Session 3 Q&A
Session 3 Q&A We had 182 questions in total across the Q&A panel and the chat. I narrowed it down to 55 key questions that cover the practical software training. I categorised the questions according to the following topics:
- Bootcamp License Activation & Access
- Getting Started: Projects, Folders & Interface
- Tools: Carbon Designer 3D, Circularity & Benchmarking
- Integrations: Revit, IES-VE & BIM Workflows
- Data & Materials: Imports, EPDs & Search
- LCA Methodology in Practice
- Troubleshooting & Errors
- Results, Reporting & Project Management
1. Bootcamp License Activation & Access
(Questions 1–7)
1. Where is the license key?
The license key is LCABootcampNovember25. It is case-sensitive, so please ensure you type it exactly as written. This will only work for the duration of the Autumn construction LCA bootcamp and only for building or infrastructure projects.
2. How do I activate the license?
- Log in to your One Click LCA account.
- Click “+ Add” (Project) in the top right.
- Select “Building” project type.
- Paste the license key LCABootcampNovember25 into the “License key” field.
- Click “Activate”.
3. I already have a student/company license. Do I need this one?
You can use your existing license, but we strongly recommend using the bootcamp license for this training. It unlocks specific expert tools (like Carbon Designer 3D and Infrastructure) that standard student or some business licenses might not have.
4. My license says “Trial” — is that normal?
Yes and no, if your project states ‘Trial’ then you have likely started an trial instead. The message above your project should say your project expires in approximately 30 days, as the bootcamp license is available for 30 days.
5. How long is the license valid?
The bootcamp license is valid until December 27, 2025 (4 weeks).
6. Can I use this license for commercial work?
No. This license is strictly for training purposes. Projects created with this license can be transferred to a commercial company account later.
7. I cannot find the exam link. Where is it?
The exam is located in the One Click LCA Academy (academy.oneclicklca.com) under the “Construction LCA Bootcamp - Autumn 2025” course. It opens on Thursday.
2. Getting Started: Projects, Folders & Interface
(Questions 8–14)
8. How do I create a folder to keep my bootcamp projects separate?
You can create folders to organize your projects (e.g., “Bootcamp Training”) when you have set up a company account. Instructions can be found here: Managing your projects with folders. Note: If you are using a company license, check with your admin if you have permissions to create folders.
9. Why is the “Infrastructure” project type greyed out?
It might look greyed out if you haven’t activated a license for it yet. However, with the bootcamp license key, you should be able to click it and activate it. Try clicking it even if it looks inactive.
10. What is “BETie”?
BETie is a simplified interface of One Click LCA used for specific data creation (in France). If you see the BETie interface, make sure you are logging in via the main oneclicklca.com login page. BETie access is not part of the bootcamp curriculum.
11. Can I change the language of the interface?
Yes. You can change your user language settings in your profile.
12. Where did the “% contribution” column go in the new interface?
In the new interface, you can see the absolute impacts. The percentage breakdown is currently being added back into the new design and should be available soon. For now, you can use the Results Report graphs to see percentage contributions.
13. Can I keep my project after the bootcamp ends?
If you have a personal or business license, you may be able to link your bootcamp project to it later. However, trial licenses generally expire. You can always export your data to Excel to save your work.
14. Do I need to enter all building materials manually?
No. For a full LCA, you eventually need all materials, but you can use integrations (Revit, Excel) or Carbon Designer 3D to automate the process instead of typing them one by one.
3. Tools: Carbon Designer 3D, Circularity & Benchmarking
(Questions 15–21)
15. What is the purpose of Carbon Designer 3D (CD3D)?
CD3D is an early-stage and concept-design tool. It allows you to generate a models based on just the building type and floor area. It populates the model with typical material assemblies (walls, floors, etc.) so you can identify hotspots before you even have a BIM model or detailed drawings.
16. How does CD3D help with baselines?
You can use CD3D to create a “Reference Building” (Baseline) quickly. Then, you can copy that design, make improvements (e.g., change concrete to timber), and compare the two to show carbon savings.
17. How do you decide the Circularity Score weighting factors?
You can adjust weighting factors based on specific guidance (like GLA or DGNB). If you are unsure, you can rely on the default One Click LCA methodology which is compliant with general circularity principles.
