Table Of ContentEnvironmental
Assessment of
Renewable Energy
Conversion
Technologies
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Environmental
Assessment of
Renewable Energy
Conversion
Technologies
Editedby
PARIS A. FOKAIDES
School of Engineering,Frederick University, Nicosia,
Cyprus
ANGELIKI KYLILI
Department of Environment, Ministryof Agriculture,
Rural Development and Environment, Cyprus
PHOEBE-ZOE GEORGALI
School of Engineering,Frederick University, Nicosia,
Cyprus
Elsevier
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Contents
Listofcontributors xi
Abouttheeditors xiii
Section A
1. Introduction: environmentalassessment ofrenewable energy and
storage technologies: current status 3
PanagiotaKonatziiandParisA.Fokaides
References 8
Section B
2. Life cycle analysis of photovoltaicsystems:a review 11
EffrosyniGiamaandPhoebe-ZoeGeorgali
2.1 Introduction:EuropeanUnionroadmapforenergyandcarbonemissions 11
2.2 PVsystemdescription 13
2.3 Themethodology:lifecycleanalysis 19
2.4 Inventoryanalysis 19
2.5 Impactassessment 21
2.6 Conclusions—furtherresearch 28
Nomenclature 32
References 33
3. Life cycle assessment reviewin solarthermal systems 37
MariaMilousiandManolisSouliotis
3.1 Introduction 37
3.2 Building-integratedsolarthermalcollectors 38
3.2.1 Flatplatesolarthermalcollectors 38
3.2.2 Evacuatedtubesolarthermalcollectors 42
3.3 Building-addedsolarthermalsystems 44
3.3.1 Flatplatesolarthermalcollectors 44
3.4 Evacuatedtubesolarthermalcollectors 49
3.5 Conclusions 50
v
vi Contents
Nomenclature 51
References 51
4. Environmentalassessment of wind turbines andwindenergy 55
AngelikiKylili
4.1 Introduction 55
4.2 State-of-the-artonwindturbinesandwindenergy 56
4.3 Lifecycleinventoryofwindturbinesandwindenergy 62
4.4 Lifecycleassessmentofwindturbinesandwindenergy 69
4.4.1 Keyparametersintheimplementationoflifecycleassessment
studies 69
4.4.2 Significantfindingsfrompreviouslifecycleassessmentstudies 70
4.5 Criticalreviewontheenvironmentalassessmentofwindturbinesand
windenergy 76
4.5.1 Sharedchallengesrelatedtolifecycleassessment 77
4.5.2 Technology-specificchallengesrelatedtolifecycleassessment 78
References 81
5. Environmentalassessment of biomassthermochemicalconversion
routes through alifecycle perspective 85
KyriakosPanopoulos,GiorgosKardaras,TzoulianaKraia
andMichaelBampaou
5.1 Introduction 85
5.2 Lifecycleassessmentofbiomassconversionroutes 87
5.2.1 Goalandscopedefinition 88
5.2.2 Lifecycleinventory 90
5.2.3 Lifecycleimpactassessment 91
5.2.4 Interpretationofresults 92
5.3 Lifecycleassessmentofbiomassthermochemicalconversionroutes 94
5.3.1 Conversionofbiomasstobiofuelsthroughpyrolysis 94
5.3.2 Conversionofbiomasstosyngasviagasification 98
5.3.3 Overviewofselectedstudies 101
5.4 Issuesaffectingthecomparabilityoflifecycleassessmentstudies 115
5.4.1 Keyperformanceindicators 116
5.4.2 Productenvironmentalfootprintassessment 120
5.5 Conclusions 121
References 122
Furtherreading 127
Contents vii
6. Environmental assessment of biomassto biofuels:biochemical
conversion routes 129
GuillermoGarcia-Garcia,StephenMcCordandPeterStyring
6.1 Introduction 129
6.2 State-of-the-artoftheproductiontechnologies 132
6.2.1 Fermentation 132
6.2.2 Anaerobicdigestion 136
6.3 Calculationofenvironmentalimpactsvialifecycleassessment 140
6.3.1 Definitionofthegoalandscope 141
6.3.2 Lifecycleinventoryanalysis 142
6.3.3 Lifecycleimpactassessment 142
6.3.4 Interpretation 145
6.4 Keyperformanceindicatorsforlifecycleassessment 145
