Start on desktop

Task

Use VoLCA Desktop to inspect the Swiss Electricity mix activity locally. This follows the same database question as the browser exercise, but the engine and loaded database run on your computer.

Prerequisites

• A confirmed VoLCA account to access the desktop download, or log in.
• A supported Windows, macOS or Linux computer and permission to install applications.
• The public BAFU 2026v1 archive, 37,703,538 bytes. The engine and database versions matter when comparing results.

Action

1. From your account, download the desktop package for your operating system. See Desktop for the download access path.
2. Install and open the application. If your organization blocks installation or your OS displays a security warning, follow your organization’s policy instead of disabling its protections.
3. Download the BAFU archive linked above. Do not substitute a licensed database that you are not entitled to use.
4. In the local workspace, use the database import/upload action to select the archive. Loading a file through the local interface sends it to the local engine, not to the hosted shared workspace. Wait until the database is loaded.
5. Search activities for Electricity mix, restrict the location to CH, and open the exact Electricity mix record with reference product 1 kWh. Do not select a different activity merely because it ranks first.
6. Inspect its direct inputs, then open its inventory. Follow the browser exercise for the record identifier and interpretation.

The exercise archive’s SHA-256 is:

5b5742de3bfe31a4cbeca6fe07e29c814e84c3fa5fec4d29fbb771042812664c

Use sha256sum on Linux, shasum -a 256 on macOS or Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 in PowerShell to check the downloaded file. Stop if the hash differs.

Expected result

You can open the exact Swiss electricity record and distinguish its direct exchanges from its cumulative inventory in a local workspace. No LCIA method is needed for inventory inspection. Impact scores require a compatible method and are a separate next step.

The local released engine v0.12.0 returned 2,147 inventory flows for this archive. Check the desktop engine version before comparing. This numerical check is not a claim that every operating system’s desktop installation flow has been tested.

Troubleshooting

• Download not visible: confirm the account and sign in again; do not look for a package in the shared engine’s database screen.
• Read-only workspace: check that you opened the local desktop workspace, not the hosted shared engine.
• Import unavailable or failed: note the desktop version, input format and error message. Use contact for help; do not assume a partly loaded database is ready.
• No exact result: check database version, name, location and reference unit. Search is approximate.
• No impact method: continue with the inventory. This first inspection does not require an LCIA score.

Next step

Load your own authorized data using the import guide, or automate the same question with pyvolca.