IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2024i1p84-d1553838.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Application of Life Cycle Assessment to Policy Environmental Impact Assessment—A Clean Energy Action Plan Case Study in Qinghai Region

Author

Listed:
  • Yuan Li

    (Environmental Development Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100029, China)

  • Paul P. J. Gaffney

    (Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China)

  • Fang Zhao

    (Environmental Development Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100029, China)

  • Xiangbo Xu

    (Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China)

  • Mingbo Zhang

    (Environmental Development Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100029, China)

Abstract

Due to significant political and environmental decisions regarding clean energy, rapid adoption of solar photovoltaic (PV), wind power, and hydropower is taking place. In China, policy environmental impact assessment (EIA) plays an important role in pollution prevention, while its practice is relatively limited due to insufficient methodologies and weak legislative enforcement. Taking the clean energy action plan (CEAP) in the Qinghai region as a case study, this study explored the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts imposed by the installment capability of 70,000 MW solar PV in pristine areas. It was found that the CO 2 emissions of solar PV are less than 3% of that of clean coal-fired power, while the emissions of pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter only account for about 18~27% of coal-fired power. Meanwhile, from the full life cycle perspective, 4.61 million tons of solar PV panel waste will be generated, and 4172 square kilometers of land surface area will be occupied. Herein, implications for policy are proposed, including (1) advance planning of local waste disposal capacity and processing facilities, (2) the integration of clean energy planning with legal ecological environment protection schemes, and (3) rational planning of upstream and downstream solar PV industries.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuan Li & Paul P. J. Gaffney & Fang Zhao & Xiangbo Xu & Mingbo Zhang, 2024. "Application of Life Cycle Assessment to Policy Environmental Impact Assessment—A Clean Energy Action Plan Case Study in Qinghai Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-21, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2024:i:1:p:84-:d:1553838
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/1/84/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/1/84/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hamad Hussain Shah & Piero Bareschino & Erasmo Mancusi & Francesco Pepe, 2023. "Environmental Life Cycle Analysis and Energy Payback Period Evaluation of Solar PV Systems: The Case of Pakistan," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-24, September.
    2. Wang, Jinman & Wang, Ruogu & Zhu, Yucheng & Li, Jiayan, 2018. "Life cycle assessment and environmental cost accounting of coal-fired power generation in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 374-384.
    3. Majewski, Peter & Al-shammari, Weam & Dudley, Michael & Jit, Joytishna & Lee, Sang-Heon & Myoung-Kug, Kim & Sung-Jim, Kim, 2021. "Recycling of solar PV panels- product stewardship and regulatory approaches," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    4. Liu, Feng & van den Bergh, Jeroen C.J.M., 2020. "Differences in CO2 emissions of solar PV production among technologies and regions: Application to China, EU and USA," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    5. Mladen Bošnjaković & Mato Galović & Jasmin Kuprešak & Tomislav Bošnjaković, 2023. "The End of Life of PV Systems: Is Europe Ready for It?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-22, November.
    6. Su, Xing & Xu, Zehan & Tian, Shaochen & Chen, Chaoyang & Huang, Yixiang & Geng, Yining & Chen, Junfeng, 2023. "Life cycle assessment of three typical solar energy utilization systems in different regions of China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(C).
    7. 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.
    8. Mondal, Rakesh & Roy, Surajit Kr & Giri, Chandan, 2024. "Solar power forecasting using domain knowledge," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 302(C).
    9. Idroes, Ghalieb Mutig & Hardi, Irsan & Hilal, Iin Shabrina & Utami, Resty Tamara & Noviandy, Teuku Rizky & Idroes, Rinaldi, 2024. "Economic growth and environmental impact: Assessing the role of geothermal energy in developing and developed countries," Innovation and Green Development, Elsevier, vol. 3(3).
    10. Atif Ali & Theodore W. Koch & Timothy A. Volk & Robert W. Malmsheimer & Mark H. Eisenbies & Danielle Kloster & Tristan R. Brown & Nehan Naim & Obste Therasme, 2022. "The Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Electricity Production in New York State from Distributed Solar Photovoltaic Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-20, October.
