IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v13y2020i11p2684-d363116.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exergetic Life Cycle Assessment: A Review

Author

Listed:
  • Martin N. Nwodo

    (College of Design, Construction and Planning, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA)

  • Chimay J. Anumba

    (College of Design, Construction and Planning, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA)

Abstract

Exergy is important and relevant in many areas of study such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), sustainability, energy systems, and the built environment. With the growing interest in the study of LCA due to the awareness of global environmental impacts, studies have been conducted on exergetic life cycle assessment for resource accounting. The aim of this paper is to review existing studies on exergetic life cycle assessment to investigate the state-of-the-art and identify the benefits and opportunity for improvement. The methodology used entailed an in-depth literature review, which involved an analysis of journal articles collected through a search of databases such as Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The selected articles were reviewed and analyzed, and the findings are presented in this paper. The following key conclusions were reached: (a) exergy-based methods provide an improved measure of sustainability, (b) there is an opportunity for a more comprehensive approach to exergetic life cycle assessment that includes life cycle emission, (c) a new terminology is required to describe the combination of exergy of life cycle resource use and exergy of life cycle emissions, and (d) improved exergetic life cycle assessment has the potential to solve characterization and valuation problems in the LCA methodology.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin N. Nwodo & Chimay J. Anumba, 2020. "Exergetic Life Cycle Assessment: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-19, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:11:p:2684-:d:363116
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/11/2684/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/11/2684/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Costa, Márcio Macedo & Schaeffer, Roberto & Worrell, Ernst, 2001. "Exergy accounting of energy and materials flows in steel production systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 363-384.
    2. Szargut, J. & Stanek, W., 2007. "Thermo-ecological optimization of a solar collector," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 584-590.
    3. Aneurin Grant & Robert Ries & Charles Kibert, 2014. "Life Cycle Assessment and Service Life Prediction," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 18(2), pages 187-200, April.
    4. Rocco, Matteo V. & Di Lucchio, Alberto & Colombo, Emanuela, 2017. "Exergy Life Cycle Assessment of electricity production from Waste-to-Energy technology: A Hybrid Input-Output approach," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 832-844.
    5. Enrico Sciubba, 2004. "From Engineering Economics to Extended Exergy Accounting: A Possible Path from Monetary to Resource‐Based Costing," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 8(4), pages 19-40, October.
    6. Meggers, Forrest & Ritter, Volker & Goffin, Philippe & Baetschmann, Marc & Leibundgut, Hansjürg, 2012. "Low exergy building systems implementation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 48-55.
    7. Meyer, Lutz & Tsatsaronis, George & Buchgeister, Jens & Schebek, Liselotte, 2009. "Exergoenvironmental analysis for evaluation of the environmental impact of energy conversion systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 75-89.
    8. Ukidwe, Nandan U. & Bakshi, Bhavik R., 2007. "Industrial and ecological cumulative exergy consumption of the United States via the 1997 input–output benchmark model," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 32(9), pages 1560-1592.
    9. Simpson, Adam P. & Edwards, Chris F., 2011. "An exergy-based framework for evaluating environmental impact," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 1442-1459.
    10. Favrat, D. & Marechal, F. & Epelly, O., 2008. "The challenge of introducing an exergy indicator in a local law on energy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 130-136.
    11. I. Dincer & T.A.H. Ratlamwala, 2013. "Importance of exergy for analysis, improvement, design, and assessment," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 2(3), pages 335-349, May.
    12. Zhang, Qi & Gao, Jintong & Wang, Yujie & Wang, Lin & Yu, Zaihai & Song, Dayong, 2019. "Exergy-based analysis combined with LCA for waste heat recovery in coal-fired CHP plants," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 247-262.
    13. Li, Qiao & Song, Guohui & Xiao, Jun & Hao, Jingwen & Li, Haiyan & Yuan, Yanyan, 2020. "Exergetic life cycle assessment of hydrogen production from biomass staged-gasification," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    14. Abd Rashid, Ahmad Faiz & Yusoff, Sumiani, 2015. "A review of life cycle assessment method for building industry," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 244-248.
    15. Szargut, Jan, 1980. "International progress in second law analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 5(8), pages 709-718.
    16. Bastianoni, S. & Facchini, A. & Susani, L. & Tiezzi, E., 2007. "Emergy as a function of exergy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 32(7), pages 1158-1162.
    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. Luca Ciacci & Fabrizio Passarini, 2020. "Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Environmental and Energy Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-8, November.
    2. Martin Nwodo & Chimay J. Anumba, 2021. "Exergy-Based Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings: Case Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-15, October.
    3. Colarossi, Daniele & Tagliolini, Eleonora & Amato, Alessia & Principi, Paolo, 2022. "Life cycle assessment and circularity evaluation of a PV panel integrated with phase change material," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 201(P2), pages 150-156.

