FAQ
Questions, answered.
Short answers, with links to the details. Can't find yours? Ask us directly
What is Circa?
Circa is where you find and license LCA data. The Circa Library brings more than 360,000 datasets from several publishers into one search. When you want to model, Gesserit is the free modeling studio built on the Library, and Alia turns bills of materials into models.
Who is it for?
LCA practitioners and consultants, sustainability teams, data publishers, software teams building LCA into their products, and educators. See Solutions.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Circa runs in the browser, on Mac, Windows and Chromebooks.
Which languages does it support?
English and Japanese.
Is modeling really free?
Yes. Modeling, collaboration and reporting in Gesserit are free, with no limits on models or seats. You pay only for the data you license.
How do credits work?
One credit costs $0.95. Each publisher prices its data in credits, from free to 45 per datapoint, separately for impact results and the full inventory. You see the price before you license. See Pricing.
How long does a license last?
A year, for one user, in any number of models. Teammates who only view your models don't pay.
What does Alia cost?
You pay in credits for the background data your model uses when you unlock the results, and a dataset matched by several components is charged once. Nexar part data costs 1 credit, charged only when Nexar finds the part.
Do you offer academic licenses?
Some publishers do, and Circa can serve them on the platform. See Circa for academia.
Which databases are in the Library?
ecoinvent, REEL LCI, Carbon Minds, Building Transparency, AGRIBALYSE and the Federal LCA Commons. See all publishers.
What exactly is a datapoint?
The unit you license: the impact results of one dataset under one method, the full inventory of one dataset, or a single property. The Library holds more than 26 million.
Do I need my own ecoinvent license?
No. Circa is a partner to ecoinvent, and ecoinvent datasets are available in the Circa Library, priced per datapoint in credits.
Which impact methods can I use?
EF 3.1, ReCiPe 2016, CML-IA, TRACI 2.1, IPCC 2021 and EN 15804+A2, depending on the data in your model.
Can I trust Alia's matches?
Every match shows its confidence, and you can replace any match with a dataset you pick yourself. Anything below your threshold goes to review, and you approve each stage before it reaches your model.
Who can see my models?
Your team, and anyone you share a graph with, including through a public link.