SOLIDWORKS Sustainability Overview

Two products are available:

SOLIDWORKS SustainabilityXpress

Handles part documents (solid bodies only) and is included in the core software.

SOLIDWORKS Sustainability

Handles parts (solid bodies only) and assemblies. Available with SOLIDWORKS Premium. Other functionality includes configuration support, expanded reporting, and expanded environmental impact options.

To begin working with SustainabilityXpress, open a part and click one of the following:

  • SustainabilityXpress (Tools toolbar or Evaluate CommandManager tab)
  • Tools > Xpress Products > Sustainability

To begin working with Sustainability, open a part or assembly and click one of the following:

  • Sustainability (Tools toolbar or Evaluate CommandManager tab)
  • Tools > SOLIDWORKS Applications > Sustainability

The application opens in the Task Pane.

Dashboard and Reports

SOLIDWORKS Sustainability provides real-time feedback on environmental impact factors. Results appear in the Environmental Impact Dashboard, which updates dynamically with any changes.

You can generate customizable reports to share the results.

Life Cycle Assessment

By integrating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) into the design process, you can see how decisions about material, manufacturing, and location (where parts are manufactured and where they are used) influence a design’s environmental impact. You specify various parameters that SOLIDWORKS Sustainability uses to perform a comprehensive evaluation of all the steps in a design’s life.

LCA includes:

  • Ore extraction from the earth
  • Material processing
  • Part manufacturing
  • Assembly
  • Product usage by the end consumer
  • End of Life (EOL) – Landfill, recycling, and incineration
  • All the transportation that occurs between and within each of these steps.

Environmental Impact Factors

SOLIDWORKS Sustainability assesses all the life cycle steps based on your material, manufacturing, and location input. SOLIDWORKS Sustainability distills the results into environmental impact factors, which it measures and totals.

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.