Sustainability Task Pane - Main

Assembly Process

Region	Sets the region of manufacture, for example, Asia. Click the map to set the region. Available regions are North America, Europe, Asia, Japan, South America, Australia, and India. Data is not available for all regions. Regions that contain data are highlighted when you hover over them.
Built to last	Length of time the part will last. The numeric field and increments are editable.
Energy required for assembly process	Sets the Fuel type (Electricity or Natural Gas) and Amount required to manufacture the assembly.

Use

Region	Sets the region where the product is transported and used, for example, Asia. Select a region from the drop-down list or click a region in the map to set the region.
Energy Needs over lifespan	Specifies the Type of energy and Amount of energy that is used over the products's lifespan. Energy choices are: Electricity Natural Gas Diesel Gasoline Kerosene Light Fuel Oil

Transportation

Shows the default mode of transportation and distance traveled from the Manufacturing region to the Use region.

	Train
	Truck
	Boat
	Plane

To edit these values, click a transportation mode's button and type in the field that is enabled. When you add values for a transportation mode or modify the default mode, the field turns yellow and a Reset to Defaults button appears to let you discard your changes.

End of Life

Shows default percentages based on the value of the materials in the sustainability database. The values of all the components in the assembly are rolled up by weight.

	Recycled
	Incinerated
	Landfill

The total of the values always equals 100%. If you change the recycled or incinerated value, the landfill value updates. If you change the landfill value, the recycled value changes.

When you edit a value, the field turns yellow and a Reset to Defaults button appears to let you discard your changes.

Environmental Impact

The Environmental Impact dashboard provides real-time feedback about the environmental impact of the design. SolidWorks Sustainability products use the CML environmental impact assessment methodology (Institute of Environmental Sciences at Leiden University) to calculate the environmental indicators (global warming, eutrophication, and acidification). This methodology is frequently used in life cycle assessment (LCA) studies worldwide.

Impact Parameters		Display the impact for each parameter on the environment impact areas. Use is only calculated for assemblies.
Duration of Use		Length of time the product will be used. This number is used in conjunction with the Built to Last value in the Manufacturing section to calculate more accurate results. In SustainabilityXpress, this value defaults to 1 year. In full Sustainability, the numeric field and increments are editable.
Environmental Impact Areas	Pie charts show the percentage of impact of each parameter on the four environmental impact areas. Bars below each pie chart compare the current material to the previous or baseline material. Green bars indicate the current material has a lower environmental impact than the previous material. Red bars indicate the current material has a higher environmental impact than the previous material. Mouse over the bars to see the current and baseline values. Arrows beside the pie charts emphasize the increase or decrease in environmental impact and the percentage of change.	Carbon Footprint A measure of carbon dioxide and equivalents, such as carbon monoxide and methane, that are released into the atmosphere primarily by burning fossil fuels. Energy Consumption All forms of nonrenewable energy consumed over the entire life cycle of the product. Air Acidification Acidic emissions, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxides, which eventually lead to acid rain. Water Eutrophication Contamination of water ecosystems by waste water and fertilizers, resulting in algae blooms and the eventual death of plant and animal life.
Home		Returns you to the initial display of the Environmental Impact Dashboard.
Generate Report		Creates a Microsoft® Word document that summarizes the results of the current and baseline environmental impacts. You can customize the reports, for example the header, by modifying the report template at install_dir\lang\language\sustainability_report.dotx. Report customization affects all users of the computer where the template is stored.
Send Report		Generates a report, opens a new message in your default email application, and attaches the Microsoft® Word document.
Set Baseline		Sets the current selections in the Task Pane as the baseline against which you compare different selections. The Baseline bar is the bottom bar below the pie charts.
Import Baseline		Lets you import an existing baseline to use in the current model.
Online Info		Opens a Web site that provides additional information about Sustainability, including a calculator to help you understand the impact of your design.