18. Does the 3D viewer show “Hotspots”?
The basic 3D viewer in the browser shows the geometry. We are working on the connection between emission results and the 3D viewer, similar to the mechanism in e.g. Autodesk Revit.
19. Can I use Carbon Designer 3D for a retrofit project?
Yes. You can model the existing structure and then mark elements as “Existing” (A1-A3 = 0) vs “New”. However, CD3D is optimized for creating new geometry, so manual adjustment might be needed for complex retrofits.
20. What is the difference between “Life Cycle Carbon” and “Life Cycle Assessment” tools?
- Life Cycle Carbon: Focuses only on Global Warming Potential (GWP) / Carbon Footprint.
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Includes multiple impact categories (Acidification, Eutrophication, Ozone Depletion, etc.) as required by standards like EN 15978.
21. Can I customize the “Service Life” of materials?
Yes. Service life is defined by the EPD or national standards, but you can override it in the tool settings if you have specific project data (e.g., a durability study proving a longer lifespan).
4. Integrations: Revit, IES-VE & BIM Workflows
(Questions 22–30)
22. Do I need to be a Revit expert to use the plugin?
No. You just need to know how to install the plugin and click “LCA in Cloud”. The plugin handles the data extraction.
23. Does the Revit plugin export everything automatically?
It exports the objects (walls, floors) and their quantities (volumes). However, you still need to map these Revit families to specific EPDs in One Click LCA. The software uses “Recipes” or automated mapping to help speed this up.
24. What if I change my Revit model later?
You can re-import the updated model. One Click LCA will recognize the previously mapped materials and only ask you to map new elements, preserving your previous work.
25. Can I use IES-VE models?
Yes. There is a direct integration to import materials and energy data from an IES-VE model. See guide here.
26. Can I import AutoCAD files?
We do not have a direct plugin for 2D AutoCAD. However, if you can export your AutoCAD data to Excel (Bill of Materials), you can import that Excel file directly into One Click LCA.
27. What about Procore integration?
Yes, we have a Procore integration. You can pull budget/material data from Procore directly into your LCA project.
28. How do I handle unit mismatches (e.g., Revit is in m³, EPD is in kg)?
The software handles this automatically using the density of the material. If Revit gives volume (m³) and the EPD is in mass (kg), One Click LCA converts it. You can check the conversion factor in the material details.
29. What is the “AI Mapping” feature?
When you import data (from BIM or Excel), our AI (Artificial Intelligence) suggests the best matching EPDs from the database based on your material names. It speeds up the mapping process significantly.
30. Which workflow is better for beginners: Plugin or Excel import?
- Plugin (Revit/ArchiCAD): Best if you have a good 3D model.
- Excel Import: Best if you have a Bill of Quantities (BoQ) or simple cost plan.
- Carbon Designer 3D: Best if you have no data and just want to start modeling.
5. Data & Materials: Imports, EPDs & Search
(Questions 31–38)
31. Can we add EPDs from outside One Click LCA?
Yes. You can use the “Private Data” feature (available in Expert licenses and above) to add EPDs manually if you find one that isn’t in our database. However, almost all global EPDs are already included.
32. Do you have data for Brazil / Egypt / [My Region]?
Yes. The database is global. You can filter by Region (e.g., Brazil) to find local data. If local data is missing, the tool provides generic data that can be localized (e.g., using local energy mix and transport distances).
33. How do I account for “Machine Hours” (Cranes, Excavators)?
You can add “Construction Site Operations” resources in the A5 module. You search for “Diesel” or “Electricity” and input the consumption (liters/kWh). If you don’t know the exact hours, you can use built-in scenarios that estimate this based on project value or area.
34. How do I model electricity generated on-site (PV panels)?
You model the PV Panels themselves (materials) in A1-A3. For the energy generated, you input it in the “Energy” section. Depending on the standard, this might be reported as “Exported Energy” (Module D) or netted off your consumption (B6).
35. How do I search for “Bio-based” materials?
You can search for the specific material (e.g., “Timber”, “Hempcrete”). The search filters also allow you to look for materials with biogenic carbon storage.
36. How do I check if my material choice is good?
Use the “Compare” feature. You can select a material (e.g., Concrete C30/37) and click “Compare” to see how it stacks up against the industry average or other similar products in the database.
37. How do I verify the integrity of choices (e.g., using Egyptian concrete in Finland)?
The software will often flag this with a warning (e.g., “Plausibility Check”). As a user, you should always check the “Data Source” column to ensure the EPD region matches your project location.