    11. Guo, Xiaopeng & Dong, Yining & Ren, Dongfang, 2023. "CO2 emission reduction effect of photovoltaic industry through 2060 in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. 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).
    2. Wang, Lunche & Qiu, Tianzhi & Zhang, Ming & Cao, Qian & Qin, Wenmin & Wang, Shaoqiang & Wang, Lizhe & Chen, Deliang & Wild, Martin, 2024. "Carbon emissions and reduction performance of photovoltaic systems in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    3. Giambattista Guidi & Anna Carmela Violante & Simona De Iuliis, 2023. "Environmental Impact of Electricity Generation Technologies: A Comparison between Conventional, Nuclear, and Renewable Technologies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-33, November.
    4. Mladen Bošnjaković & Robert Santa & Zoran Crnac & Tomislav Bošnjaković, 2023. "Environmental Impact of PV Power Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-26, August.
    5. Andreas von Döllen & YoungSeok Hwang & Stephan Schlüter, 2021. "The Future Is Colorful—An Analysis of the CO 2 Bow Wave and Why Green Hydrogen Cannot Do It Alone," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-20, September.
    6. Krexner, T. & Bauer, A. & Gronauer, A. & Mikovits, C. & Schmidt, J. & Kral, I., 2024. "Environmental life cycle assessment of a stilted and vertical bifacial crop-based agrivoltaic multi land-use system and comparison with a mono land-use of agricultural land," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    7. Liu, Feng & van den Bergh, Jeroen & Wei, Yihang, 2024. "Testing mechanisms through which China's ETS promotes a low-carbon transition," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    8. Xiaonan Wang & Licheng Wang & Jianping Chen & Shouting Zhang & Paolo Tarolli, 2020. "Assessment of the External Costs of Life Cycle of Coal: The Case Study of Southwestern China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-26, August.
    9. Hui Fang Yu & Md. Hasanuzzaman & Nasrudin Abd Rahim & Norridah Amin & Noriah Nor Adzman, 2022. "Global Challenges and Prospects of Photovoltaic Materials Disposal and Recycling: A Comprehensive Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-41, July.
    10. Zheqi Yang & Xuming Dou & Yuqing Jiang & Pengfei Luo & Yu Ding & Baosheng Zhang & Xu Tang, 2022. "Tracking the CO 2 Emissions of China’s Coal Production via Global Supply Chains," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-10, August.
    11. Xue, Jian & Guo, Na & Zhao, Laijun & Zhu, Di & Ji, Xiaoqin, 2020. "A cooperative inter-provincial model for energy conservation based on futures trading," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    12. Ludin, Norasikin Ahmad & Mustafa, Nur Ifthitah & Hanafiah, Marlia M. & Ibrahim, Mohd Adib & Asri Mat Teridi, Mohd & Sepeai, Suhaila & Zaharim, Azami & Sopian, Kamaruzzaman, 2018. "Prospects of life cycle assessment of renewable energy from solar photovoltaic technologies: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 11-28.
    13. Zhang, Xiaoyue & Huang, Guohe & Liu, Lirong & Li, Kailong, 2022. "Development of a stochastic multistage lifecycle programming model for electric power system planning – A case study for the Province of Saskatchewan, Canada," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    14. Yishu, Li, 2019. "A photovoltaic ecosystem: improving atmospheric environment and fighting regional poverty," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 69-79.
    15. 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).
    16. Qi, Xiaoyan & Yao, Xilong & Guo, Pibin & Han, Yunfei & Liu, Lin, 2024. "Applying life cycle assessment to investigate the environmental impacts of a PV–CSP hybrid system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    17. Gao, Chengkang & Zhu, Sulong & An, Nan & Na, Hongming & You, Huan & Gao, Chengbo, 2021. "Comprehensive comparison of multiple renewable power generation methods: A combination analysis of life cycle assessment and ecological footprint," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    18. Krebs-Moberg, Miles & Pitz, Mandy & Dorsette, Tiara L. & Gheewala, Shabbir H., 2021. "Third generation of photovoltaic panels: A life cycle assessment," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 556-565.
    19. D'Agostino, D. & Minelli, F. & D'Urso, M. & Minichiello, F., 2022. "Fixed and tracking PV systems for Net Zero Energy Buildings: Comparison between yearly and monthly energy balance," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 809-824.
    20. Bonou, Alexandra & Laurent, Alexis & Olsen, Stig I., 2016. "Life cycle assessment of onshore and offshore wind energy-from theory to application," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 327-337.

    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:jsusta:v:17:y:2024:i:1:p:84-:d:1553838. 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.