This system model follows the Recycled Content, or cut-off, approach in allocation of by-products, the same approach used in ecoinvent versions 2.2 and older.
The cut-off system model comes in addition to the already existing system models. It also contains the elementary flows for renewable energies, allowing the calculation of the renewable CEDs. For version 3.01, these will be contained in only this system model. For future versions of the ecoinvent database, they will be contained in all system models.
Please note that this is not a new release of the ecoinvent database but an addition of a new system model to the existing version 3.01 of the database. With the exception of the above mentioned elementary flows, there are no changes to the underlying process data. It therefore allows a direct comparison between the different system models of version 3.01.
This is not a new version of the ecoinvent database. The release of the upcoming version 3.1 is still scheduled to be in the next months bringing many improvements to the database.
Given the short time span until the release of version 3.1, we suggest that you wait for that version to initiate new, major projects, and we have recommended to our resellers to wait for and directly integrate that version. The cut-off system model in version 3.01 is of course still useful for shorter assessments and comparisons between system models.
A summary on the system model is already available now. You will find more details and further information there.