IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v12y2019i23p4443-d289823.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Potential Role of Flexibility During Peak Hours on Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Life Cycle Assessment of Five Targeted National Electricity Grid Mixes

Author

Listed:
  • Ingrid Munné-Collado

    (Centre d’Innovació Tecnològica en Convertidors Estàtics i Accionaments (CITCEA-UPC), Departament d’Enginyeria Elèctrica. ETS d’Enginyeria Industrial de Barcelona, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Avinguda Diagonal, 647, Pl.2, 08028 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Fabio Maria Aprà

    (Centre d’Innovació Tecnològica en Convertidors Estàtics i Accionaments (CITCEA-UPC), Departament d’Enginyeria Elèctrica. ETS d’Enginyeria Industrial de Barcelona, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Avinguda Diagonal, 647, Pl.2, 08028 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Pol Olivella-Rosell

    (Centre d’Innovació Tecnològica en Convertidors Estàtics i Accionaments (CITCEA-UPC), Departament d’Enginyeria Elèctrica. ETS d’Enginyeria Industrial de Barcelona, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Avinguda Diagonal, 647, Pl.2, 08028 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Roberto Villafáfila-Robles

    (Centre d’Innovació Tecnològica en Convertidors Estàtics i Accionaments (CITCEA-UPC), Departament d’Enginyeria Elèctrica. ETS d’Enginyeria Industrial de Barcelona, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Avinguda Diagonal, 647, Pl.2, 08028 Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

On the path towards the decarbonization of the electricity supply, flexibility and demand response have become key factors to enhance the integration of distributed energy resources, shifting the consumption from peak hours to off-peak hours, optimizing the grid usage and maximizing the share of renewables. Despite the technical viability of flexible services, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has not been proven. Traditionally, emissions are calculated on a yearly average timescale, not providing any information about peak hours’ environmental impact. Furthermore, peak-hours’ environmental impacts are not always greater than on the base load, depending on the resources used for those time periods. This paper formulates a general methodology to assess the potential environmental impact of peak-hourly generation profiles, through attributional life cycle assessment. This methodology was applied to five different countries under the INVADE H2020 Project. Evaluation results demonstrate that countries like Spain and Bulgaria could benefit from implementing demand response activities considering environmental aspects, enhancing potential greenhouse gas reductions by up to 21% in peak hours.