38. What is “Class” data in the import process?
“Class” refers to the classification system (like Uniclass, Omniclass, or Taloon 2000). The software uses these codes to automatically categorize materials into the right building parts (Foundations, Walls, Roofs).
6. LCA Methodology in Practice
(Questions 39–42)
39. How long does it take to do a full LCA?
It varies. For a dwelling, an initial early-stage assessment (using CD3D) can take less than an hour. A detailed, full certification-compliant LCA might take 20-40 hours depending on data quality and complexity.
40. Do I need to update the LCA every 5 years (EPD validity)?
No. For a specific project, you use the EPDs valid at the time of design/construction. You do not need to update the LCA of a built building just because an EPD expired 5 years later. The record stands as a snapshot of the building at completion.
41. What is the impact of “Transport” (A4)?
Transport can be significant for heavy materials (concrete, steel). You should set the project location correctly so the software can calculate default distances (e.g., from local suppliers vs. global imports).
42. Is “Pre-design” assessment accurate enough?
Yes, for decision-making. Pre-design assessments (using generic data) are crucial for identifying “Hotspots” (e.g., “The floor slabs are 40% of our carbon”). Even if the exact number changes later, the relative importance of the elements usually remains true, guiding you where to focus your reduction efforts.
7. Troubleshooting & Errors
(Questions 43–46)
43. I clicked “Activate” but nothing happened.
Refresh the page. Sometimes the activation takes a moment to reflect. Check if the project type “Building” is now clickable.
44. I see “No available designs to copy” error.
This means you are trying to “Copy from another design” but you don’t have any designs yet. Skip this step and start a blank design or use Carbon Designer 3D.
45. I cannot add a license key (greyed out).
Make sure you have selected a project type first. If you are already inside a project, go to “Project Settings” to check your license status.
46. The video/demo is not loading.
Please try clearing your browser cache or using a different browser (Chrome/Edge). Recordings will be uploaded to the Academy tomorrow if you missed the live stream.
8. Results, Reporting & Project Management
(Questions 47–55)
47. What is the difference between a “Project” and a “Design”?
- Project: The folder that contains all the data for one building asset (e.g., “London Office Block”).
- Design: A specific iteration within that project (e.g., “Concept Design v1”, “As-Built v2”). You can have multiple designs inside one project to track changes over time.
48. Can I compare two designs side-by-side?
Yes. You can use the “Compare” tab or the “Analyze” feature to select two different designs (e.g., “Baseline” vs. “Proposed”) and see a bar-chart comparison of their carbon impacts.
49. How do I invite a colleague to my project?
In the project main page, click “More Actions” > “Users”. You can add a colleague by email. Note: For the bootcamp license, this feature might be restricted since it is an individual training license.
50. Can I lock a design so it doesn’t get changed?
Yes. You can mark a design as “Complete” by “Locking” it in the design settings. This is highly recommended before you start creating a new iteration (e.g., moving from Stage 2 to Stage 3) to preserve your audit trail.
51. How does the “Plausibility Checker” work?
The software has an automated checker that scans your design for errors, such as:
- Unusually high/low material quantities.
- Materials that don’t match the project region.
- Missing transportation distances.
It will flag these with warnings so you can review them before finalizing the report.
52. Can I change the currency of the project (e.g., EUR to USD)?
Yes. You can set the currency in the LCC Parameters. This is important if you are importing cost data (BoQ) or using Life Cycle Costing (LCC) tools. A life-cycle costing tool however, is not included with the bootcamp license.
53. How do I interpret the “Sankey Diagram”?
The Sankey Diagram (available in the “Graphs” section) visualizes the flow of carbon. Thick lines represent high carbon impacts. It helps you trace exactly which life-cycle stage (e.g., A1-A3) or material category (e.g., Concrete) contributes the most to the total result.
54. Can I bulk-replace a material (e.g., swap all C30 concrete for C40)?
Yes. You can use the “Replace” or “Change” feature. Select the material you want to remove, choose the replacement, and the software will update all instances of it across the design while keeping the quantities the same.
55. Can I export the final report to PDF or Word?
Yes. On the “Results” page, click “More Actions” > “Print / Download Report”. You can generate a standard Word or excel report that summarizes the methodology, inputs, and final carbon figures for your client.