Sustainability analysis and reporting

MI Sustainability is an optional module of Granta MI that enables you to analyze the environmental performance of a product, using in-house and supplier data in combination with Granta reference data.

• You can select and compare Ansys-provided sustainability data for materials, processes, products and parts, transport stages, and energy (electricity and heat) for manufacturing locations, by searching and browsing the Restricted Substances and Sustainability database.
• You can assign data to product Bills of Materials, and run a Sustainability analysis and report, using the BoM Analyzer tool.
• Your organization can add in-house materials, processes, products, and parts to the Restricted Substances and Sustainability database, and manage sustainability data for in-house records.

The Sustainability data and the BoM analysis and report are focused on two key environmental indicators:

Embodied energy

Represents the direct and indirect energy use throughout the life cycle of a good or a service. The indicator is based on the cumulative energy demand method originally developed by ecoinvent in 2007 and updated in 2022. It includes renewable and non-renewable energy resources (biomass, fossil, geothermal, nuclear, primary forest, solar, water, and wind), and the value reported is the sum of all of these resources.

Climate change (CO2-eq)

Refers to a change in the state of the climate that can be identified by shifts in the mean and/or the variability of its properties, and that persists for an extended period - typically decades or longer. It is calculated based on global warming potential (GWP), developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The GWP model allows comparisons of the global warming impacts of different gases, reported as carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-eq.). The indicator is based on an IPCC method published in 2021.

The BoM analysis takes a cradle to gate approach, analyzing material extraction and production, product manufacturing and processing, and any transportation involved during production. Transport of the finished product from the final site of manufacture to the point of sale can also be inlcuded in the analysis, if required.

The analysis calculates the embodied energy and climate change impacts of the parts, materials, processes, and transport stages specified in the BoM, and provides a breakdown for the Material, Processing, and Transport phases. For materials in the BoM, the analysis also includes indicators that identify possible end-of-life options.