IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v130y2017icp515-529.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Environmental performance evaluation of a grid-independent solar photovoltaic power generation (SPPG) plant

Author

Listed:
  • Akinyele, D.O.

Abstract

This paper presents the environmental analysis of a solar photovoltaic power generation (SPPG) plant model, proposed for small off-grid communities. The analysis carefully considers both the life cycle energy- and the emission-related impacts of the plant's components, such as the PV array and the balance of system (BOS). Results reveal that a proposed 54.15 kW SPPG plant has global warming potential (GWP) ranging from 72,445 to 75,085 kg CO2−eq. The results further show that the battery system accounts for ∼85–90% of the plant's GWP impact. The battery also accounts for ∼68–75% of the total cumulative energy demand (CED) of 7.01–10.36 × 106 MJ. The energy payback times (EPT) for the PV-only range from 2.12 to 4.39 years, while a relatively higher value of 9.41–10.36 years was obtained for the PV and the BOS. The net energy ratio (NER) values of 4.56–9.43 and 2.24–2.52 were obtained for the PV-only and the PV with BOS, respectively, for a lifetime of 20 years. The NERs obtained for a lifetime of 25 years were 5.7–11.79 and 2.41–2.66, while the values obtained for a 30-year lifetime range from 6.83 to 14.15 and 2.54 to 2.78. These results have been obtained under different solar irradiation levels, lifetimes and performance ratios (PRs) of 1450–2200 kWh/m2/yr, 20–30 years and 60–80%. The research outputs demonstrate that the battery system has the highest life cycle energy and emissions impact because of its relatively shorter lifespan and the replacements over the system's lifetime. However, a sensitivity analysis reveals that the impact of the battery reduces as the lifespan increases. In addition, the GWP and the EPTs increases as the PRs are decreased, while the NERs are reduced. The significance of the study is that it reveals the effect of solar irradiation, lifetimes, PRs and the battery lifespan on the SPPG plant's environmental performance, which can be a basis for understanding solar PV life cycle impact for different locations around the world.

