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A Simplified Life Cycle Approach for Assessing Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Wind Electricity

Author

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  • Pierryves Padey
  • Isabelle Blanc
  • Denis Le Boulch
  • Zhao Xiusheng

Abstract

A full life cycle assessment (LCA) is usually a time, energy, and data‐intensive process requiring sophisticated methodology. Our meta‐analysis of life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of wind electricity highlights several key, sensitive parameters to provide a better understanding of the variability in LCA results, and then proposes a methodology to establish a simplified, streamlined approach based on regressions built on these key parameters. Wind electricity's environmental performance can be linked to three essential components: technological (e.g., manufacturing), geographical (e.g., wind speed), and LCA methodology (e.g., product lifetime). A regression has been derived based on detailed LCA results from a representative sample of 17 industrial wind turbines manufactured and recently installed in Europe on average land configurations. Simple GHG performance (i.e., emissions) curves depending on average on‐site wind speed and wind turbine lifetime are proposed. Whatever the system power, considering the full range of possible wind speeds in Europe (4 to 9 meters per second [m/s]) and a lifetime of 10 to 30 years, emissions vary from 8.7 to 76.7 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt‐hour (g CO2‐eq/kWh) when the wind speed is less than 6.5 m/s, and from 4.5 to 22.2 g CO2‐eq/kWh when the wind speed is 6.5 m/s or greater. This second situation with a turbine lifetime of 20 years is assumed to be most realistic based on economic criteria. This research presents simplified models as an alternative to detailed LCA. The methodology has been applied as a first trial to wind electricity and could be applied to other energy pathways.

Suggested Citation

  • Pierryves Padey & Isabelle Blanc & Denis Le Boulch & Zhao Xiusheng, 2012. "A Simplified Life Cycle Approach for Assessing Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Wind Electricity," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 16(s1), pages 28-38, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:16:y:2012:i:s1:p:s28-s38
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2012.00466.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Mélanie Douziech & Romain Besseau & Raphaël Jolivet & Bianka Shoai‐Tehrani & Jean‐Yves Bourmaud & Guillaume Busato & Mathilde Gresset‐Bourgeois & Paula Pérez‐López, 2024. "Life cycle assessment of prospective trajectories: A parametric approach for tailor‐made inventories and its computational implementation," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 28(1), pages 25-40, February.
    2. Zetao Huang & Youkai Yu & Yushu Chen & Tao Tan & Xuhui Kong, 2022. "Mapping of the Greenhouse Gas Emission Potential for the Offshore Wind Power Sector in Guangdong, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-14, November.
    3. Mendecka, Barbara & Lombardi, Lidia, 2019. "Life cycle environmental impacts of wind energy technologies: A review of simplified models and harmonization of the results," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 462-480.
    4. Yihsuan Wu & Jian Hua, 2022. "Investigating a Retrofit Thermal Power Plant from a Sustainable Environment Perspective—A Fuel Lifecycle Assessment Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-26, April.
    5. Summerfield-Ryan, Oliver & Park, Susan, 2023. "The power of wind: The global wind energy industry's successes and failures," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 210(C).
    6. Turconi, Roberto & Boldrin, Alessio & Astrup, Thomas, 2013. "Life cycle assessment (LCA) of electricity generation technologies: Overview, comparability and limitations," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 555-565.
    7. Nhu, Trang T. & Le, Quan H. & Heide, Peter ter & Bosma, Roel & Sorgeloos, Patrick & Dewulf, Jo & Schaubroeck, Thomas, 2016. "Inferred equations for predicting cumulative exergy extraction throughout cradle-to-gate life cycles of Pangasius feeds and intensive Pangasius grow-out farms in Vietnam," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 42-49.
    8. Li, Qiangfeng & Duan, Huabo & Xie, Minghui & Kang, Peng & Ma, Yi & Zhong, Ruoyu & Gao, Tianming & Zhong, Weiqiong & Wen, Bojie & Bai, Feng & Vuppaladadiyam, Arun K., 2021. "Life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis of a 40 MW wind farm with consideration of the infrastructure," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).

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