Suggested Citation

  • Ingrid Munné-Collado & Fabio Maria Aprà & Pol Olivella-Rosell & Roberto Villafáfila-Robles, 2019. "The Potential Role of Flexibility During Peak Hours on Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Life Cycle Assessment of Five Targeted National Electricity Grid Mixes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-22, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:23:p:4443-:d:289823
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/23/4443/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/23/4443/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Levin, Todd & Kwon, Jonghwan & Botterud, Audun, 2019. "The long-term impacts of carbon and variable renewable energy policies on electricity markets," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 53-71.
    2. Pol Olivella-Rosell & Pau Lloret-Gallego & Íngrid Munné-Collado & Roberto Villafafila-Robles & Andreas Sumper & Stig Ødegaard Ottessen & Jayaprakash Rajasekharan & Bernt A. Bremdal, 2018. "Local Flexibility Market Design for Aggregators Providing Multiple Flexibility Services at Distribution Network Level," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-19, April.
    3. Howard, B. & Waite, M. & Modi, V., 2017. "Current and near-term GHG emissions factors from electricity production for New York State and New York City," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 255-271.
    4. Messagie, Maarten & Mertens, Jan & Oliveira, Luis & Rangaraju, Surendraprabu & Sanfelix, Javier & Coosemans, Thierry & Van Mierlo, Joeri & Macharis, Cathy, 2014. "The hourly life cycle carbon footprint of electricity generation in Belgium, bringing a temporal resolution in life cycle assessment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 469-476.
    5. Kougias, Ioannis & Szabó, Sándor, 2017. "Pumped hydroelectric storage utilization assessment: Forerunner of renewable energy integration or Trojan horse?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 140(P1), pages 318-329.
    6. Child, Michael & Kemfert, Claudia & Bogdanov, Dmitrii & Breyer, Christian, 2019. "Flexible electricity generation, grid exchange and storage for the transition to a 100% renewable energy system in Europe," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 139, pages 80-101.
    7. Best, Rohan & Burke, Paul J., 2018. "Adoption of solar and wind energy: The roles of carbon pricing and aggregate policy support," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 404-417.
    8. Zhang, Ming & Liu, Xiao & Wang, Wenwen & Zhou, Min, 2013. "Decomposition analysis of CO2 emissions from electricity generation in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 159-165.
    9. Rangaraju, Surendraprabu & De Vroey, Laurent & Messagie, Maarten & Mertens, Jan & Van Mierlo, Joeri, 2015. "Impacts of electricity mix, charging profile, and driving behavior on the emissions performance of battery electric vehicles: A Belgian case study," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 496-505.
    10. Neves, Sónia Almeida & Marques, António Cardoso & Fuinhas, José Alberto, 2018. "On the drivers of peak electricity demand: What is the role played by battery electric cars?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 905-915.
    11. Gerbaulet, C. & von Hirschhausen, C. & Kemfert, C. & Lorenz, C. & Oei, P.-Y., 2019. "European electricity sector decarbonization under different levels of foresight," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 973-987.
    12. Hirth, Lion & Mühlenpfordt, Jonathan & Bulkeley, Marisa, 2018. "The ENTSO-E Transparency Platform – A review of Europe’s most ambitious electricity data platform," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 1054-1067.
    13. Sung Eun Kim & Joonseok Yang & Johannes Urpelainen, 2016. "Does Power Sector Deregulation Promote or Discourage Renewable Energy Policy? Evidence from the States, 1991–2012," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 33(1), pages 22-50, January.
    14. Garcia, Rita & Marques, Pedro & Freire, Fausto, 2014. "Life-cycle assessment of electricity in Portugal," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 563-572.
    15. Simoes, Sofia & Nijs, Wouter & Ruiz, Pablo & Sgobbi, Alessandra & Thiel, Christian, 2017. "Comparing policy routes for low-carbon power technology deployment in EU – an energy system analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 353-365.
    16. Soimakallio, Sampo & Kiviluoma, Juha & Saikku, Laura, 2011. "The complexity and challenges of determining GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions from grid electricity consumption and conservation in LCA (life cycle assessment) – A methodological review," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(12), pages 6705-6713.
    17. 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.
    18. Thomson, R. Camilla & Harrison, Gareth P. & Chick, John P., 2017. "Marginal greenhouse gas emissions displacement of wind power in Great Britain," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 201-210.
    19. Pattupara, Rajesh & Kannan, Ramachandran, 2016. "Alternative low-carbon electricity pathways in Switzerland and it’s neighbouring countries under a nuclear phase-out scenario," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 152-168.
    20. Hans-Werner Sinn, 2008. "Public policies against global warming: a supply side approach," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 15(4), pages 360-394, August.
    21. Jones, Christopher & Gilbert, Paul & Raugei, Marco & Mander, Sarah & Leccisi, Enrica, 2017. "An approach to prospective consequential life cycle assessment and net energy analysis of distributed electricity generation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 350-358.
    22. Nilsson, Anders & Lazarevic, David & Brandt, Nils & Kordas, Olga, 2018. "Household responsiveness to residential demand response strategies: Results and policy implications from a Swedish field study," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 273-286.
    23. Cubi, Eduard & Doluweera, Ganesh & Bergerson, Joule, 2015. "Incorporation of electricity GHG emissions intensity variability into building environmental assessment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 62-69.
    24. Deane, J.P. & Ó Gallachóir, B.P. & McKeogh, E.J., 2010. "Techno-economic review of existing and new pumped hydro energy storage plant," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(4), pages 1293-1302, May.
    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. Sam Hamels, 2021. "CO 2 Intensities and Primary Energy Factors in the Future European Electricity System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-30, April.
    2. Zacharopoulos, Leon & Thonemann, Nils & Dumeier, Marcel & Geldermann, Jutta, 2023. "Environmental optimization of the charge of battery electric vehicles," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 329(C).
    3. Anders Rhiger Hansen & Daniel Leiria & Hicham Johra & Anna Marszal-Pomianowska, 2022. "Who Produces the Peaks? Household Variation in Peak Energy Demand for Space Heating and Domestic Hot Water," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-23, December.
    4. Hamels, Sam & Himpe, Eline & Laverge, Jelle & Delghust, Marc & Van den Brande, Kjartan & Janssens, Arnold & Albrecht, Johan, 2021. "The use of primary energy factors and CO2 intensities for electricity in the European context - A systematic methodological review and critical evaluation of the contemporary literature," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    5. Dahlia Byles & Salman Mohagheghi, 2023. "Sustainable Power Grid Expansion: Life Cycle Assessment, Modeling Approaches, Challenges, and Opportunities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-25, May.
    6. Simone Orcioni & Massimo Conti, 2020. "EV Smart Charging with Advance Reservation Extension to the OCPP Standard," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-21, June.
    7. Simone Cornago & Yee Shee Tan & Carlo Brondi & Seeram Ramakrishna & Jonathan Sze Choong Low, 2022. "Systematic Literature Review on Dynamic Life Cycle Inventory: Towards Industry 4.0 Applications," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-22, May.
    8. Fleschutz, Markus & Bohlayer, Markus & Braun, Marco & Henze, Gregor & Murphy, Michael D., 2021. "The effect of price-based demand response on carbon emissions in European electricity markets: The importance of adequate carbon prices," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).

