scholarly journals Definition of LCA Guidelines in the Geothermal Sector to Enhance Result Comparability

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 3534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Laura Parisi ◽  
Melanie Douziech ◽  
Lorenzo Tosti ◽  
Paula Pérez-López ◽  
Barbara Mendecka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Geothermal Energy ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Geothermal Systems ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Methodological Choices ◽  
Construction Operation

Geothermal energy could play a crucial role in the European energy market and future scenarios focused on sustainable development. Thanks to its constant supply of concentrated energy, it can support the transition towards a low-carbon economy. In the energy sector, the decision-making process should always be supported by a holistic science-based approach to allow a comprehensive environmental assessment of the technological system, such as the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. In the geothermal sector, the decision-making is particularly difficult due to the large variability of reported results on environmental performance across studies. This calls for harmonized guidelines on how to conduct LCAs of geothermal systems to enhance transparency and results comparability, by ensuring consistent methodological choices and providing indications for harmonized results reporting. This work identifies the main critical aspects of performing an LCA of geothermal systems and provides solutions and technical guidance to harmonize its application. The proposed methodological approach is based on experts’ knowledge from both the geothermal and LCA sectors. The recommendations cover all the life cycle phases of geothermal energy production (i.e., construction, operation, maintenance and end of life) as well as a selection of LCA key elements thus providing a thorough base for concerted LCA guidelines for the geothermal sector. The application of such harmonized LCA framework can ensure comparability among LCA results from different geothermal systems and other renewable energy technologies.

scholarly journals How to Obtain Accurate Environmental Impacts at Early Design Stages in BIM When Using Environmental Product Declaration. A Method to Support Decision-Making

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Palumbo ◽  
Bernardette Soust-Verdaguer ◽  
Carmen Llatas ◽  
Marzia Traverso
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Data Consistency ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Early Design ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Early Design Stages ◽  
Lca Results

The construction sector plays an important role in moving towards a low-carbon economy. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is considered one of the most effective methods of analytically evaluating environmental profiles and an efficient tool for calculating the environmental impacts in building design-oriented methodologies, such as building information modelling (BIM). At early design stages, generic LCA databases are used to conduct the life cycle inventory (LCI), while detailed stages require more detailed data, such as environmental product declarations (EPDs), namely documents that provide accurate results and precise analyses based on LCA. Limitations are recognized when using EPDs in BIM elements at different levels of development (LOD) in the design stages, especially related to the data consistency and system boundaries of the LCA. This paper presents a method of achieving accurate LCA results, that helps with decision-making and provides support in the selection of building products and materials. The method is validated by its application in the structural concrete of an office building located in Germany. The method defines a safety factor adopted for embodied impacts (“cradle-to-gate”), based on EPD results to predict the environmental impact of BIM elements at different LODs. The results obtained show that by integrating the method to conduct the LCA, the range of errors and possible inconsistencies in the LCA results can be reduced.

scholarly journals Life Cycle Energy Consumption and Carbon Dioxide Emissions of Agricultural Residue Feedstock for Bioenergy

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 2009
Author(s):  
Valerii Havrysh ◽  
Antonina Kalinichenko ◽  
Anna Brzozowska ◽  
Jan Stebila
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Power Generation ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Agricultural Residues ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Energy Inputs

The depletion of fossil fuels and climate change concerns are drivers for the development and expansion of bioenergy. Promoting biomass is vital to move civilization toward a low-carbon economy. To meet European Union targets, it is required to increase the use of agricultural residues (including straw) for power generation. Using agricultural residues without accounting for their energy consumed and carbon dioxide emissions distorts the energy and environmental balance, and their analysis is the purpose of this study. In this paper, a life cycle analysis method is applied. The allocation of carbon dioxide emissions and energy inputs in the crop production by allocating between a product (grain) and a byproduct (straw) is modeled. Selected crop yield and the residue-to-crop ratio impact on the above indicators are investigated. We reveal that straw formation can consume between 30% and 70% of the total energy inputs and, therefore, emits relative carbon dioxide emissions. For cereal crops, this energy can be up to 40% of the lower heating value of straw. Energy and environmental indicators of a straw return-to-field technology and straw power generation systems are examined.

