Comparative study of heat pump system and biomass boiler system to a tertiary building using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Miralles, José Adolfo Lozano; García, Rafael López; Carnicero, José Manuel Palomar; Martı́nez, Francisco Javier Rey

doi:10.1016/j.renene.2019.12.148

Cited by 26 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Still, the evaluation of socio-economic and environmental impacts of bio-based innovations are frequently applied in the fields of bioenergy, biomaterials, biochemicals and the food sector. Applications of bio-based innovations are various and comprise biomass-based energy ( Van Dam et al, 2010 ; de la Rúa and Lechón 2016 ; He et al, 2016 ; Perrin et al, 2017 ; Weik et al, 2019 ; Lozano Miralles et al, 2020 ; Auer and Rauch 2021 . ), biofuels ( De Carvalho et al, 2016 ; Ji and Long 2016 ; Lechón et al, 2019 ; Jeswani et al, 2020 ; Wang et al, 2020 ) and biomass-based materials and chemicals ( Valente et al, 2018 ; Ruiz Pachón et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental and socio-economic impacts of new plant breeding technologies: A case study of root chicory for inulin production

Hingsamer

Kulmer

Roode³

et al. 2022

Front. Genome Ed.

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In Europe, root chicory and other plants are cultivated for their prebiotic food fiber, inulin, which boosts the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and stimulates the human immune system. CHIC, a H2020 project, develops new chicory variants which produce more and reported to be healthier inulin as well as medicinal terpenes. This paper presents an environmental and socio-economic assessment of the whole value chain of the new chicory variants and their derived products using a case study based in the Netherlands. Two scenarios based on new chicory variants using new plant breeding technologies (NPBT) are analyzed and impacts thereof are compared to the reference scenario; the current commercial inulin process from conventional chicory. Both scenarios show higher inulin content, but the inulin adsorption process differs. While one aims to optimize inulin yield, the other one explores the potential of a multipurpose use, yielding inulin and health beneficial terpenes. Methodologically, we employ multi-regional input-output (MRIO) analysis to estimate additional economic benefits, added value and job creation, while by means of life cycle assessment (LCA) effects on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and primary energy demand are derived. Both methods, MRIO and LCA, are well suited to analyze the raised issues and draw on the same data. Generally, the results highlight the importance of inulin production at a national and EU-level in the reference scenario. In case of the two scenarios, we find that the related socio-economic impacts are much higher than in the reference scenario and thus highlight their ability to boost economic activity and increase competiveness of the EU, i.e. over 80% of the generated value added stays in the EU. In terms of environmental impacts, the two scenarios show lower GHG emissions and primary energy demand due to the higher efficiencies of the process in the scenarios compared to the reference inulin process. Additionally, regarding the goal of climate neutral production, we find that the majority of GHG emissions stem from the electricity mix and natural gas demand. Replacing these sources of energy with more renewable ones will contribute to this goal.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental and socio-economic impacts of new plant breeding technologies: A case study of root chicory for inulin production

Hingsamer

Kulmer

Roode³

et al. 2022

Front. Genome Ed.

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“…When it comes to particulate matter, for instance, biomass-based heat can be a controversial alternative to fossil gas scenarios [12]. Biomass boilers can even be a better route towards decarbonization compared to heat pumps, but show a significant increase in some other impacts, according to [13,14]. However, when comparing heat from an individual biomass-fueled boiler to that from a biomass-based DHS, it is still preferable to avoid combustion in each individual housing unit in terms of particulate emissions [1,[12][13][14][15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life Cycle Assessment of District Heating Systems in Europe: Case Study and Recommendations

Jeandaux¹,

Videau²,

Prieur‐Vernat³

2021

Sustainability

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District heating systems are a way to integrate renewable energies into the heating sector, with the primary aim of decarbonizing this final use. In such systems, renewable energy sources are centrally managed with cutting-edge technological equipment, efficient maintenance rates and service guarantees. Both the decarbonization effect and the centralization lead to environmental benefits, which can go beyond the climate change indicator. In this study, life cycle assessment was used to assess the environmental sustainability of district heating solutions compared to standalones. The study aimed to examine a diverse set of options for large-scale district heating systems across Europe and to compare them to different standalone solutions. Eight technologies (five district-level and three standalone solutions) were analyzed in two densities of habitats and four areas of Europe. This study aimed to understand the drivers of district heating environmental performance and to provide guidelines for accounting said performance. The analysis showed better performance for district heating scenarios compared to isotechnology standalones for every environmental impact category: the climate change impact category were reduced from 5 to 90%, while respiratory inorganics were reduced from 45 to 64%, depending on the considered climatic area. This statement was true under key parameters, both technical and methodological—efficiencies and complement rates, but also the neutral carbon principle for biomass energy accounting and allocation rules.

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“…They determined that the operating cost savings of the heat pump did not compensate the large installation costs in an acceptable period, moreover the CO2 emission level were larger than biomass boilers. In [11], heat pumps and biomass boilers were analyzed in terms of LCA, in order to compare these generation systems with the other available for tertiary buildings. Biomass boilers and other devices supplied by fossil fuels were compared in [12], whereas the limitations of air-water heat pumps in cold climate was deeply investigated in [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The choice of appropriate generator systems to enhance the renewable energy share in buildings. A comparison between PV-assisted heat pumps and biomass boilers

et al. 2021

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Low-energy buildings are generally equipped with generation systems driven by renewable sources. Regarding heating and DHW production, two choices appear appropriate: PV assisted heat pumps and biomass boilers. In this paper, by means of TRNSYS dynamic simulations, the non-renewable primary energy was determined for two buildings located in different climatic contexts by varying the PV size to consider the actual self-consumed electricity of commercial devices. Results showed that in cold climates biomass boilers are more suggested, especially in unfavourable climatic zones, whereas the COP of air-water heat pumps is strongly penalized by the outdoor temperatures and in many cases the self-consumed PV electricity does not limit the grid intervention adequately. However, in building with limited thermal energy demands and in favorable climates, suitable PV sizes make heat pumps more performant than biomass boilers. The same calculations were conducted with the quasi-steady approach, in accordance with the Italian building energy certification procedure, observing a favorable scenario in a heating plant equipped with a PV assisted heat pump because it assumes the renewable electricity entirely absorbed, while the accounting of the actual self-consumed share produces a greater demand of non-renewable energy.

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Comparative study of heat pump system and biomass boiler system to a tertiary building using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Cited by 26 publications

References 8 publications

Environmental and socio-economic impacts of new plant breeding technologies: A case study of root chicory for inulin production

Environmental and socio-economic impacts of new plant breeding technologies: A case study of root chicory for inulin production

Life Cycle Assessment of District Heating Systems in Europe: Case Study and Recommendations

The choice of appropriate generator systems to enhance the renewable energy share in buildings. A comparison between PV-assisted heat pumps and biomass boilers

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