Here is an overview of the basic units used in ecoinvent v3 compared to the basic units used in ecoinvent v2.2.
For details on unit use in ecoinvent v3 see
ecoinvent report No 1 Overview and Methodology (Data Quality Guidelines) pp. 69-71, for details on unit use in ecoinvent v2.2 see the previous ("old") ecoinvent report No 1 Overview and Methodology, p. 20 (section 4.6.2) and p. 23 (section 5.3.1).
Consequences of the changes in basic units for the use of old and new datasets in the models can be discussed below.
Basic Units used for Elementary Exchanges| ecoinvent v2.2 | | ecoinvent v3 |
| kg | | kg |
| kBq | | kBq |
| m3 | | m3 |
| m3a | | renamed m3*year |
| m2 | | m2 |
| m2a | | renamed: m2*year |
| MJ | | MJ |
| Nm3 | | --- | > matched to 'm3' |
Summary: 5 basic units for elementary exchanges are the same in ecoinvent v2.2 and ecoinvent v3, one has been merged into another existing one, two others have been renamed.
Basic Units used for Intermediate Exchanges| ecoinvent v2.2 | | ecoinvent v3 |
| kg | | kg |
| ha | | --- | > matched to 'm2' |
| m3 | | m3 |
| Nm3 | | --- | > matched to 'm3' |
| m | | m |
| ma | | renamed: m*year |
| m2 | | m2 |
| m2a | | renamed: m2*year |
| MJ | | MJ |
| kWh | | kWh |
| unit | | unit |
| h | | renamed: hour |
| a | | renamed: year |
| --- | | l |
| --- | | kg/l |
| --- | | kg/s |
| --- | | l/hour |
| --- | | MW |
| tkm | | renamed: metric ton*km |
| pkm | | renamed: person*km |
| vkm | | --- | > matched to 'm' |
| LU (livestock unit) | | --- | > matched to 'unit' |
| pig place | | --- | > matched to 'unit' |
| kg SWU | | --- | > matched to 'kg' |
Summary: 7 basic units for intermediate exchanges are the same in ecoinvent v2.2 and ecoinvent v3, 5 were newly introduced, 6 have been renamed, 6 basic units for intermediate exchanges were abandoned and merged into other existing units.
Please also check the official documentation (Table 9.2 and Table 9.3, p. 70 in Overview and Methodology, ecoinvent report No. 1) regarding the units.