Delivering the Good

Bird on Fire ◽  
2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Ross
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Growth Machine ◽  
Gila River ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Carbon Reduction ◽  
Populations At Risk ◽  
New Generation

Why did I choose to end this book with the Gila River Indian Community’s effort to win back its water? Because it is a parable about how democracy and its courts can not only serve but also be served by the quest for sustainability. The GRIC water settlement brought a long struggle for environmental justice to a triumphant conclusion. Delivering justice meant that a large portion of the region’s available resources would be sequestered from the growth machine. Instead of supplying a new generation of low-density tract housing, the water could now be used to produce healthy, local food for the area population, and, if nonindustrial agriculture prevailed, the result would be a double win for carbon reduction. Surely, this is how a green polity ought to act, redressing the claims of those who have been aggrieved, and doing it in a way that extends long-term benefits for all. If all responses to environmental injustice were able to follow suit, it would be a welcome model for moving forward. Even if the Gila River example is unlikely to be replicated in other places, its guiding spirit is a sound one. What if the key to sustainability lies in innovating healthy pathways out of poverty for populations at risk, rather than marketing green gizmos to those who already have many options to choose from? These are not mutually exclusive options, of course, but the lessons I took away from my research convinced me of the pressing need for clear alternatives to the eco-apartheid syndrome that afflicts Phoenix and so many other cities. Building a low-carbon economy by targeting only the LOHAS demographic (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability, the upmarket segment of 40 million, or 20 percent of consumers, nationally) will end up doing little more than adding a green gloss to patterns of chronic inequality. Likewise, placing all of our faith in clean-tech fixes will cede too much decision making to a closed circle of experts who, regardless of their technical prowess, will have no power to prevent the uneven application of their solutions.

scholarly journals Introducing GEOFIT: Cost-Effective Enhanced Geothermal Systems for Energy Efficient Building Retrofitting

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (15) ◽  
pp. 557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Messervey ◽  
Marco Calderoni ◽  
Angel Font ◽  
Mikel Borras ◽  
Ray Sterling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Enhanced Geothermal Systems ◽  
Geothermal Systems ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Executive Agency ◽  
Energy Efficient Building ◽  
Carbon Economy

GEOFIT, “Deployment of novel GEOthermal systems, technologies and tools for energy efficient building retrofitting,” is a recently launched 4-year H2020 project funded by the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) under the call topic LCE-17-2017: Easier to install and more efficient geothermal systems for retrofitting buildings. GEOFIT is a part of INEA’s Energy Portfolio Low Carbon Economy (LCE), Renewable Energy Technologies (RET) and brings together 24 partners from 10 European countries to work on the development of novel and smart shallow geothermal systems. This paper introduces the project.

scholarly journals Sustainable Reuse of Military Facilities with a Carbon Inventory: Kinmen, Taiwan

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1810
Author(s):  
Hua-Yueh Liu
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Cell System ◽  
Military Government ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Water Shortages ◽  
Military Facilities ◽  
Construction Operation

Military government was lifted from Kinmen in 1992. The opening-up of cross-strait relations transformed the island into a tourist destination. This transformation led to electricity and water shortages in Kinmen. With the reduction in the number of troops, military facilities fell into disuse and are now being released for local government use. The aim of this project was to monitor the carbon footprint of a reused military facility during renovation of the facility. The LCBA-Neuma system, a local carbon survey software developed by the Low Carbon Building Alliance (LCBA) and National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, was used in this project. The system analyzes the carbon footprint of the various phases of the building life cycle (LC) during renovation and carbon compensation strategies were employed to achieve the low carbon target. This project has pioneered the transformation of a disused military facility using this approach. The carbon footprint of energy uses during post-construction operation (CFeu) accounted for the majority of carbon emissions among all stages, at 1,088,632.19 kgCO2e/60y, while the carbon footprint of the new building materials (CFm) was the second highest, at 214,983.66 kgCO2e/60y. Installation of a solar cell system of 25.2 kWp on the rooftop as a carbon offset measure compensated for an estimated 66.1% of the total life-cycle carbon emissions. The findings of this study show that the process of reusing old military facilities can achieve the ultimate goal of zero carbon construction and sustainable development.

