What Is The EcoCost Algorithm ? 

EcoCost = La+To+Ec+Td+b   + Re x RE 

Longevity 

Expressed in Gaia units as a proportion of the planetary capacity 

 

Where      La           =              S   Land Degradation Evaluations 

                To           =              S  Toxic Output Impact Evaluations 

                Ec            =              Energy Consumption x Energy Production EcoCost 

                Td            =              Transport Distance x Transport EcoCost  

                b              =              Itinerant Impacts 

                Re            =              Recycled / Reused proportion factor 

                ReE          =              EcoCost of recycled / reused portion. 

                Longevity                =                   Life of material       .        

                                                                Expected Building Life 

       and 

 

  i)             Energy Production EcoCost   =  LaE + ToE   +  CeE                

Where       

                LaE*  = S Land Degradation caused by energy production and fuel per MJ  

                ToE*  =   S Toxic Output Impact engendered in energy production per MJ 

                CeE   =     Capital EcoCost of Production Plant, amortised over life  

                that is ;                    S  Land Degradation + S Toxic Output Impact 

                                                        Life of Plant (expressed in MJ Output) 

 

*   Both the land area degradation and toxic cost should include the gaining of the raw material, processing and transport to the generating facility, for the fuel source. 

 

ii)               Transport EcoCost   = Td x S ( LaT  + ToT +  CeT  +  CeI) 

 

Where      Td   =          Transport distances for each transport type 

                LaT   =         S Land Degradation caused by fuel procurement and operation 

                ToT  =     S   Toxic Output Impact of transporting motivator per tonne km 

                CeT =      Capital EcoCost of Transporting motivator  per tonne km 

                that is ;                      S Land Degradation + S Toxic Output Impact  

                                                     Life of Vehicle (expressed in tonne km) 

                CeI  =       Capital Infrastructure EcoCost, amortised over life per tonne km 

                that is;        S Land Degradation + S Toxic Output Impact    

                                  Life of Infrastructure (expressed in tonne passes) 

 

iii)  Itinerant Impacts, b, is determined from a series of sub-algorithms for each particular case 

 

iv)  The Recycled / Reused Factor, Re, is a percentage of the recycled / reused portion of total consumed. 

                Re    =   1  -  % recycled / reused 

 

                Re    =   1  -              Quantity of  Recycled Material Used 

                                                Total Quantity Used 

 

v)  The EcoCost of the recycled / reused fraction (ReE)  is found as a subroutine of the EcoCost equation