    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. Rocco, M.V. & Colombo, E. & Sciubba, E., 2014. "Advances in exergy analysis: a novel assessment of the Extended Exergy Accounting method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1405-1420.
    2. Rocco, Matteo V. & Di Lucchio, Alberto & Colombo, Emanuela, 2017. "Exergy Life Cycle Assessment of electricity production from Waste-to-Energy technology: A Hybrid Input-Output approach," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 832-844.
    3. Abedin, Ali Haji & Rosen, Marc A., 2012. "Assessment of a closed thermochemical energy storage using energy and exergy methods," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 18-23.
    4. Catrini, P. & Cellura, M. & Guarino, F. & Panno, D. & Piacentino, A., 2018. "An integrated approach based on Life Cycle Assessment and Thermoeconomics: Application to a water-cooled chiller for an air conditioning plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 72-86.
    5. Colombo, Emanuela & Rocco, Matteo V. & Toro, Claudia & Sciubba, Enrico, 2015. "An exergy-based approach to the joint economic and environmental impact assessment of possible photovoltaic scenarios: A case study at a regional level in Italy," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 318(C), pages 64-74.
    6. Ren, Siyue & Feng, Xiao & Wang, Yufei, 2021. "Emergy evaluation of the integrated gasification combined cycle power generation systems with a carbon capture system," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    7. Diaz-Mendez, S.E. & Sierra-Grajeda, J.M.T. & Hernandez-Guerrero, A. & Rodriguez-Lelis, J.M., 2013. "Entropy generation as an environmental impact indicator and a sample application to freshwater ecosystems eutrophication," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 234-239.
    8. Aghbashlo, Mortaza & Khounani, Zahra & Hosseinzadeh-Bandbafha, Homa & Gupta, Vijai Kumar & Amiri, Hamid & Lam, Su Shiung & Morosuk, Tatiana & Tabatabaei, Meisam, 2021. "Exergoenvironmental analysis of bioenergy systems: A comprehensive review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    9. Jadhao, Sachin B. & Pandit, Aniruddha B. & Bakshi, Bhavik R., 2017. "The evolving metabolism of a developing economy: India’s exergy flows over four decades," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 851-857.
    10. Frangopoulos, Christos A., 2018. "Recent developments and trends in optimization of energy systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 1011-1020.
    11. Torío, H. & Schmidt, D., 2010. "Framework for analysis of solar energy systems in the built environment from an exergy perspective," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 2689-2697.
    12. Valero, Antonio & Usón, Sergio & Torres, César & Valero, Alicia & Agudelo, Andrés & Costa, Jorge, 2013. "Thermoeconomic tools for the analysis of eco-industrial parks," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 62-72.
    13. Zhuang, Mufan & Gao, Ziyan & Geng, Yong & Xiao, Shijiang, 2022. "Spatial distribution pattern of embodied natural resources use in China and its relationship with socioeconomic development: From an exergetic perspective," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    14. van Donkelaar, Laura H.G. & Mostert, Joost & Zisopoulos, Filippos K. & Boom, Remko M. & van der Goot, Atze-Jan, 2016. "The use of enzymes for beer brewing: Thermodynamic comparison on resource use," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 115(P1), pages 519-527.
    15. Wu, Junnian & Pu, Guangying & Guo, Yan & Lv, Jingwen & Shang, Jiangwei, 2018. "Retrospective and prospective assessment of exergy, life cycle carbon emissions, and water footprint for coking network evolution in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 218(C), pages 479-493.
    16. Seckin, C. & Sciubba, E. & Bayulken, A.R., 2012. "An application of the extended exergy accounting method to the Turkish society, year 2006," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 151-163.
    17. Wu, Junnian & Wang, Ruiqi & Pu, Guangying & Qi, Hang, 2016. "Integrated assessment of exergy, energy and carbon dioxide emissions in an iron and steel industrial network," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 430-444.
    18. Sobhy Khedr & Melchiorre Casisi & Mauro Reini, 2022. "The Thermoeconomic Environment Cost Indicator (i ex-TEE ) as a One-Dimensional Measure of Resource Sustainability," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-14, March.
    19. Khoshgoftar Manesh, Mohammad Hasan & Hajizadeh Aghdam, Meysam & Vazini Modabber, Hossein & Ghasemi, Amir & Khajeh Talkhoncheh, Mahdi, 2022. "Techno-economic, environmental and emergy analysis and optimization of integrated solar parabolic trough collector and multi effect distillation systems with a combined cycle power plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    20. Banerjee, A. & Tierney, M., 2011. "Comparison of five exergoenvironmental methods applied to candidate energy systems for rural villages in developing countries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 2650-2661.

    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:13:y:2020:i:11:p:2684-:d:363116. 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.