Total-Life-Cycle Analysis of the Low Carbon Building

2012 ◽  
Vol 573-574 ◽  
pp. 740-744
Author(s):  
De Li Yao ◽  
Tong Chen ◽  
Chang Lin Mi
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Life Cycle Analysis ◽  
Life Cycle Management ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Project Development ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Total Life ◽  
Carbon Economy

This paper applies the total-life-cycle management theory to the construction and development of low-carbon buildings, and makes analysis of the implementation ways of low-carbon buildings in various stages of project development. So the low-carbon buildings in china can get sustainable development and the low-carbon economy can be realized rapidly.

Selection and Evaluation of 3PL Providers

2012 ◽  
pp. 1650-1665
Author(s):  
Christos Keramydas ◽  
Naoum Tsolakis ◽  
Anastasios Xanthopoulos ◽  
Dimitrios Aidonis
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Third Party Logistics ◽  
Methodological Framework ◽  
Evaluation Problem ◽  
Whole Life Cycle

As supply chains continue to globalize, the need for robust Third Party Logistics (3PL) provider qualification, selection, and evaluation programs becomes increasingly critical. In this context, this chapter aims to present a methodological approach for the optimization of this specific type of outsourcing operations in today’s globalized supply chains. More specifically, the authors first present an analytical literature review of the criteria and the methods that are employed in this field of decision-making, and then propose a generic methodological framework for the 3PL partner selection and evaluation problem. This framework is constituted by a nine-phased conceptual decision-making methodology that outlines the whole life cycle of the 3PL provider selection and continuous evaluation processes.

Research on Construction for Sustainable Housing Based on the Whole Life Cycle

2011 ◽  
Vol 224 ◽  
pp. 164-169
Author(s):  
Xia Yun Li ◽  
Shi Qiang Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Paper Analysis ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Sustainable Housing ◽  
Whole Life Cycle

Under the Sustainable Development Strategy, whether the project's sustainability goals can be achieved for residential building is a serious problem, which is not only related to the improvement of quality of living but also the implementation of the strategy for national energy saving and low-carbon economy. However, building sustainable housing is a new challenge for contractor. Based on the life cycle theory, this paper analysis project objective and achieves condition of sustainable development in explaining the basis of the connotation of sustainable housing, and then discuses the process of building sustainable housing under the guidance of sustainable management theory, which can provides some guidance for the achievement of sustainability goals of residential construction projects.

Optimizing decision-making of regional cold chain logistics system in view of low-carbon economy

2019 ◽  
Vol 130 ◽  
pp. 844-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siying Zhang ◽  
Ning Chen ◽  
Xiaoming Song ◽  
Jia Yang
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Cold Chain ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Logistics System ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Carbon Economy

scholarly journals Research on energy-saving strategies of college stadiums and sports venues under the concept of low carbon development

2021 ◽  
Vol 275 ◽  
pp. 02007
Author(s):  
Yi Ke
Keyword(s):  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
College And University ◽  
Whole Process ◽  
Green Development ◽  
Low Carbon Development ◽  
Sports Venues ◽  
Construction Operation ◽  
Operation And Management

More than half of the stadiums and sports venues in China are concentrated in the education system, and a large proportion of them are distributed in various colleges and universities across the country. Therefore, the planning, design, construction, operation and management of stadiums and sports venues of college and university are also getting more and more attention from the society and the educators. The author believes that under the concept of low carbon development, colleges and universities should focus on introducing ideas of energy conservation and put the concepts of low carbon economy development throughout the whole process and all aspects of operational management of stadiums and sports venues, so as to achieve the effects of sustainable development while fulfilling social responsibility of environmental protection, promoting green lifestyle among the students and contributing to green development model.

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