Rochester Institute of Technology RIT Scholar Works Theses Thesis/Dissertation Collections 11-26-2013 Evaluating the Effectiveness of Design for the Environment Tools to Help Meet Sustainability and Design Goals Ana Maria Leal-Yepes Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses Part of the Sustainability Commons Recommended Citation Leal-Yepes, Ana Maria, "Evaluating the Effectiveness of Design for the Environment Tools to Help Meet Sustainability and Design Goals" (2013). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Thesis/Dissertation Collections at RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Golisano Institute for Sustainability – Rochester Institute of Technology Evaluating the Effectiveness of Design for the Environment Tools to Help Meet Sustainability and Design Goals Thesis MS in Sustainable Systems Ana Maria Leal Yepes 11/26/2013 i Thesis MS in Sustainable Systems Golisano Institute for Sustainability Ana Maria Leal-Yepes Rochester Institute of Technology 11/26/13 Evaluating the Effectiveness of Design for the Environment Tools to Help Meet Sustainability and Design Goals By Ana Maria Leal Yepes This thesis is approved as a creditable and independent investigation by a candidate for the Master of Science in Sustainable Systems degree at Rochester Institute of Technology and is acceptable for meeting the thesis requirements for this degree. Nabil Nasar, Ph.D. Paul Stiebitz Associate Provost and Director of the Associate Academic Director Golisano Institute for Sustainability Golisano Institute for Sustainability Callie W. Babbitt, Ph.D. Gabrielle Gaustad, Ph.D. Thesis Advisor Thesis Committee Member Alex Lobos Solis Thesis Committee Member ii Thesis MS in Sustainable Systems Golisano Institute for Sustainability Ana Maria Leal-Yepes Rochester Institute of Technology 11/26/13 Table of Contents Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgment ............................................................................................................................v Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... vi List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... viii List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ ix Chapter 1 ........................................................................................................................................1 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Design for the Environment state of the art .........................................................................3 1.2.1 Evolution of Design for the Environment ......................................................................3 1.3 Knowledge and Application in Current Design for the Environment approaches ...............6 1.4 Project goal and scope ..........................................................................................................7 Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................................................7 2.1. Introduction ..........................................................................................................................7 2.2. Classification of DfE Tools ..................................................................................................8 2.3. Characterization of DfE Tools ...........................................................................................11 2.3.1 Define evaluation criteria to select tools .......................................................................11 2.3.2 Evaluation Criteria.........................................................................................................12 2.3.3 Screening Matrix ...........................................................................................................16 2.4. Results .............................................................................................................16 2.4.1 Checklist & guidelines ..................................................................................................45 2.4.1.1 Screening Life Cycle Modeling (SLCM) .................................................45 2.4.1.2 Material Energy & Toxicity (MET) ..........................................................45 2.4.1.3 DfE matrix .................................................................................................47 2.4.2 Rating & ranking ...........................................................................................................48 2.4.2.1 Materials Energy Chemicals & Others (MECO) ...................................................48 2.4.2.2 ABC Analysis ..........................................................................................................50 2.4.2.3 Life Cycle Design Strategy (LIDS) ............................................................... 50 2.4.2.3 Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) ............................... 52 2.4.3 Software & expert systems ................................................................................................... 52 2.4.3.1 Solid Works Sustainability Package ............................................................... 52 2.4.3.2 Autodesk Eco-Material Adviser (EMA) ....................................................... 54 iii Thesis MS in Sustainable Systems Golisano Institute for Sustainability Ana Maria Leal-Yepes Rochester Institute of Technology 11/26/13 2.4.3.3 Eco-it .................................................................................................................. 56 2.4.3.4 PTC Insight/Wind-chill .................................................................................... 59 2.4.4 Analytical tools ....................................................................................................................... 60 2.4.4.1 Material Input per Service (MIPS) ................................................................ 60 2.4.4.2 The Eco-Design Indicator Tool (EDIT) ........................................................ 62 2.4.4.3 Trade-off modeling method Carnahan-Thurston ......................................... 61 2.4.4.4 Environmental Design cost (EDC) ................................................................ 62 2.4.5 Comparison tools .................................................................................................................... 63 2.4.5.1 Philips Fast Five Awareness ............................................................................ 63 2.4.5.2 Econcept Spider Web ....................................................................................... 64 2.4.5.3 Morphological box ............................................................................................ 66 Chapter 3: Sustainability and design outcomes of tools application .................................................... 67 3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 67 3.2 Methodology ...................................................................................................................................... 69 3.2.1 Design of an electronic device .............................................................................................. 69 3.2.2 Sustainability metrics ............................................................................................................. 71 3.2.2.1 Materials ............................................................................................................. 73 3.2.2.2 Energy ................................................................................................................. 73 3.2.2.3 Emissions ........................................................................................................... 74 3.2.2.4 End of Life ......................................................................................................... 75 3.3 Application of Design for the Environment tools .................................................................... 78 3.3.1 Eco Materials Advisor (EMA) ............................................................................................ 78 3.3.2 Design for the Environment matrix (DfE) ......................................................................... 80 3.3.3 Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) ...................................... 81 3.4 Second application of Sustainability metrics .......................................................................... 82 3.5 Results ................................................................................................................................................ 83