scholarly journals Reducing the Environmental Impacts of Electric Vehicles and Electricity Supply: How Hourly Defined Life Cycle Assessment and Smart Charging Can Contribute

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Baumann ◽  
Michael Salzinger ◽  
Simon Remppis ◽  
Benjamin Schober ◽  
Michael Held ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Unit Commitment ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Electricity Supply ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Smart Charging ◽  
Electricity Mix ◽  
Renewable Electricity Generation

Increasing shares of renewable electricity generation lead to fundamental changes of the electricity supply, resulting in varying supply mixes and environmental impacts. The hourly-defined life cycle assessment (HD-LCA) approach aims to capture the environmental profile of electricity supply in an hourly resolution. It offers a flexible connectivity to unit commitment models or real-time electricity production and consumption data from electricity suppliers. When charging EVs, the environmental impact of the charging session depends on the electricity mix during the session. This paper introduces the combination of HD-LCA and smart charging and illustrates its impacts on the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of BEVs.

scholarly journals Are Renewables as Friendly to Humans as to the Environment?: A Social Life Cycle Assessment of Renewable Electricity

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shutaro Takeda ◽  
Alexander Keeley ◽  
Shigeki Sakurai ◽  
Shunsuke Managi ◽  
Catherine Norris
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Social Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Solar Photovoltaic ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Electricity Mix ◽  
The Impact

The adoption of renewable energy technologies in developing nations is recognized to have positive environmental impacts; however, what are their effects on the electricity supply chain workers? This article provides a quantitative analysis on this question through a relatively new framework called social life cycle assessment, taking Malaysia as a case example. Impact assessments by the authors show that electricity from renewables has greater adverse impacts on supply chain workers than the conventional electricity mix: Electricity production with biomass requires 127% longer labor hours per unit-electricity under the risk of human rights violations, while the solar photovoltaic requires 95% longer labor hours per unit-electricity. However, our assessment also indicates that renewables have less impacts per dollar-spent. In fact, the impact of solar photovoltaic would be 60% less than the conventional mix when it attains grid parity. The answer of “are renewables as friendly to humans as to the environment?” is “not-yet, but eventually.”

Energy Consumption and Emission of Pollutants from Electric Bicycles

2014 ◽  
Vol 505-506 ◽  
pp. 327-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tie Zhu Li ◽  
Fang Qian ◽  
Chen Su
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Short Distance ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Use Stage ◽  
Electric Bicycles

Electric bicycles (EBs) are now becoming the main vehicles for short-distance trips because of their speediness, flexibility and convenience in many cities in China. However, these benefits come at a cost. This study analyzed the energy consumption and emission of pollutants at every stage of the EB life cycle (production, use, maintenance and recycling) by using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The environmental impacts and the energy consumption in production and use were quantified and compared with other competing modes of transport, such as bicycles, buses, motorcycles and cars. The results show that the energy consumption and emissions of pollutants by EBs occur mainly in the use stage, and specifically in the process of electricity production and battery change. The emissions of pollutants by EBs per person per kilometer are several times smaller than the values for motorcycles and cars, more or less equivalent to buses and higher than bicycles.

scholarly journals Life Cycle Assessment of Wood Pellet Production in Thailand

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piyarath Saosee ◽  
Boonrod Sajjakulnukit ◽  
Shabbir Gheewala
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Wood Pellets ◽  
Wood Pellet ◽  
Pellet Production ◽  
Production Processes

Thailand has increased wood pellet production for export and domestic use. The variations in production processes, raw materials, and transportation related to wood pellet production make it necessary to evaluate the environmental impacts assessment. The objective of this study was to compare via Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), eight different cases of wood pellet production varying in terms of raw materials, production processes, energy use, and the format of transportation and to compare LCA of electricity production from wood pellets and fossil fuels. The comparison results show that leucaena is better as a feedstock for wood pellet production than acacia due to shorter harvest cycle and lesser use of resources. Pellet production consumes the most energy contributing significantly to the environmental impacts. The use of fossil fuels in wood pellet production and transportation also has a major contribution to the environmental impacts. Using wood pellets for electricity production is better than lignite in terms of human health, ecosystem quality and resource scarcity. Recommendations from this study include increasing yield of feedstock plants, shortening harvest cycle, reducing overuse of fertilizers and herbicides, pollution control, reducing fossil fuel use in the supply chain, good logistics, feedstock access, and offering incentives considering the externality cost.

