Life Cycle Assessment of Solar Photovoltaic Microgrid Systems in Off-Grid Communities

Bilich, Andrew; Langham, Kevin; Geyer, Roland; Goyal, Love; Hansen, James Gerald; Krishnan, Anjana; Bergesen, Joseph D.; Sinha, Parikhit

doi:10.1021/acs.est.6b05455

Cited by 67 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…Perhaps due to the complexity of these questions, microgrids have been the subject of relatively few studies on lifecycle emissions, focused largely on solar-powered remote microgrids [19][20][21][22]. These studies generally conclude that such microgrids "cause significantly less climate change impacts compared to other electricity generation technologies" [19].…”

Section: Flexibility and Decarbonizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Emerging Potential of Microgrids in the Transition to 100% Renewable Energy Systems

et al. 2021

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International, national, and subnational laws and policies call for rapidly decarbonizing energy systems around the globe. This effort relies heavily on renewable electricity and calls for a transition that is: (i) flexible enough to accommodate existing and new electricity end uses and users; (ii) resilient in response to climate change and other threats to electricity infrastructure; (iii) cost-effective in comparison to alternatives; and (iv) just in the face of energy systems that are often the result of—or the cause of—procedural, distributive, and historical injustices. Acknowledging the intertwined roles of technology and policy, this work provides a cross-disciplinary review of how microgrids may contribute to renewable electricity systems that are flexible, resilient, cost-effective, and just (including illustrative examples from Korea, California, New York, the European Union, and elsewhere). Following this review of generalized microgrid characteristics, we more closely examine the role and potential of microgrids in two United States jurisdictions that have adopted 100% renewable electricity standards (Hawai‘i and Puerto Rico), and which are actively developing regulatory regimes putatively designed to enable renewable microgrids. Collectively, this review shows that although microgrids have the potential to support the transition to 100% renewable electricity in a variety of ways, the emerging policy structures require substantial further development to operationalize that potential. We conclude that unresolved fundamental policy tensions arise from justice considerations, such as how to distribute the benefits and burdens of microgrid infrastructure, rather than from technical questions about microgrid topologies and operating characteristics. Nonetheless, technical and quantitative future research will be necessary to assist regulators as they develop microgrid policies. In particular, there is a need to develop socio–techno–economic analyses of cost-effectiveness, which consider a broad range of potential benefits and costs.

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Section: Flexibility and Decarbonizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Emerging Potential of Microgrids in the Transition to 100% Renewable Energy Systems

et al. 2021

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“…Earlier studies by Alsema [33], Bankier and Gale [34] estimate the embodied energy for mc-Si module comprising frame, supports and inverter as 5400 MJ/m2; 6900 MJ/m2 for Sc-Si; and 2400 MJ/m2 for Thin Film. Much of this embodied energy is primarily traceable to production of the manganese, cobalt and copper contained in the PV battery [35].…”

Section: Photovoltaic System and Ghg Emissionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Transition: Embodied Energy in Clean Technologies and the Need for International Regulatory Proactivity

Abraham-Dukuma

2019

WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment

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The present study is an observation of the absence of policy focus and preparedness to address the greenhouse footprints and eventual climate change implications of some clean energy systems in the energy transition debate. Electric vehicles, wind turbines and photovoltaics constitute sample clean technologies under the study. A technical literature review is the approach for forming an appreciable understanding of the life cycle emissions of the sample clean energy technologies. Content and critical legal analysis are adopted for the examination of international and domestic legal regimes on clean energy sources, with India, China, the United States and the United Kingdom as domestic foci. The results of the study are the reality of supposed clean energy technologies as sources of greenhouse gas emissions, although considerably low compared to fossil fuel sources, and the apparent lack of international and domestic legal mechanisms to address the life cycle emissions of these technologies and the need for proactive policy actions.

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“…However, with the rapid development of new energy vehicles and large scale energy storage for the exploration and utilization of renewable energy such as solar and wind, the actual energy density of traditional LiBs is unable to meet the requirements. Therefore, the development of new battery systems with higher energy density is the focus of current research [2,[8][9][10]. Since it was demonstrated that lithium peroxide (Li 2 O 2 ) can be reversibly formed and decomposed in non-aqueous system electrolytes by Bruce et al [11] in 2006, the non-aqueous system of lithium-oxygen (Li-O 2 ) battery has received extensive attention due to its high theoretical energy density of 3505 W h kg −1 [12,13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

RuO2 nanoparticles supported on Ni and N co-doped carbon nanotubes as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst of lithium-oxygen battery

et al. 2021

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Li 2 O 2 , as the discharge product of Li-O 2 batteries on cathode, is difficult to be electrochemically decomposed, which will lead to short cycling lifespan of the batteries. In this study, the cycling lifespan of Li-O 2 battery was prolonged significantly by an efficient bifunctional catalyst. The Ni and N co-doped carbon nanotubes (NiNCs) were synthesized firstly, and then RuO 2 nanoparticles were deposited on NiNCs by a hydrothermal route to synthesize RuO 2 /NiNC catalysts. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction characterizations demonstrated that part of metallic Ni was converted into NiO and Ni(OH) 2 after loading RuO 2 , and the existence of NiO layer can prevent further oxidation of metallic Ni. The Li-O 2 battery with RuO 2 /NiNC as the cathode catalyst exhibits an overpotential of 0.43 V, which is much lower than the value of 1.03 V measured with the Li-O 2 battery using NiNC as the cathode catalyst. At a rate of 200 mA g −1 , the Li-O 2 battery with the RuO 2 /NiNC cathode can maintain a reversible capacity of 500 mA h g −1 for 260 cycles, and 117 cycles with a higher reversible capacity of 1000 mA h g −1 . The superior property of the RuO 2 /NiNC bifunctional catalyst could be ascribed to the high activity of RuO 2 and the rich carbon nanotube structure of NiNC for deposition and decomposition of Li 2 O 2 .

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Life Cycle Assessment of Solar Photovoltaic Microgrid Systems in Off-Grid Communities

Cited by 67 publications

References 50 publications

The Emerging Potential of Microgrids in the Transition to 100% Renewable Energy Systems

The Emerging Potential of Microgrids in the Transition to 100% Renewable Energy Systems

Energy Transition: Embodied Energy in Clean Technologies and the Need for International Regulatory Proactivity

RuO2 nanoparticles supported on Ni and N co-doped carbon nanotubes as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst of lithium-oxygen battery

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