6.4.1 Fermentation 146
6.4.2 Anaerobicdigestion 147
6.5 Productenvironmentalfootprint 150
6.6 Conclusions 152
Acknowledgements 153
References 153
7. Environmental assessment of biomass-to-biofuels mechanical
conversion routes (pelleting, briquetting) 157
EliasChristoforou
7.1 Introduction 157
7.2 Pelletingandbriquetting 159
7.2.1 Pelleting/briquettingfeedbiomass 159
7.2.2 Pellets/briquettesclassification 160
7.2.3 Processdescription 160
7.3 Lifecycleassessment 162
7.3.1 Generallifecycleassessmentframework 163
7.3.2 Lifecycleassessmentcomponentsinbiomassdensificationsystems 166
7.3.3 Previousworkonlifecycleassessmentofbiomassdensification
systems 168
7.4 Conclusions 178
References 179
8. Life cycle assessment of geothermal power technologies 181
AndreaPaulillo,AlbertoStrioloandPaolaLettieri
8.1 Introduction 181
viii Contents
8.2 Technologiesforpowergeneration 184
8.2.1 Dry-steamtechnology 184
8.2.2 Single-flashtechnology 186
8.2.3 Multistageflashtechnologies 188
8.2.4 Binarycycletechnology 189
8.2.5 Enhancedgeothermalsystems 190
8.3 Lifecycleassessment:methodologicalaspects 191
8.3.1 Goalandscopedefinition 191
8.3.2 Lifecycleinventory:keyaspectsandparameters 192
8.3.3 LifeCycleInventory:coremodulephasesandactivities 194
8.3.4 Lifecycleinventory:handlingmultifunctionalprocesses 198
8.3.5 Lifecycleimpactassessment 200
8.3.6 Lifecycleinterpretation:reportingLCAresults 201
8.4 Casestudies 202
8.4.1 Hot-spotanalysis 202
8.4.2 Comparativeanalysis 204
Acknowledgments 206
References 207
Section C
9. Environmentalimpact assessment of hydropower stations 213
M.A.ParvezMahmudandNahinTasmin
9.1 Introduction 213
9.2 Materialsandmethods 216
9.3 Resultsanddiscussion 219
9.3.1 Environmentalprofilesofthehydropowerplants 219
9.3.2 Metal-andgas-basedemissionevaluation 224
9.3.3 Greenhouse-gasemissionestimation 225
9.3.4 Uncertaintyanalysis 225
9.4 Conclusion 227
References 228
10. A stakeholder impact analysis ofthe production ofthe
energy vector hydrogen 231
HolgerSchlörandSandraVenghaus
10.1 Introduction 231
10.2 Methodologicalframeworkandbackground 234
Contents ix
10.3 Data—socialhotspotdatabase 235
10.4 Hydrogenproductionsimplifiedprocesschain—systemboundaries
ofthehydrogenprocesschain 236
10.5 Results—socialrisksofthestakeholders 237
10.6 Conclusion 244
References 245
11. Environmental impact assessments of compressedair
energy storage systems:areview 249
MdMustafizurRahman,AbayomiOlufemiOni,EskinderGemechu
andAmitKumar
11.1 Introduction 249
11.2 Lifecycleassessment 252
11.3 State-of-the-artcompressedairenergystoragetechnologies 254
11.3.1 Conventionalcompressedairenergystorage 254
11.3.2 Adiabaticcompressedairenergystorage 254
11.3.3 Liquidairenergystorage 255
11.4 Lifecycleassessmentofcompressedairenergystoragesystems 258
11.4.1 Overviewoflifecycleassessmentstudiesoncompressed
airenergystoragesystems 258
11.4.2 Discussiononhowlifecycleassessmentisusedin
compressedairenergystoragestudies 260
11.5 Comparisonofenergystoragetechnologies 269
11.5.1 Greenhousegasemissions 269
11.5.2 Landfootprint 271
11.6 Conclusionsandrecommendations 272
Acknowledgments 273
References 273
12. Environmental impact assessment ofbattery storage 277
M.A.ParvezMahmudandNahinTasmin
12.1 Introduction 277
12.2 Batterystoragemarketsandproductionoverview 280
12.3 Methodology 283
12.4 Results 288
12.4.1 ImpactsofLi-ionbatteries 288
12.4.2 ImpactsofNiMHbatteries 289
12.4.3 ImpactsofNaClbatteries 292
12.5 Discussion 294
12.5.1 Impactoutcomecomparison 294
