Life cycle assessment of a renewable energy system with hydrogen-battery storage for a remote off-grid community

Gandiglio, Marta; Marocco, Paolo; Bianco, Isabella; Lovera, D.; Blengini, Gian Andrea; Santarelli, Massimo

doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.07.199

Cited by 47 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…High percentage increments sign a relatively low reference value as shown by Wu et al [ 46 ]. Minerals and metals use is the major affected category in each analyzed life cycle stage, except the transportation stage in accordance with the study of Gandiglio et al [ 38 ]. Climate change belongs to the most frequently analyzed impact categories, while abiotic resource depletion is one of the least investigated [ 47 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…Energy storage reduces the amount of electricity needed from the grid, which in European conditions, comes mainly from fossil sources [ 36 ]. An impact reduction recorded in several categories—namely climate change, LULUC climate change, acidification, all three eutrophication categories, photochemical ozone creation and use of fossil resources—supports the findings of Gandiglio et al [ 38 ] proving that RES reduce CO 2 emissions compared to the fossil-based energy sources and at the same time escalate the water consumption. A mismatch is observed in the freshwater eutrophication category, where they found an increase in impact.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

“…Emissions causing ozone depletion and use of water tend to rise across all of the studied life cycle stages resulting in the third and the second highest impact contribution in the overall score. The reason lies in the demanding photovoltaic panel production [ 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ] intensified by the given modeling approach, as the impact of the reference life cycle in the B6 stage gives credit to the use of photovoltaic energy exported to the grid. Therefore, the impact of storage is burdened by the photovoltaic panel production impact [ 27 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lithium together with cobalt, nickel and manganese, essential elements of battery systems, are regarded as critical raw materials [ 43 ] and play an important role in electronic devices manufacturing. An increased environmental impact related to the production of components of photovoltaic systems was proved by several authors [ 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Environmental Impacts of Photovoltaic Energy Storage in a Nearly Zero Energy Building Life Cycle

Vaňová

Němec²

2022

Materials

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Climate change, the economic crisis and the current geopolitical situation are the biggest challenges of today. They participate to a fundamental extent in the creation of international policies. Renewable energy sources are thus gaining worldwide popularity. The paper deals with the assessment of the impact of four selected stages of the life cycle of a NZEB building on the environment in 13 impact categories. The analysis is performed in accordance with the LCA method using the attributional modeling approach. The results show the partial and total shift of impacts on the environment of photovoltaic energy storage in comparison with photovoltaic energy export across the building life cycle. Along the climate change impact reduction as a positive effect on the environment, a substantial impact increase is observed on the depletion of abiotic resources. Results also show the total environmental impact of the building life cycle, considering the use of stored energy in a lithium-based battery as being beneficial in most categories despite the relatively high impact increment in the stage of replacement.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Environmental Impacts of Photovoltaic Energy Storage in a Nearly Zero Energy Building Life Cycle

Vaňová

Němec²

2022

Materials

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“…Sun et al 4 dynamically simulated off‐grid zero energy buildings integrated with hydrogen storage considering the Fanger model thermal comfort. Gandiglio et al 5 performed a comprehensive LCA study for a renewable‐powered energy system integrated with the combination of hydrogen and battery energy storage for a remote off‐grid community. Babatunde et al 6 researched the effect of sun tracking technologies on the off‐grid hybrid photovoltaic (PV) and micro wind turbine energy system integrated with hydrogen and battery storage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and comparative evaluation of integrated solar‐driven off‐grid energy systems with hydrogen production and storage options for sustainable buildings

Erdemir

Dinçer

2023

Energy Storage

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This study presents the development of a new solar energy‐based integrated system where hydrogen production, storage, and power generation and heat storage subsystems are designed in a combined manner to meet the energy demands of multiple buildings in a community. It is also comprehensively analyzed and assessed under various criteria comparatively. A comprehensive study is established for a community with 80 156 residential buildings in Southern Ontario, Canada. Solar‐driven three different cases are investigated, which cover (i) solar energy and grid‐assisted, (ii) solar energy‐driven system integrated with hydrogen subsystems, and (iii) solar‐driven system integrated with hydrogen subsystems and heat storage for both heating and cooling purposes. The studied cases are assessed over the energy and exergy efficiencies. The results of this study indicate that it is possible to achieve solar‐driven and off‐grid operating conditions with hydrogen and heat storage systems. Only about 15% of the energy demand can be met by solar energy without any energy storage options (Case 1). Case 2 shows that it can be achieved off‐grid solar energy system with 1100 MWp of solar power plant capacity with the integration of hydrogen as an energy storage option. In the case of using hydrogen and heat storage together, off‐grid operating conditions can be reached with 750 MWp of power plant capacity. The heat storage integration helps reduce the capacity of the photovoltaic power plant by 32%. Furthermore, hydrogen and heat storage options are needed to cover both cooling and heating demands simultaneously to provide sustainable buildings.

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Life cycle assessment of hydrogen production, storage, and utilization toward sustainability

Osman,

Nasr,

Mohamed

et al. 2024

WIREs Energy & Environment

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In the pursuit of sustainable energy solutions, hydrogen emerges as a promising candidate for decarbonization. The United States has the potential to sell wind energy at a record‐low price of 2.5 cents/kWh, making hydrogen production electricity up to four times cheaper than natural gas. Hydrogen's appeal stems from its highly exothermic reaction with oxygen, producing only water as a byproduct. With an energy content equivalent to 2.4 kg of methane or 2.8 kg of gasoline per kilogram, hydrogen boasts a superior energy‐to‐weight ratio compared to fossil fuels. However, its energy‐to‐volume ratio, exemplified by liquid hydrogen's 8.5 MJ.L−1 versus gasoline's 32.6 MJ.L−1, presents a challenge, requiring a larger volume for equivalent energy. In addition, this review employs life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate hydrogen's full life cycle, including production, storage, and utilization. Through an examination of LCA methodologies and principles, the review underscores its importance in measuring hydrogen's environmental sustainability and energy consumption. Key findings reveal diverse hydrogen production pathways, such as blue, green, and purple hydrogen, offering a nuanced understanding of their life cycle inventories. The impact assessment of hydrogen production is explored, supported by case studies illustrating environmental implications. Comparative LCA analysis across different pathways provides crucial insights for decision‐making, shaping environmental and sustainability considerations. Ultimately, the review emphasizes LCA's pivotal role in guiding the hydrogen economy toward a low‐carbon future, positioning hydrogen as a versatile energy carrier with significant potential.This article is categorized under: Emerging Technologies > Hydrogen and Fuel Cells

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Life cycle assessment of a renewable energy system with hydrogen-battery storage for a remote off-grid community

Cited by 47 publications

References 27 publications

Environmental Impacts of Photovoltaic Energy Storage in a Nearly Zero Energy Building Life Cycle

Environmental Impacts of Photovoltaic Energy Storage in a Nearly Zero Energy Building Life Cycle

Development and comparative evaluation of integrated solar‐driven off‐grid energy systems with hydrogen production and storage options for sustainable buildings

Life cycle assessment of hydrogen production, storage, and utilization toward sustainability

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