Release notes December 2019

Release notes December 2019

Release note highlights

Summary of release highlights - all versions

  1. Error corrections in materials thickness handling and Carbon Designer facades
  2. New detailed comparison graph is added to the end of project main page
  3. New results sidebar allows a sneak peek at results from data input forms
  4. Materials input forms now have enabled delete multiple by dragging the area and right mouse click and Delete
  5. Data searchability improvements for long lists and identifying plant-specific data
  6. Improved materials manufacturing localization method v2 is released as a beta
  7. General improvements, user interface enhancements, and Italian language support
  8. Database: 18427 new datasets since the last release

Release highlights for Business and Expert licenses

  1. New Revit plugin with Revit 2020 support, benchmarking and improvements (Business)
  2. Integration with Autocase for Triple Bottom line analyses (North American users)
  3. Cost and carbon optimal materials specifier (Expert license)
  4. Private data improvements (Expert license / all French users for EPD generators)
  5. Fully revamped Green materials benchmark feature (Expert license)
  6. New user-adjustable End of Life model v2 beta for selected tools (Expert license)

Tool specific updates

  1. Carbon Designer improvements and support for default values for calculation methods
  2. Corporate reporting improvements: hiding reporting periods and new visualizations

Summary of release highlights (all versions)

Error corrections in materials thickness handling and Carbon Designer facades

In cases of some materials expressed as an area (m2 or sqft) in the underlying data (e.g. EPD), the user-inputted thickness was not correctly applied in the calculations and material default thickness (in the metric or imperial system) was used instead. This has led to the material quantity and resulting impacts being either under- or overstated for concerned materials, to the extent the user given thickness varied from the default thickness. This has no impact on any other case. This error is now corrected.

This does not change your results if you do not update, recalculate or save again your data. If you update, recalculate or save results again, this will automatically trigger a recalculation and update results to the correct figures.

An error in calculating the quantity of façade areas in Carbon Designer was also corrected. The default "Shape efficiency factor" of 1,1 was applied one time too many on façades. This has led to previously generated façade areas to be 10 % too high. This error is now corrected. To revise the error in previously done calculations, reduce the area of facades by 9 %. New calculations will not be impacted.

If you need to update your baseline/reference results but wish to keep the original data too, we suggest making a copy of the concerned design and reflecting the updates there. This will allow keeping your original results intact while also having corrected results. You can then proceed to use the "Hide design" functionality on the original (incorrect) designs.

We apologize for the trouble this may cause. Please write to support if you have any further questions about the above.

New detailed comparison graph is added to the end of project main page

This new graph allows you to use any classification you have in any of the tools used in your projects (for example, simultaneously national classification and BREEAM one, assuming you use both tools at once) to analyse details of all, or just selected building elements by mentioned classifications. If tools used on the project do not apply any classifications, then structure from data input forms is used. To make comparisons, you need to have more than one calculation with all mandatory data.

New results sidebar gives you a sneak peek at results from the data input forms

The new results sidebar sits alongside Guidance and Workflow sidebars on the left-hand side of data input forms. It visualizes the total results, results in repartition and key contributing resources. To see the results, mandatory calculation inputs must be entered. This result graph may not be available across all tools, or license types.


Material input forms now have enabled delete multiple

To delete multiple rows at once, start dragging an area covering resources you want to delete with the LEFT mouse button pressed. Then click the RIGHT mouse button and select delete. This functionality is enabled on data input forms that typically contain a significant quantity of data.


Data searching improvements for long lists and identifying plant-specific data

  1. Searching for a brand, factory, and strength-class specific data point you can write a freeform search string e.g. 'Cemex Pasadena 5000'. The order of search keys does not matter, nor if they are complete or contain just the first part of the word. If you wish to add the search criteria e.g. curing time for concrete, you can add e.g. '28d' or '60d'. (Reminder of existing feature)
  2. Plant-specific EPDs (single factory) now have a factory icon in front of them in the search lists.
  3. For the United States and Canada, filtering allows setting state/province level filters.
  4. Searches with longer results now open much faster to show 250 first matches. If more are available, you can then select at the end of the list if you want to view the next 250 or load all (which may take longer if several thousand items match).

Improved materials manufacturing localization method v2 is released as a beta

One Click LCA allows localizing materials manufacturing environmental impacts to represent regions that lack detailed local data for all products. This takes into account e.g. differences in electricity grid environmental impacts used in manufacturing. With this release, a new beta version of the materials manufacturing localization method is now available. This feature can be managed in a more fine level of detail by Expert license users. Read the detailed description here Materials manufacturing localization method v2

General improvements, user interface enhancements, and Italian language support

  1. Infrastructure projects importing data with custom classifications can now be mapped and remembered automatically.
  2. For designs, the number of design stages (RIBA/AA) is now separated from the name with a hyphen.
  3. The design name is now visible when opening the 'Details' view from the results report.
  4. When selecting tools for a project, the tools matching the selected certifications are only pre-selected the first time. Afterward, the user will have to make these changes explicitly. 
  5. Results graphs that were not working with negative 'carbon handprint' values are now fixed.
  6. In the resource popup, biogenic carbon separation texts have been improved for more clarity.
  7. If a certain dataset has no downloadable EPD (or comparable), this is clearly stated in the popup.
  8. Generic datasets are explained more clearly in the resource popups
  9. An impact top-up factor incorporated in some generic datasets (already added by the issuer to put the burden of doubt on the use of generic data, for example in OKOBAU.DAT, NMD, MDEGD) are now shown in the resource popup.
  10. Italian language version of One Click LCA is now available. To change language access your user account. We're happy to correct any reported translation errors or gaps, please write to support@bionova.fi if you have any such to report. Prego!

