes in foreground system to energy and material consumption. I used print_recursive_calculation to do this. However, I do not understand the absolute score for different levels

For example: This foreground activity has one of the highest impact, so I use print_recursive_calculation. The result I get is:

Fraction of score | Absolute score | Amount | Activity
0001 | 22.49 |  8.72 | 'backsheet-w' (kilogram, NL, None)
  3.11 | 69.88 | 30.43 | 'market for polypropylene, granulate' (kilogram, GLO, None)
    0.486 | 10.93 | 5.802 | 'polypropylene production, granulate' (kilogram, RER, None)
    02.5 |  56.3 | 24.63 | 'polypropylene production, granulate' (kilogram, RoW, None)
    0.0202 | 0.4539 | 8.786 | 'market group for transport, freight train' (ton kilometer, GLO, None)
    0.0908 | 2.042 | 13.71 | 'market group for transport, freight, lorry, unspecified' (ton kilomet
    0.00722 | 0.1623 | 15.97 | 'market for transport, freight, sea, container ship' (ton kilometer, G
  0.00968 | 0.2178 | 5.406 | 'market for malusil' (kilogram, GLO, None)
    0.00609 | 0.1371 | 3.619 | 'malusil production' (kilogram, RoW, None)
    0.00165 | 0.03717 | 1.787 | 'malusil production' (kilogram, RER, None) 

What I do not understand is that in second row for market for PP, granulate the absolute score is 69.88 and the amount used is 30.43 kg. How can the absolute score be greater than that of the level 0 and how is the input amount 30.43 ?

This is not directly related to brightway2, and more of an LCA question, but hopefully I could get some help!

What I am hoping to get is something like this: enter image description here


Solution

  • The impact of an activity can be lower than the impact of one of its inputs. For example, if the activity has negative emissions. This function should show in Amount whatever is in your inventory. Can 8.7 kg of backsheet-w require 30 kg of PP ? that is a question for the person that did that inventory.

    you can look at the exchanges of your activity with e.g. (assuming it is called act)

    list(act.exchanges())