After defining the goal and scope of the study, LCA proceeds by specifying a functional unit, which then forms the basis of the analysis and comparison of alternatives (ILCD, 2010; ISO, 2006, p. 14). Engineered nanomaterials improve the functionality of the product, therefore the functional unit should be defined in a way which reflects these benefits (Hischier and Walser, 2012). Power capacitors are installed to a grid in order to supply reactive power. They are an infrastructure investment, which is supposed to provide services for several years after installation. The main reason for
applying nanomaterials in this case study was to improve the output from a single capacitor unit, therefore reducing the size of the overall capacitor bank installment. The functional unit was chosen to reflect the services provided by a typical grid-installed capacitor bank: “17,25 MVAr (Mega Volt-Ampere-reactive) of reactive power, supplied to grid for 30 years”.