Database: 18427 new datasets since our last release

We have greatly enhanced available data and integration speed. Going forward, we will always automatically include all data from INIES, EPD Norge, BRE, and several other databases twice a month. At the same time, we will include customer requested EPDs from our regularly updated databases in the next planned update of the said database. Many of the new datasets are for North America from Climate Earth.

Release highlights for Business and Expert licenses

New Revit plugin with Revit 2020 support, benchmarking and improvements (Business)

Refreshed One Click LCA plugin for Autodesk Revit is now available. The new plugin delivers several important and requested improvements, including support for Autodesk Revit 2020, and in addition:
  1. Direct access to Quick LCA on the main ribbon. This allows you to push all data to the One Click LCA cloud and allow parsing and processing data in the cloud environment.
  2. Benchmark your project to any of the Carbon Heroes Benchmarks and compare your project's carbon intensity and see the impact of your changes inside Revit.
  3. Several user interface clarifications and improvements.
The new plugin is available in our Customer Support Center.
Please note: users who have One Click LCA Expert licenses (but no Revit license) can receive data from other users who have Revit license (but no One Click LCA license) using the Send Me Data feature. This feature is available in the Expert plans and allows the user holding the license to have other users to send them data directly from Revit.

Integration with Autocase for Triple Bottom Line analysis (North American users)

North American Expert license users can now use our Autocase integration. Autocase is a Cost-Benefit Analysis software used for early determination of which projects to implement, and which not. Autocase also supports the LEED Triple Bottom Line pilot credits. This integration allows users who have both licenses to Autocase and One Click LCA to transfer their LCA results back to Autocase for using in their Triple Bottom Line analyses. For more information follow the link to the press release here.

Cost and carbon optimal materials specifier (Expert license)

The materials specifier (accessible from project main page, by clicking the lower Tools dropdown and choosing Materials Specifier) has been significantly revamped to allow simultaneous consideration of materials cost and carbon impact at the same time. This can also automatically incorporate the organisation level carbon price (e.g. 20 €/ton) to the “Financial & social cost” column, which allows translating costs to carbon impacts.

This tool compares the life-cycle impacts of materials over 60 years, and it includes aspects like transport distance, wastage, and other life-cycle parameters. This feature will automatically prepopulate default data for material costs if the user has purchased a life-cycle cost module with default data. This tool will allow optimizing final sourcing decisions with data.


Private data related improvements (Expert license / All licenses for French EPD generators)

Note: to use private data, you need to set up an Organisation account. Set it up by clicking on your username once logged in. If you already have an Organisation account, you can add and manage private data if you are an organisation main user. All private data is accessible only to users who are listed as organisation users in the profile. All users have to be added or confirmed by the main user.
  1. Private datasets and constructions show a private eye icon in material search in queries
  2. Private data resource popups show organisation, creator and date when data was created
  3. Importing data allows now mapping data to private datasets and constructions
  4. Private datasets can be used for making private constructions (assemblies) for organisation
  5. Users who have private constructions, can choose to use or not use them in Carbon Designer
  6. Private datasets can be self-validated by users to use in LEED or BREEAM applications from private dataset management page. Validating them to “CML” database allows using them in European and International LEED and BREEAM tools. Validating them to “TRACI” database allows them to be used in North American LEED tools. “LCA” dataset is for custom tools.

Fully revamped Green Materials benchmark feature (Expert license)

Our Green materials benchmark feature is fully revised. When you open the feature, a new type of graph appears that shows all products by carbon intensity quintiles for the country of project, neighboring countries and all other countries with data matching tool requirements.

You can tick off quintiles (e.g. worst-performing quintile) to zoom into the products you are interested in, and from below the graph, you can see statistical profile (80th percentile, average/mean and median) for each region, choose a benchmark level, and after that continue to zoom in to see how many products meet your selected benchmark and how many products can achieve pre-defined reductions from benchmark.

Once you have selected the final performance threshold, you can review the list of all products meeting the selected threshold. You can use this feature for example to set strategic sourcing requirements, and as well as providing consultancy services to manufacturers who wish to earn e.g. LEED EPD credits.


New user-adjustable End of Life model is released for selected tools (Expert license)

One Click LCA offers adjustable End of Life modeling capabilities. The purpose of this change is to provide users more choices to consider the impacts of the End of Life options used on a project. A new, more detailed beta version for End of Life modelling method is now available. This feature can be managed in a more fine level of detail by Expert license users. The new method is now in beta version and available only for selected tools. Read the detailed description here: User-adjustable EOL modelling

Tool specific updates

Carbon Designer improvements and support for default values of calculation methods

  1. Cumulative shares of assemblies in element (e.g. floor slabs) is shown in element header
  2. For users using imperial units, heading typo showing carbon per square feet is now fixed
In addition, for compliance modules where sets of default values need to be used, Carbon Designer allows applying them automatically. This will apply initially for Finnish and Norwegian national tools (for construction site and other activities), and also Swedish NollCO2 for site and building services. This will also allow adding required fixed default values to any future schemes requiring them.

Corporate reporting improvements: hiding reporting periods and new visualisations

  1. Hiding periods (and making them visible again from under Tools choices) makes it possible to hide options or alternative calculations that are not necessary to see from day to day

Tool specific updates

  1. For North American market, a new Life Cycle Carbon - North America tool was launched. The tool allows modelling all possible scopes of a construction project, including materials for full life-cycle, refrigerant leakages, decarbonisation, vegetation carbon uptake, energy and more.
  2. The Building Circularity tool, if used together with LCA analysis where “Use EOL from EPD” is selected, will apply the scenario “Do nothing” for material flow end of life classification.
  3. Both LCA for LEED, US and Canada versions and Life Cycle Carbon – North America now have Structure & Enclosure completeness checkers using MasterFormat OmniClass.


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