Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Life Cycle of CdTe Photovoltaics

2005 ◽  
Vol 895 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasilis Fthenakis ◽  
Hyung Chul Kim
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Solar Irradiation ◽  
Production Plant ◽  
Energy Payback ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Total Life

AbstractThe life cycle of the thin film CdTe PV modules in the U.S. have been investigated based on materials and energy inventories for a commercial 25 MW/yr production plant. The energy payback times (EPBT) of these modules are 0.75 years and the GHG emissions are 18 gCO2-eq/kWh for average U.S. solar irradiation conditions. Adding the impact of an optimized ground-level balance of system (BOS), result in a total EPBT of 1.2 years and total life-cycle GHG emissions of 24 gCO2-eq/kWh.

scholarly journals Life Cycle GHG Emissions of Residential Buildings in Humid Subtropical and Tropical Climates: Systematic Review and Analysis

Buildings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Daniel Satola ◽  
Martin Röck ◽  
Aoife Houlihan-Wiberg ◽  
Arild Gustavsen
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Cycle Performance ◽  
Tropical Climates ◽  
Building Life Cycle ◽  
Total Life

Improving the environmental life cycle performance of buildings by focusing on the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions along the building life cycle is considered a crucial step in achieving global climate targets. This paper provides a systematic review and analysis of 75 residential case studies in humid subtropical and tropical climates. The study investigates GHG emissions across the building life cycle, i.e., it analyses both embodied and operational GHG emissions. Furthermore, the influence of various parameters, such as building location, typology, construction materials and energy performance, as well as methodological aspects are investigated. Through comparative analysis, the study identifies promising design strategies for reducing life cycle-related GHG emissions of buildings operating in subtropical and tropical climate zones. The results show that life cycle GHG emissions in the analysed studies are mostly dominated by operational emissions and are the highest for energy-intensive multi-family buildings. Buildings following low or net-zero energy performance targets show potential reductions of 50–80% for total life cycle GHG emissions, compared to buildings with conventional energy performance. Implementation of on-site photovoltaic (PV) systems provides the highest reduction potential for both operational and total life cycle GHG emissions, with potential reductions of 92% to 100% and 48% to 66%, respectively. Strategies related to increased use of timber and other bio-based materials present the highest potential for reduction of embodied GHG emissions, with reductions of 9% to 73%.

scholarly journals Strategies to Improve the Energy Performance of Buildings: A Review of Their Life Cycle Impact

Buildings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia MIRABELLA ◽  
Martin RÖCK ◽  
Marcella Ruschi Mendes SAADE ◽  
Carolin SPIRINCKX ◽  
Marc BOSMANS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Operational Energy

Globally, the building sector is responsible for more than 40% of energy use and it contributes approximately 30% of the global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. This high contribution stimulates research and policies to reduce the operational energy use and related GHG emissions of buildings. However, the environmental impacts of buildings can extend wide beyond the operational phase, and the portion of impacts related to the embodied energy of the building becomes relatively more important in low energy buildings. Therefore, the goal of the research is gaining insights into the environmental impacts of various building strategies for energy efficiency requirements compared to the life cycle environmental impacts of the whole building. The goal is to detect and investigate existing trade-offs in current approaches and solutions proposed by the research community. A literature review is driven by six fundamental and specific research questions (RQs), and performed based on two main tasks: (i) selection of literature studies, and (ii) critical analysis of the selected studies in line with the RQs. A final sample of 59 papers and 178 case studies has been collected, and key criteria are systematically analysed in a matrix. The study reveals that the high heterogeneity of the case studies makes it difficult to compare these in a straightforward way, but it allows to provide an overview of current methodological challenges and research gaps. Furthermore, the most complete studies provide valuable insights in the environmental benefits of the identified energy performance strategies over the building life cycle, but also shows the risk of burden shifting if only operational energy use is focused on, or when a limited number of environmental impact categories are assessed.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Life Cycle Energy and Carbon Impacts for Passive Detached Accessory Dwelling Units and Their Design Implications

