Having programming skills and applying them in openLCA allows users to automate tasks, analyze models, and integrate life cycle data into external tools or workflows. In other words, these skills not only save users a significant amount of time, but also enable them to fully leverage the flexibility that openLCA offers. This can be done with the Python editor that comes built-in within openLCA (which uses the Java implementation of Python2.7 also known as ‘Jython’), but many users have little or no experience with computer programming.
This is why we offer specialized trainings like the online public group training focused on Python use in openLCA that will occur on 14th and 15th April.
Training course content
The training will take place online over two half-day sessions, from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm CET.
The first part of this course will focus on the introduction of fundamental Python programming concepts:
- Assigning variables
- Data types (including integers, floats, strings, lists and dictionaries)
- Running for- and while-loops
- Creating functions
- Importing modules
- Using built-in Python modules and functions
The second part will have participants apply those concepts to interact with openLCA programmatically:
- Accessing openLCA objects (like flows or processes)
- Creating openLCA objects
- Inserting or deleting openLCA objects from a database
- Creating a product system from a process
- Run impact calculations
The use of the olca-schema and olca-ipc modules will be taught in the Advanced Python Training for openLCA and will thus not be covered here.
If this sounds interesting, you can register to the training here: https://nexus.openlca.org/service/openLCA%20Trainings
Advanced Python Training onsite
For users who already have some basic knowledge of Python, or who become passionate during the basic training, we also offer an onsite Advanced Python Training that will take place on 21st of April at ufaFabrik, in Berlin.
You can find out more here: https://nexus.openlca.org/service/openLCA.conf%20-%20the%20openLCA%20Conference%202026