The Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI) is a U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Center supported by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research in the DOE Office of Science. 

A parameterized life cycle model for rapid quantification of 

bioenergy sustainability metrics

Rebecca J. Hanes, Nicholas Grundl, Mary J. Biddy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

• User-friendly, parameterized life cycle

modeling tool

• Provides low-effort, rapid quantification

of key sustainability metrics for

advanced biofuel life cycles

• Being developed using Excel and Visual

Basic connected to SimaPro

• Will integrate with a similar technoeconomic analysis tool

• To be publicly released as a Year 4

deliverable

Key Points

Model Concept and Structure

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a method for assessing all environmental impacts associated with 

provisioning a good or service. A life cycle encompasses the system which directly produces a good, 

as well as all systems and processes on which that system is dependent.

The objective of this work is to develop a flexible, parameterized model representing a 

superstructure of life cycles for advanced biofuel production. Parameterizing the model allows users to 

define a variety of biofuel production scenarios and assess key sustainability metrics, without needing 

to acquire additional data or perform separate life cycle assessments. Within the model, parameters 

will include feedstock species and phenotype, a range of farming and harvest practices, feedstock preprocessing, and operating conditions within the biomass conversion process. The model will be used 

to identify major impact drivers within bioenergy life cycles and aid CBI researchers and leadership in 

targeting areas where additional R&D efforts will have the most beneficial impacts.

Background

Data Requirements Next Steps

CBI Teams Data and Information

Biomass

Production

and

Harvesting

Rapid Domestication –

Poplar

• Input on the pathway scenarios

of most interest

• Data and other information to

develop relationships between

scenario parameters, e.g. how

feedstock composition is

affected by phenotype

Rapid Domestication –

Switchgrass

Sustainable Feedstocks

Biomass

Conversion

Consolidated Bio-Processing • Data for the development

techno-economic models of

several biomass conversion

processes

• The life cycle model will draw

on process information and

models developed from technoeconomic analysis

Cotreatment and 

Pretreatment

Deconstruction 

Fundamentals

Rapid Domestication –

Microbes

Lignin Valorization

• Model development has begun based on preliminary information

from researchers across CBI.

• Additional scenario definition parameters and intermediate results

are being added to the model as techno-economic modeling and

other CBI efforts progress.

• By the end of Year 1, a preliminary model version with limited

functionality will be complete and available throughout CBI.

• By the end of Year 4, the model will be fully functional and

available for sustainability analyses to CBI researchers and to the

general public.

Acknowledgement

The Center for Bioenergy Innovation is a U.S. Department of Energy 

Bioenergy Research Center supported by the Office of Biological 

and Environmental Research in the DOE Office of Science.

NREL/PO-6A20-71647