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deva Siva Veylan
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Design Standards ◽  
Passive House ◽  
Accessory Dwelling Units ◽  
Passive Design ◽  
House Size

Detached accessory dwelling units are a building typology that, when built to passive design standards, can help reduce GHG emissions while addressing the socioeconomic pressures facing many housing markets. Energy performance metrics like those used in passive design standards are based on per unit of floor area and lead to a size-bias against smaller housing typologies. A life cycle assessment of cost-optimal passive house sizes ranging from 230 m² (2,500 ft²) to 30 m² (300 ft²) is performed to understand their total life cycle energy use and GHG emissions implications. Additionally, an analysis using BEopt examines operational energy use for 10 cost-optimal passive house sizes ranging from 230 m² (2,500 ft²) to 30 m² (300 ft²) across all 17 climate zones and examines how cost-optimal passive design changes with house size. The results show that per-occupant energy use and GHG emissions are similar or better for small house sizes and that cost-optimal passive design does not change significantly with house size.

Developments in Light Vehicle Life Cycle Analysis With Application to Electric Vehicles

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter S. Curtiss ◽  
Jan F. Kreider
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Data Base ◽  
Electric Vehicles ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Hybrid Electric Vehicles ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Mercury Emissions ◽  
Hybrid Electric ◽  
Total Life

An LCA tool first reported on at the ASME ES conference in 2007 has been expanded and improved as follows: • More than 400 production vehicles from all over the world are now in the data base. • Conventional and renewable liquid and gas fuels are included. • Electric vehicles (EVs) and plug in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are included along with hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. • The tool is now web-based. The LCA tool includes both fuel and vehicle life cycle coefficients in its data base. To illustrate the LCA ranking of vehicles using electricity (EVs, PHEVs, and HEVs) vs. conventional vehicles this paper will report on greenhouse gas emissions, total life cycle energy use along with NOx, SOx and mercury emissions. It will be shown, for example, that EVs are not the cleanest solution contrary to claims of various commentators in the popular press and of EV enthusiasts who do not take the entire life cycle into account.

scholarly journals Environmental Impact of Dietary Choices: Role of the Mediterranean and Other Dietary Patterns in an Italian Cohort

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 1468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Grosso ◽  
Ujué Fresán ◽  
Maira Bes-Rastrollo ◽  
Stefano Marventano ◽  
Fabio Galvano
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Dietary Patterns ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Impact

Background: Current scientific literature suggests healthy dietary patterns may have less environmental impact than current consumption patterns, but most of the studies rely on theoretical modeling. The aim of this study was to assess the impact on resources (land, water, and energy) use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of healthy dietary patterns in a sample of Italian adults. Methods: Participants (n = 1806) were recruited through random sampling in the city of Catania, southern Italy. Dietary consumption was assessed through a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ); dietary patterns were calculated through dietary scores. The specific environmental footprints of food item production/processing were obtained from various available life-cycle assessments; a sustainability score was created based on the impact of the four environmental components calculated. Results: The contribution of major food groups to the environmental footprint showed that animal products (dairy, egg, meat, and fish) represented more than half of the impact on GHG emissions and energy requirements; meat products were the stronger contributors to GHG emissions and water use, while dairy products to energy use, and cereals to land use. All patterns investigated, with the exception of the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH), were linearly associated with the sustainability score. Among the components, higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet and Alternate Diet Quality Index (AHEI) was associated with lower GHG emissions, dietary quality index-international (DQI-I) with land use, while Nordic diet with land and water use. Conclusions: In conclusion, the adoption of healthy dietary patterns involves less use of natural resources and GHG emissions, representing eco-friendlier options in Italian adults.