    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. Dahlia Byles & Salman Mohagheghi, 2023. "Sustainable Power Grid Expansion: Life Cycle Assessment, Modeling Approaches, Challenges, and Opportunities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-25, May.
    2. Ji, Ling & Liang, Sai & Qu, Shen & Zhang, Yanxia & Xu, Ming & Jia, Xiaoping & Jia, Yingtao & Niu, Dongxiao & Yuan, Jiahai & Hou, Yong & Wang, Haikun & Chiu, Anthony S.F. & Hu, Xiaojun, 2016. "Greenhouse gas emission factors of purchased electricity from interconnected grids," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 751-758.
    3. Fleschutz, Markus & Bohlayer, Markus & Braun, Marco & Henze, Gregor & Murphy, Michael D., 2021. "The effect of price-based demand response on carbon emissions in European electricity markets: The importance of adequate carbon prices," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).
    4. Ramirez, A.D. & Boero, A. & Rivela, B. & Melendres, A.M. & Espinoza, S. & Salas, D.A., 2020. "Life cycle methods to analyze the environmental sustainability of electricity generation in Ecuador: Is decarbonization the right path?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    5. Nils Seckinger & Peter Radgen, 2021. "Dynamic Prospective Average and Marginal GHG Emission Factors—Scenario-Based Method for the German Power System until 2050," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-22, April.
    6. Emblemsvåg, Jan, 2022. "Wind energy is not sustainable when balanced by fossil energy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    7. Luis Sarmiento & Thorsten Burandt & Konstantin Löffler & Pao-Yu Oei, 2019. "Analyzing Scenarios for the Integration of Renewable Energy Sources in the Mexican Energy System—An Application of the Global Energy System Model (GENeSYS-MOD)," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-24, August.
    8. Fortes, Patrícia & Simoes, Sofia G. & Gouveia, João Pedro & Seixas, Júlia, 2019. "Electricity, the silver bullet for the deep decarbonisation of the energy system? Cost-effectiveness analysis for Portugal," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(C), pages 292-303.
    9. Bartholdsen, Hans-Karl & Eidens, Anna & Löffler, Konstantin & Seehaus, Frederik & Wejda, Felix & Burandt, Thorsten & Oei, Pao-Yu & Kemfert, Claudia & Hirschhausen, Christian von, 2019. "Pathways for Germany's Low-Carbon Energy Transformation Towards 2050," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 12(15), pages 1-33.
    10. Song, Cuihong & Gardner, Kevin H. & Klein, Sharon J.W. & Souza, Simone Pereira & Mo, Weiwei, 2018. "Cradle-to-grave greenhouse gas emissions from dams in the United States of America," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 945-956.
    11. Kis, Zoltán & Pandya, Nikul & Koppelaar, Rembrandt H.E.M., 2018. "Electricity generation technologies: Comparison of materials use, energy return on investment, jobs creation and CO2 emissions reduction," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 144-157.
    12. Nils Hooftman & Luis Oliveira & Maarten Messagie & Thierry Coosemans & Joeri Van Mierlo, 2016. "Environmental Analysis of Petrol, Diesel and Electric Passenger Cars in a Belgian Urban Setting," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-24, January.
    13. Martínez-Jaramillo, Juan Esteban & van Ackere, Ann & Larsen, Erik R., 2020. "Towards a solar-hydro based generation: The case of Switzerland," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    14. Mahmud, M.A. Parvez & Huda, Nazmul & Farjana, Shahjadi Hisan & Lang, Candace, 2020. "Life-cycle impact assessment of renewable electricity generation systems in the United States," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 1028-1045.
    15. Hosseini, Seyed Mohsen & Kanagaraj, N. & Sadeghi, Shahrbanoo & Yousefi, Hossein, 2022. "Midpoint and endpoint impacts of electricity generation by renewable and nonrenewable technologies: A case study of Alberta, Canada," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 22-39.
    16. van Ouwerkerk, Jonas & Hainsch, Karlo & Candas, Soner & Muschner, Christoph & Buchholz, Stefanie & Günther, Stephan & Huyskens, Hendrik & Berendes, Sarah & Löffler, Konstantin & Bußar, Christian & Tar, 2022. "Comparing open source power system models - A case study focusing on fundamental modeling parameters for the German energy transition," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    17. Dallinger, Bettina & Schwabeneder, Daniel & Lettner, Georg & Auer, Hans, 2019. "Socio-economic benefit and profitability analyses of Austrian hydro storage power plants supporting increasing renewable electricity generation in Central Europe," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 482-496.
    18. Choi, Hyunhong & Shin, Jungwoo & Woo, JongRoul, 2018. "Effect of electricity generation mix on battery electric vehicle adoption and its environmental impact," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 13-24.
    19. Hooftman, Nils & Messagie, Maarten & Van Mierlo, Joeri & Coosemans, Thierry, 2018. "A review of the European passenger car regulations – Real driving emissions vs local air quality," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 1-21.
    20. Martínez-Jaramillo, Juan Esteban & van Ackere, Ann & Larsen, Erik, 2023. "Long term impacts of climate change on the transition towards renewables in Switzerland," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PE).

    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:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:23:p:4443-:d:289823. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.