scholarly journals Life Cycle Assessment of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Processes Regarding Energy Production from the Sludge Line

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 356
Author(s):  
Paulina Szulc ◽  
Jędrzej Kasprzak ◽  
Zbysław Dymaczewski ◽  
Przemysław Kurczewski
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Main Task ◽  
Municipal Wastewater Treatment

The efficient and timely removal of organic matter and nutrients from water used in normal municipal functions is considered to be the main task of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Therefore, these facilities are considered to be essential units that are required to avoid pollution of the water environment and decrease the possibility of triggering eutrophication. Even though these benefits are undeniable, they remain at odds with the high energy demand of wastewater treatment and sludge processes. As a consequence, WWTPs have various environmental impacts, which can be estimated and categorized using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis. In this study, a municipal WWTP based in Poznań, Poland, was examined using the method defined in ISO 14040. ReCiPe Endpoint and Midpoint (v1.11), in a hierarchical approach, were used to evaluate the environmental impacts regarding 18 different categories. All calculations were conducted using a detailed database from 2019, which describes each chosen facility. It was found that the energy component, related to the wastewater treatment process demand and electricity production, is the main determinant of the sum of the environmental impact indicators in light of the modelled energy mix. Therefore, it determines the entire process as an environmentally friendly activity.

Life Cycle Assessment of a Household in Ecuador

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel D. Ramirez ◽  
Karla Crespo ◽  
Daniel A. Salas ◽  
Andrea J. Boero
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Current Trend ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Production Structure ◽  
Liquefied Petroleum Gas ◽  
Environmental Burden

Abstract The life cycle assessment (LCA) of a middle-class household of 5 members in Guayaquil, Ecuador was performed in order to identify the life cycle stages and activities with higher environmental burdens. LCA is a quantitative tool for assessing the environmental performance of products or systems during its life span, through the compilation and further evaluation of the inputs, outputs, and potential environmental impacts. The life cycle of the house included a 50-year lifespan house divided into three stages: pre-occupation, occupation, and post-occupation stage. The type of house chosen for the analysis represents the current trend of urban growth and planning of the city, which is pointing towards residential zones and housing plans far away from central areas. The notion of household metabolism is associated with the occupation stage. Household metabolism refers to all flows of matter and energy related to anthropogenic activities conducted on a household, which is a socio-economic entity that consists of people living together occupying a dwelling or part of it. Households are key entities of the anthroposphere because the sum of all private households is the process on which all other processes depend on and serve directly or indirectly. The total energy use and emissions for which the sum of households is responsible reflects the importance of considering its influence when assessing the environmental impact of dwellings. Five energy case scenarios were analyzed. These included different energy mixes and the use of inductive cookers as an alternative to those that use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which are the most used in Ecuador. The influence of the energy production structure of the country on the environmental impact of the household is supported by the results. A higher share of hydroelectricity in the energy mix, compared with the share of thermal electricity, presented lower environmental impacts in most categories. Public policies that encourage a shift towards a cleaner electricity production technology may decrease the overall environmental impact of households and buildings. The occupation stage entails the highest contribution to all impact categories, e.g. 88% of global warming potential (GWP), followed by the pre-occupation stage, contributing 10% of GWP. Food consumption has not been considered in reviewed studies, although it represents the highest environmental burden within the occupation stage of the house, followed by electricity, and gas use: 43, 27, and 20% of GWP respectively. The results support the importance of including household metabolism in LCA studies due to the high environmental burden associated with it, and the influence of the electricity production structure of the country on the life cycle impact of households.

