The Life Cycle Assessment of Various Energy Technologies
Nawshad Haque
Abstract
Life cycle assessment considers both the direct and indirect impact of a process or technology in the upstream process value chain. Energy can be produced from a variety of fuels or renewable sources. Thermal energy is delivered in the form of heat and the heat is often used to generate electricity or power. Thus the conventional use of energy for industrial or residential applications is either in the form of thermal heat or electricity. Generating energy from fossil fuel, such as coal and gas, produces a significant amount of greenhouse gas globally. Reducing greenhouse gas from energy systems is a significant challenge which requires the precise determination of both direct and indirect carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the extraction and processing of fuels using various unit processes along the different stages of the production chain. In the case of renewable energy, a life cycle analysis must consider the energy required for the mining, manufacturing of materials (e.g., wind turbines, solar panels, batteries), and the building of the infrastructure. In order to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, it is necessary to compare and rank various energy technologies and optimize their emission contributions. This chapter introduces how life cycle assessment methodology can be applied to energy systems and how this can aid in making decisions on selecting appropriate technologies for a given scenario.