Since its start, openLCA has seen a lot of modifications, extensions, and revisions. In May 2023, after about 15 previous releases, we decided to call the new version "2.0" due to its major improvements, lots of new features, and changes, in usability and design.

openLCA today is a best-in-class LCA software, still open source, most widely used, worldwide. The format conversion feature, initially a separate tool, has been integrated into the import and export of openLCA, which now supports a wide variety of import and export formats. For LCA modelling, openLCA offers all features a sophisticated LCA model will need, being large or small. Economic and social assessments over the life cycle are possible as well, making openLCA a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment software.

An API with extensive documentation allows connection with and integration into other IT systems. openLCA supports in-application scripts, as SQL or Python, for automating modelling and data routines. Validation procedures in the software check for flaws in data and models.

And further, openLCA today is not only the desktop application, but also the LCA Collaboration Server, which supports collaboration in teams, using openLCA, and the server version, which allows deployment in cloud systems. All three work nicely together.

Some things remain, since the beginning, and the biggest constant is probably the idea of an independent, aware user that does not need to be patronized. openLCA is flexible. Unlike SimaPro, e.g., we do not have hardwired top categories, we do not require users to always (pretend to) have complete supply chains, we allow using different reference flow nomenclatures, we allow importing also incomplete and imperfect data. The openLCA desktop version is a powerful tool, and not a "press a button" software for half-informed users.

With scripts, it is possible to change data.

But, in recent versions and especially in version 2, extensive validation routines point users to potential issues in data, and further, entire databases and models can be turned into write-protected libraries. And even, to round off openLCA’s use cases, the server version with webtool offers the possibility of a "click a button" software for half-informed users, with a preconfigured openLCA model.

There are only a few aspects openLCA requires. openLCA always requires that a flow that connects two processes in a life cycle is identical, meaning that you cannot, as it is possible e.g. in the software fka GaBi, connect apples with oranges. openLCA also requires a quantitative reference for each process.

One thing, however, developed differently than planned; we had thought, that a community of software developers will emerge "around" openLCA. While there were some attempts, so far, our own development was more focused and faster than other contributions; we also did not spend a lot of effort on community hackathons – focus is development and maintenance of a superior software. Here, our friends from brightway have followed a slightly different approach. We are very open for good contributions from others, however, if you are interested.