Research | Landscape Performance Series
Benefits Toolkit
The Landscape Performance Series Benefits Toolkit is a searchable collection of online tools and calculators to estimate landscape performance.
The tools can be used to estimate specific landscape benefits for completed projects when actual measurements are not available, or they can be used in the design phase to compare projected benefits among various options. Many tools also allow the user to compare life-cycle costs for conventional and sustainable design features.
Know of additional tools to calculate landscape performance benefits? Help build the database by sending your suggestions to lps@lafoundation.org.
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Showing 9 Results for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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2010
Recycled Content (ReCon) Tool
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
2010This tool estimates the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and energy benefits associated with increasing the recycled content of materials purchased or manufactured. The tool compares baseline recycled content for common materials — including glass, wood, metals, plastics, paper, PVC, and fiberboard — to an alternate recycled content scenario. Inputs are material type, weight, and percent recycled content. (Includes a Unit Converter to convert from common units of measure to weight.) Results are 30-year total and life-cycle GHG emissions, reduction in GHG emissions, energy consumption and reduction in energy consumption. These estimates include upstream manufacturing, carbon sequestration, and avoided disposal impacts.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/calculators/ReCon_Online.html
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Energy use & emissionsWaste Reduction Model (WARM)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
2010This web-based tool estimates and compares greenhouse gas (GHG) and energy use reductions for different waste management practices in a baseline and an alternate scenario. It is intended to support voluntary GHG measurement and reporting initiatives. The tool works for common household and construction materials including glass, steel, lumber, plastics, yard waste, bricks, concrete, and asphalt. Inputs for each material are: tons recycled, landfilled, composted, and source reduced for the baseline and alternate scenarios. The user also has the option to adjust the model for landfill and waste transport characteristics. Results are given in Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (MTCO2E), Metric Tons of Carbon Equivalent (MTCE), or BTUs of energy.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/calculators/Warm_Form.html
2008
Benefits
Water conservation
Energy use & emissions
Air quality
Carbon storage & sequestration
Green waste
O&M savings
Other economicExcel Recycling and Reusing Landscape Waste Cost Calculator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
2008This calculator estimates the cost and environmental benefits of four scenarios for handling hardscape and landscape wastes (concrete and asphalt, brick, lumber, and yard waste): (1) Reusing all waste possible on-site, recycling all waste possible that cannot be reused, and disposing of waste remaining; (2) Reusing all waste possible and disposing of waste remaining (3) Recycling all waste possible and disposing of waste remaining; (4) Disposing of all waste materials. The calculator returns the one, three, six, and ten year costs associated with each of the four disposition methods. Users have the option to input their own cost information. The calculator also estimates the environmental impacts avoided by reusing and recycling landscape materials instead of landfilling them as waste.
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/rrr/greenscapes/tools/reuse.xls
2007
Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) Tool
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, University of Arizona, USDA Agricultural Research Service
2007The Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) tool is a GIS-based multipurpose hydrologic analysis system for use by watershed, water resource, land use, and biological resource managers and scientists in performing watershed- and basin-scale studies. It uses readily available spatial data sets to parameterize and run two widely used watershed runoff and erosion models: the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and KINematic Runoff and EROSion (KINEROS2) hydrologic models. AGWA is designed to support hydrologic modeling and watershed assessments at multiple spatial and temporal scales. AGWA’s current outputs are runoff (volumes and peaks) and sediment yield, plus nitrogen and phosphorus with the SWAT model. AGWA is available as an extension for ESRI’s ArcView 3.x and ArcGIS 9.x.
Benefits
O&M savingsExcel Decking Cost Calculator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
2007This calculator compares the costs of building a new deck with recycled plastic, recycled wood/plastic composite lumber, cedar/redwood, and pressure-treated yellow pine. Based on the size of the project, the calculator estimates the initial, 3-year, 6-year, 10-year, lifetime, and average annual costs for each of these common decking materials. Costs include maintenance, and waste disposal. Users have the option to input their own cost information.
http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/rrr/greenscapes/tools/decking.xls
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