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Practical ambiguities during calculation of energy ratios and their impacts on life cycle assessment calculations

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  • Zhang, Yongli
  • Colosi, Lisa M.

Abstract

The energy ratio metrics are increasingly important means of assessing the efficiency of energy production for emerging biofuels platforms, making comparisons among multiple alternatives, and formulating policies to foster commercialization of sustainable energy systems. However, these metrics are susceptible to inadvertent or meaningful mathematical manipulation, whereby the same dataset can be used to compute dramatically different values of energy return on investment (EROI). In this study, previously published life cycle assessment (LCA) data for algal biofuels, corn ethanol, and switchgrass ethanol are used to demonstrate how seven seemingly reasonable EROI formulations give rise to a wide range of output values. It is then demonstrated that production of bioelectricity, and to a lesser extent, other co-products, significantly increases EROI ambiguity. Overall, the EROI results are used to illustrate how EROI ambiguity makes it difficult to properly assess the energetic favorability of a particular energy system or to make accurate comparisons among multiple systems. It is then recommended that all future biofuels studies restrict themselves to usage of “EROI1”, which documents all input and outputs as explicit terms, to mitigate EROI ambiguity and improve policy decision-making.

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  • Zhang, Yongli & Colosi, Lisa M., 2013. "Practical ambiguities during calculation of energy ratios and their impacts on life cycle assessment calculations," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 630-633.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:57:y:2013:i:c:p:630-633
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2013.02.039
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    1. Charles A. S. Hall & Stephen Balogh & David J.R. Murphy, 2009. "What is the Minimum EROI that a Sustainable Society Must Have?," Energies, MDPI, vol. 2(1), pages 1-23, January.
    2. Gagnon, Luc & Belanger, Camille & Uchiyama, Yohji, 2002. "Life-cycle assessment of electricity generation options: The status of research in year 2001," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(14), pages 1267-1278, November.
    3. David J. Murphy & Charles A.S. Hall & Michael Dale & Cutler Cleveland, 2011. "Order from Chaos: A Preliminary Protocol for Determining the EROI of Fuels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(10), pages 1-20, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Peter, Angela Paul & Koyande, Apurav Krishna & Chew, Kit Wayne & Ho, Shih-Hsin & Chen, Wei-Hsin & Chang, Jo-Shu & Krishnamoorthy, Rambabu & Banat, Fawzi & Show, Pau Loke, 2022. "Continuous cultivation of microalgae in photobioreactors as a source of renewable energy: Current status and future challenges," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    2. Carneiro, Maria Luisa N.M. & Pradelle, Florian & Braga, Sergio L. & Gomes, Marcos Sebastião P. & Martins, Ana Rosa F.A. & Turkovics, Franck & Pradelle, Renata N.C., 2017. "Potential of biofuels from algae: Comparison with fossil fuels, ethanol and biodiesel in Europe and Brazil through life cycle assessment (LCA)," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 632-653.
    3. Fuess, L.T. & Cruz, R.B.C.M. & Zaiat, M. & Nascimento, C.A.O., 2021. "Diversifying the portfolio of sugarcane biorefineries: Anaerobic digestion as the core process for enhanced resource recovery," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    4. David J. Murphy & Michael Carbajales-Dale & Devin Moeller, 2016. "Comparing Apples to Apples: Why the Net Energy Analysis Community Needs to Adopt the Life-Cycle Analysis Framework," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-15, November.
    5. Victor Court, 2019. "An Estimation of Different Minimum Exergy Return Ratios Required for Society," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 4(3), pages 1-13, September.
    6. Carey W. King, 2015. "Comparing World Economic and Net Energy Metrics, Part 3: Macroeconomic Historical and Future Perspectives," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-24, November.
    7. Collet, Pierre & Hélias, Arnaud & Lardon, Laurent & Steyer, Jean-Philippe & Bernard, Olivier, 2015. "Recommendations for Life Cycle Assessment of algal fuels," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 1089-1102.
    8. Collet, Pierre & Lardon, Laurent & Hélias, Arnaud & Bricout, Stéphanie & Lombaert-Valot, Isabelle & Perrier, Béatrice & Lépine, Olivier & Steyer, Jean-Philippe & Bernard, Olivier, 2014. "Biodiesel from microalgae – Life cycle assessment and recommendations for potential improvements," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 525-533.
    9. Walmsley, Timothy G. & Walmsley, Michael R.W. & Varbanov, Petar S. & Klemeš, Jiří J., 2018. "Energy Ratio analysis and accounting for renewable and non-renewable electricity generation: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 328-345.
    10. Carey W. King & John P. Maxwell & Alyssa Donovan, 2015. "Comparing World Economic and Net Energy Metrics, Part 2: Total Economy Expenditure Perspective," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-22, November.
    11. Barbera, Elena & Naurzaliyev, Rustem & Asiedu, Alexander & Bertucco, Alberto & Resurreccion, Eleazer P. & Kumar, Sandeep, 2020. "Techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment of jet fuels production from waste cooking oil via in situ catalytic transfer hydrogenation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 428-449.
    12. Victor Court & Fizaine Floriane, 2023. "EROI Minimum et Croissance Economique," Working Papers hal-04087776, HAL.
    13. Olavo Pinto & Beatriz Casais, 2023. "Multilevel implications for anti-consumption social marketing within the public policy framework for SDG realization: a systematic literature review," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 20(3), pages 605-634, September.
    14. Carey W. King & John P. Maxwell & Alyssa Donovan, 2015. "Comparing World Economic and Net Energy Metrics, Part 1: Single Technology and Commodity Perspective," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-26, November.
    15. Singh, Udayan & Colosi, Lisa M., 2021. "The case for estimating carbon return on investment (CROI) for CCUS platforms," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 285(C).
    16. Olga Orynycz & Antoni Świć, 2018. "The Effects of Material’s Transport on Various Steps of Production System on Energetic Efficiency of Biodiesel Production," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-12, August.
    17. Hiroaki Yaritani & Jun Matsushima, 2014. "Analysis of the Energy Balance of Shale Gas Development," Energies, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-21, April.

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