scholarly journals Environmental Consequences of Closing the Textile Loop—Life Cycle Assessment of a Circular Polyester Jacket

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2964
Author(s):  
Gregor Braun ◽  
Claudia Som ◽  
Mélanie Schmutz ◽  
Roland Hischier
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Textile Industry ◽  
System Analysis ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Energy And Material Flows

The textile industry is recognized as being one of the most polluting industries. Thus, the European Union aims to transform the textile industry with its “European Green Deal” and “Circular Economy Action Plan”. Awareness regarding the environmental impact of textiles is increasing and initiatives are appearing to make more sustainable products with a strong wish to move towards a circular economy. One of these initiatives is wear2wearTM, a collaboration consisting of multiple companies aiming to close the loop for polyester textiles. However, designing a circular product system does not lead automatically to lower environmental impacts. Therefore, a Life Cycle Assessment study has been conducted in order to compare the environmental impacts of a circular with a linear workwear jacket. The results show that a thoughtful “circular economy system” design approach can result in significantly lower environmental impacts than linear product systems. The study illustrates at the same time the necessity for Life Cycle Assessment practitioners to go beyond a simple comparison of one product to another when it comes to circular economy. Such products require a wider system analysis approach that takes into account multiple loops, having interconnected energy and material flows through reuse, remanufacture, and various recycling practices.

scholarly journals Life Cycle Assessment of Households in Santiago, Chile: Environmental Hotspots and Policy Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2525
Author(s):  
Camila López-Eccher ◽  
Elizabeth Garrido-Ramírez ◽  
Iván Franchi-Arzola ◽  
Edmundo Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Resource Scarcity ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Freshwater Eutrophication

The aim of this study is to assess the environmental impacts of household life cycles in Santiago, Chile, by household income level. The assessment considered scenarios associated with environmental policies. The life cycle assessment was cradle-to-grave, and the functional unit considered all the materials and energy required to meet an inhabitant’s needs for one year (1 inh/year). Using SimaPro 9.1 software, the Recipe Midpoint (H) methodology was used. The impact categories selected were global warming, fine particulate matter formation, terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication, freshwater ecotoxicity, mineral resource scarcity, and fossil resource scarcity. The inventory was carried out through the application of 300 household surveys and secondary information. The main environmental sources of households were determined to be food consumption, transport, and electricity. Food consumption is the main source, responsible for 33% of the environmental impacts on global warming, 69% on terrestrial acidification, and 29% on freshwater eutrophication. The second most crucial environmental hotspot is private transport, whose contribution to environmental impact increases as household income rises, while public transport impact increases in the opposite direction. In this sense, both positive and negative environmental effects can be generated by policies. Therefore, life-cycle environmental impacts, the synergy between policies, and households’ socio-economic characteristics must be considered in public policy planning and consumer decisions.

scholarly journals Sustainability Assessment with Integrated Circular Economy Principles: A Toy Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 3856
Author(s):  
Rebeka Kovačič Lukman ◽  
Vasja Omahne ◽  
Damjan Krajnc
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Product Life Cycle ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Social Impacts ◽  
Life Cycle Costing ◽  
Social Life Cycle Assessment

When considering the sustainability of production processes, research studies usually emphasise environmental impacts and do not adequately address economic and social impacts. Toy production is no exception when it comes to assessing sustainability. Previous research on toys has focused solely on assessing environmental aspects and neglected social and economic aspects. This paper presents a sustainability assessment of a toy using environmental life cycle assessment, life cycle costing, and social life cycle assessment. We conducted an inventory analysis and sustainability impact assessment of the toy to identify the hotspots of the system. The main environmental impacts are eutrophication, followed by terrestrial eco-toxicity, acidification, and global warming. The life cycle costing approach examined the economic aspect of the proposed design options for toys, while the social assessment of the alternative designs revealed social impacts along the product life cycle. In addition, different options based on the principles of the circular economy were analysed and proposed in terms of substitution of materials and shortening of transport distances for the toy studied.

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