Suggested Citation

  • Akinyele, D.O., 2017. "Environmental performance evaluation of a grid-independent solar photovoltaic power generation (SPPG) plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 515-529.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:130:y:2017:i:c:p:515-529
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2017.04.126
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544217306928
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2017.04.126?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Abbes, Dhaker & Martinez, André & Champenois, Gérard, 2014. "Life cycle cost, embodied energy and loss of power supply probability for the optimal design of hybrid power systems," Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM), Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 46-62.
    2. Akinyele, Daniel O. & Rayudu, Ramesh K., 2016. "Techno-economic and life cycle environmental performance analyses of a solar photovoltaic microgrid system for developing countries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 160-179.
    3. Akinyele, D.O. & Rayudu, R.K. & Nair, N.K.C., 2015. "Global progress in photovoltaic technologies and the scenario of development of solar panel plant and module performance estimation − Application in Nigeria," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 112-139.
    4. Bhandari, Khagendra P. & Collier, Jennifer M. & Ellingson, Randy J. & Apul, Defne S., 2015. "Energy payback time (EPBT) and energy return on energy invested (EROI) of solar photovoltaic systems: A systematic review and meta-analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 133-141.
    5. Kanase-Patil, A.B. & Saini, R.P. & Sharma, M.P., 2010. "Integrated renewable energy systems for off grid rural electrification of remote area," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(6), pages 1342-1349.
    6. Rezzouk, H. & Mellit, A., 2015. "Feasibility study and sensitivity analysis of a stand-alone photovoltaic–diesel–battery hybrid energy system in the north of Algeria," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 1134-1150.
    7. Petrillo, Antonella & De Felice, Fabio & Jannelli, Elio & Autorino, Claudio & Minutillo, Mariagiovanna & Lavadera, Antonio Lubrano, 2016. "Life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost (LCC) analysis model for a stand-alone hybrid renewable energy system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 337-355.
    8. Yang, Hongxing & Wei, Zhou & Chengzhi, Lou, 2009. "Optimal design and techno-economic analysis of a hybrid solar-wind power generation system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(2), pages 163-169, February.
    9. Hou, Guofu & Sun, Honghang & Jiang, Ziying & Pan, Ziqiang & Wang, Yibo & Zhang, Xiaodan & Zhao, Ying & Yao, Qiang, 2016. "Life cycle assessment of grid-connected photovoltaic power generation from crystalline silicon solar modules in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 882-890.
    10. Bhattacharyya, Subhes C., 2015. "Mini-grid based electrification in Bangladesh: Technical configuration and business analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 745-761.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Richard & Lam, Chor-Man & Hsu, Shu-Chien & Chen, Jieh-Haur, 2019. "Life cycle assessment and energy payback time of a standalone hybrid renewable energy commercial microgrid: A case study of Town Island in Hong Kong," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 250(C), pages 760-775.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Akinyele, D.O. & Rayudu, R.K. & Nair, N.K.C., 2017. "Life cycle impact assessment of photovoltaic power generation from crystalline silicon-based solar modules in Nigeria," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 537-549.
    2. Thopil, George Alex & Sachse, Christiaan Eddie & Lalk, Jörg & Thopil, Miriam Sara, 2020. "Techno-economic performance comparison of crystalline and thin film PV panels under varying meteorological conditions: A high solar resource southern hemisphere case," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    3. Akinyele, D.O. & Rayudu, R.K., 2016. "Community-based hybrid electricity supply system: A practical and comparative approach," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 608-628.
    4. Abhi Chatterjee & Daniel Burmester & Alan Brent & Ramesh Rayudu, 2019. "Research Insights and Knowledge Headways for Developing Remote, Off-Grid Microgrids in Developing Countries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-19, May.
    5. Tezer, Tuba & Yaman, Ramazan & Yaman, Gülşen, 2017. "Evaluation of approaches used for optimization of stand-alone hybrid renewable energy systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 840-853.
    6. Siddaiah, Rajanna & Saini, R.P., 2016. "A review on planning, configurations, modeling and optimization techniques of hybrid renewable energy systems for off grid applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 376-396.
    7. Giuseppe Todde & Lelia Murgia & Isaac Carrelo & Rita Hogan & Antonio Pazzona & Luigi Ledda & Luis Narvarte, 2018. "Embodied Energy and Environmental Impact of Large-Power Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Irrigation Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-15, August.
    8. Bahramara, S. & Moghaddam, M. Parsa & Haghifam, M.R., 2016. "Optimal planning of hybrid renewable energy systems using HOMER: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 609-620.
    9. Yadav, Deepak & Banerjee, Rangan, 2020. "Net energy and carbon footprint analysis of solar hydrogen production from the high-temperature electrolysis process," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    10. Wang, Gang & Zhang, Zhen & Lin, Jianqing, 2024. "Multi-energy complementary power systems based on solar energy: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    11. Sinha, Sunanda & Chandel, S.S., 2015. "Review of recent trends in optimization techniques for solar photovoltaic–wind based hybrid energy systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 755-769.
    12. Valerii Havrysh & Antonina Kalinichenko & Edyta Szafranek & Vasyl Hruban, 2022. "Agricultural Land: Crop Production or Photovoltaic Power Plants," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-23, April.
    13. Jae-Hoon Cho & Myung-Geun Chun & Won-Pyo Hong, 2016. "Structure Optimization of Stand-Alone Renewable Power Systems Based on Multi Object Function," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-19, August.
    14. Koppelaar, R.H.E.M., 2017. "Solar-PV energy payback and net energy: Meta-assessment of study quality, reproducibility, and results harmonization," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 1241-1255.
    15. Zhe Lv & Zengping Wang & Wanyu Xu, 2019. "A Techno-Economic Study of 100% Renewable Energy for a Residential Household in China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-17, June.
    16. Raugei, Marco & Sgouridis, Sgouris & Murphy, David & Fthenakis, Vasilis & Frischknecht, Rolf & Breyer, Christian & Bardi, Ugo & Barnhart, Charles & Buckley, Alastair & Carbajales-Dale, Michael & Csala, 2017. "Energy Return on Energy Invested (ERoEI) for photovoltaic solar systems in regions of moderate insolation: A comprehensive response," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 377-384.
    17. Yilmaz, Saban & Dincer, Furkan, 2017. "Optimal design of hybrid PV-Diesel-Battery systems for isolated lands: A case study for Kilis, Turkey," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 344-352.
    18. Zhu, Rui & Lau, Wing Sze & You, Linlin & Yan, Jinyue & Ratti, Carlo & Chen, Min & Wong, Man Sing & Qin, Zheng, 2024. "Multi-sourced data modelling of spatially heterogenous life-cycle carbon mitigation from installed rooftop photovoltaics: A case study in Singapore," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 362(C).
    19. Jiménez-Vargas, Iván & Rey, Juan M. & Osma-Pinto, German, 2023. "Sizing of hybrid microgrids considering life cycle assessment," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 554-565.
    20. Wang, Chaofan & Shuai, Jing & Ding, Liping & Lu, Yang & Chen, Jia, 2022. "Comprehensive benefit evaluation of solar PV projects based on multi-criteria decision grey relation projection method: Evidence from 5 counties in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(PB).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:130:y:2017:i:c:p:515-529. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.