The climatic influence on sustainable refurbishments and life cycle investing in Australia

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-35
Author(s):  
Chris Heywood ◽  
Eckhart Hertzsch ◽  
Mirek Piechowski
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Asset Management ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Capital Expenditure ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report an investigation of the effect of location on refurbishment strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using the temperate and sub-tropical urban locations in Australia. This occurred within a larger research project that investigated methods for sustainable refurbishments to office buildings and their optimized timing from an investment perspective. Design/methodology/approach – An office building in Melbourne was used to develop seven sets of improvements using an integrated approach to upgrade mechanical services and the building envelope. Using asset management trigger points the impact on net present value and internal rate of return were calculated, taking into account the capital expenditure required, the energy savings due to the refurbishment, as well as a possible rental increase due to the upgrade and lesser operational energy bills for the tenants. To investigate the importance of the location attribute the upgraded building’s performance was modelled in a different climate by using a Brisbane weather file. Findings – A number of unexpected results were found, including that the same sets of improvements had similar reductions in GHG emissions in the two locations, they had similar impacts on the investment criteria and when using the National Australian Building Energy Rating System it was shown that it was easier and cheaper to get an uplift in stars in Melbourne than Brisbane. Research limitations/implications – This location-specific analysis is the result of using a more sophisticated and holistic methodology to analyse sustainable refurbishments that more closely resembles the complexity of the decision making required to make buildings more sustainable. Practical implications – This paper provides a basis for property investors to make decisions about sustainable investments when location is important. This can occur when a portfolio is distributed across various climate zones. Originality/value – The research project that the paper reports addresses the complexity of building attributes, possible sets of improvements to reduce GHG emissions and their investment decisions, within a life cycle view of assets. It is rare that this complexity is addressed as a whole, and rarer that locational climatic differences are examined.

Life-cycle energy use and GHG emissions of waste television treatment system in China

2018 ◽  
Vol 128 ◽  
pp. 470-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolong Song ◽  
Chenglong Zhang ◽  
Wenyi Yuan ◽  
Dong Yang
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Treatment System

Life cycle assessment of lignocellulosic ethanol: a review of key factors and methods affecting calculated GHG emissions and energy use

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 63-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey Gerbrandt ◽  
Pei Lin Chu ◽  
Allison Simmonds ◽  
Kimberley A Mullins ◽  
Heather L MacLean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Lignocellulosic Ethanol ◽  
Key Factors

scholarly journals Life Cycle Assessment of Ethiopian Cement Manufacturing: A Potential Improvement on the Use of Fossil Fuel in Mugher Cement Factory

2021 ◽  
pp. 100-112
Author(s):  
Lemma Beressa ◽  
Battula Vijaya Saradhi
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Portland Cement ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle Impact Assessment ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Cement Production

The use of imported fuel in the Ethiopian cement industry increased the cost of production and the environmental burden, necessitating intervention. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, energy usage intensity, and resource exploitation of Ethiopian cement production were evaluated using the life cycle impact assessment (LCA) tool, aiming to recommend improvements. The LCA study used cumulative energy demand (CED) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2006 life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods. For the case study of Mugher cement factory (MCF), the results on energy use intensities showed 3.74, 3.67, and 2.64 GJ/ton of clinker, Ordinary Portland cement (OPC), Pozzolana Portland cement (PPC), respectively. The result revealed MCF's energy use intensity was within the global range of 3.32 to 5.11 GJ/ton of cement production using similar kiln technology. The results on the GHG emissions were 0.87, 0.84, and 0.59 tons of CO2-equivalent/ton of clinker, OPC, and PPC, respectively. Process emissions accounted for 60% of overall CO2 emissions, with energy-related emissions accounting for the remaining 40%. CO2 emissions of MCF are below the global limit of 0.9 tons/ton of clinker, where all energy sources are fossil fuels. However, it is higher than the 0.65 ton/ton of clinker from a moderate rotary kiln in China. MCF used 70% of its total energy sources from imported fossil fuels, and transportation of the imported fuel added 1.2% CO2 to total emissions. A suggested fossil fuel use improvement scenario for MCF, where coffee husk replaces 50% of the imported coal improved the energy intensity, GHG emissions, and total cost of coal in clinker production by 1.2%, 14%, 36%, respectively.

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