Environmental profile evaluations of piezoelectric polymers using life cycle assessment

Studies of the elements that make up the structure of a building have generally focused on topics related to their physical and structural capacities. Although research has been carried out into environmental impact during the life cycle stages, the environmental profile is far from established. This research aims to reduce the gap in the knowledge of this subject, offering useful information to professionals in the construction industry, which will enable them to consider environmental aspects when choosing the best construction systems. The present study applies the methodology of the life cycle assessment (LCA), to analyze and compare four floor construction systems in two different scenarios (“A” with a functional homogeneous unit of 1 m2 and “B” with 1 m² made up of the percentages of the floor system and the special areas of the building). The analysis is performed using the LCA Manager software, along with the Ecoinvent 3.1 database and with a cradle to handover perspective (A1–A5). Comparison was made using two environmental impact methodologies, Eco-indicator 99 and CML 2001. The results highlight the stages A1–A3 as those that generate the greatest environmental impact. Comparing the environmental profiles of the different floor systems, one-way floor systems I and II had the best environmental scores, 30% less than two-way floor system III and 50% less than slab floor system IV.

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Environmental profile of thermoelectrics for applications with continuous waste heat generation via life cycle assessment

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141674 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 752 ◽

pp. 141674

Author(s):

Rakesh Krishnamoorthy Iyer ◽

Srikanth Pilla

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Heat Generation ◽

Waste Heat ◽

Environmental Profile

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Life cycle assessment and environmental profile evaluations of high volumetric efficiency capacitors

Applied Energy ◽

10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.03.067 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 220 ◽

pp. 496-513 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Lucy Smith ◽

Taofeeq Ibn-Mohammed ◽

S.C. Lenny Koh ◽

Ian M. Reaney

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Volumetric Efficiency ◽

Environmental Profile

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Efficient vanillin biosynthesis by recombinant lignin-degrading bacterium Arthrobacter sp. C2 and its environmental profile via life cycle assessment

Bioresource Technology ◽

10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126434 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 126434

Author(s):

Xinyue Zhao ◽

Yuting Zhang ◽

Hanyi Jiang ◽

Hailian Zang ◽

Yue Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Degrading Bacterium ◽

Environmental Profile

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Opportunities for Improving the Environmental Profile of Silk Cocoon Production under Brazilian Conditions

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12083214 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. 3214

Author(s):

Silvia Mara Bortoloto Damasceno Barcelos ◽

Rodrigo Salvador ◽

Maria da Graça Guedes ◽

Antonio Carlos de Francisco

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Economic Feasibility ◽

Raw Material ◽

Impact Categories ◽

Cocoon Production ◽

Silk Cocoon ◽

Silk Production ◽

Environmental Profile ◽

The Impact

Brazilian silk production is amongst the five largest in the world. Nonetheless, there is no life cycle assessment study on silk cocoon production and its upstream processes, pertaining to the mulberry production (fundamental upstream process for silk production), in the existing literature. The objective of this study was to identify opportunities to improve the environmental profile of mulberry and silk cocoon production under Brazilian conditions. To that end, a life cycle assessment was conducted for the core processes of mulberry and silk cocoon production and upstream processes of raw material production, using the ReCiPe method for life cycle impact assessment using nine impact categories. Overall, the mulberry production showed greater impacts than the cocoon production for the impact categories analyzed. A few opportunities for improving the environmental profile of mulberry and silk cocoon production under Brazilian conditions included replacing the Kraft paper used to cover the rearing beds, replacing the standard tractor used to fetch mulberry leaves, replacing light bulbs, conducting a more sustainable mulberry and cocoon production, and setting a reverse logistics system for plastic and paper packaging waste. Nevertheless, many of these measures are long-term strategies. Besides, many of them need further economic feasibility assessment.

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Life Cycle Assessment of Italian Electricity Scenarios to 2030

Energies ◽

10.3390/en13153852 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (15) ◽

pp. 3852

Author(s):

Alessia Gargiulo ◽

Maria Leonor Carvalho ◽

Pierpaolo Girardi

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Strategic Objectives ◽

Environmental Profile ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Current Scenario ◽

The Difference ◽

The One ◽

Photovoltaic Technologies ◽

Business As Usual

The study presents a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Italian electricity scenarios, devised in the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (INECP). A fully representative LCA of the national electricity system was carried out, taking into consideration a great number of different power plant typologies for current (2016 and 2017) and future (2030) electricity mixes. The study confirms that LCA can be a powerful tool for supporting energy planning and strategies assessment. Indeed the results put in evidence not only the improvement of the environmental profile from the current to the future mix (the impacts decrease from 2016 to 2030 due to the transition towards renewables, mainly wind and photovoltaic), but also underline the difference between two scenarios at 2030 (being the scenario that includes the strategic objectives of the INECP to 2030 the one showing best environmental profile), providing an evaluation of the effect of different energy policies. For example, in the INECP scenario CO2 eq/kWh is 46% lower than current scenario and 37% lower than business as usual scenario for 2030. Moreover, considering different impact categories allowed to identify potential environmental trade-offs. The results suggest also the need of future insight on data related to photovoltaic technologies and materials and their future development.

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