Life Cycle Assessment of Modern Wind Power Plants

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannes M. Hapke ◽  
Karl R. Haapala ◽  
Zhaohui Wu ◽  
Ted K. A. Brekken
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Wind Power ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Wind Power Plants

Power generation for the existing electrical grid is largely based on the combustion of fossil fuels. Global concerns have been raised regarding the environmental sustainability of the system due to life cycle impacts, including land losses from fuel extraction and impacts of combustion emissions. An approach to reduce carbon emissions of fossil fuel-based energy employs the conversion of wind energy to electrical energy. The work presented describes modern wind power plants and provides an environmental assessment of a representative wind park from a life cycle perspective. The empirical analysis uses commercially available data, as well as information from an existing wind power plant. The life cycle assessment (LCA) study for a modern wind farm in the northwestern U.S. found that environmental benefits of avoiding typical electricity production greatly outweigh the impacts due to wind turbine construction and maintenance. Effects of component reliability, varying capacity factors, and energy portfolio are explored.

scholarly journals Manufacturing and Recycling Impact on Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Innovative Wind Power Plant Part 1/2

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 220
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Doerffer ◽  
Patrycja Bałdowska-Witos ◽  
Michał Pysz ◽  
Piotr Doerffer ◽  
Andrzej Tomporowski
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Power ◽  
Drag Force ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Manufacturing Processes ◽  
Wind Power Plants ◽  
Recycling Potential

Wind power plants are considered as an ecologically-clean source of energy. However, manufacturing processes cannot be treated that way. Manufacturing processes consume huge amounts of electrical and thermal energy and significant amount of materials, e.g., steel, polymers, oils, and lubricants. All of the above could be potentially harmful for environment. There are not many works and publications regarding life-cycle analysis of wind power plants. This study’s objective is to use LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) to the manufacturing and utilization of a specific drag force-driven wind turbine. The discussed innovative wind turbine is of the type that assures safety for prosumer application. Drag force-driven turbines become more heavy than other types of lift driven turbines, but at the same time, their characteristic provides opportunity to use easily recyclable materials instead of materials like plastics or composites. The wider look through LCA tools, may change the perspective of view at that type of wind turbines. Analyzed turbine has capacity of 15 kW and is located in Poland. LCA was carried out using Eco-indicator 99 method in eleven impact categories. Among all of the turbine components, the highest negative impact was noted in the case of the tower. The wind turbine under consideration is characterized by high recycling potential. According to the presented research, recycling provides around 30% reduction of the environmental impact.

Optimizing Synergy of Utility-Scale Wind and Pumped-Hydro Storage

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Singh ◽  
F. Wolff ◽  
N. Chokani ◽  
R. S. Abhari
Keyword(s):  
Wind Power ◽  
Electricity Market ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Decision Algorithm ◽  
Wind Power Plants ◽  
Farm Operators ◽  
Storage Facilities

The increased penetration of wind-generated electricity exposes wind farm operators to market risks of a balanced supply in the transmission grid. In order to reduce the risks and to gain financial advantage for wind farm operators, the use of pumped hydro storage to adjust the delivery schedule of energy is proposed. An approach that systematically and rapidly addresses the economic, infrastructural, geographic and meteorological factors relevant to wind power plants and pumped hydro storage over large areas is required. An integrated Geographic Information System-based tool is developed to identify, on the scale of a country, wind power plants and pumped hydro storage facilities. Further, a decision algorithm that has inputs of the forecasted and actual wind energy productions, and the day-ahead and intraday electricity market prices is also developed to optimise the use of pumped hydro storage. This approach is demonstrated for Germany, with the target of increasing electricity production from renewable energy sources. A countrywide portfolio of wind power plants that meets the increased electricity production target, and existing and potential pumped hydro storage facilities are identified. By optimizing the use of pumped hydro storage, it is shown that wind farm operators can achieve a 2–4% gain on the Internal Rate of Return on investments. The improved financial performance with the use of pumped hydro storage increases the attractiveness for investments in the wind power sector and mitigates the adverse effects of the variability in the dispatch of wind-generated electricity.

scholarly journals Control the System and Environment of Post-Production Wind Turbine Blade Waste Using Life Cycle Models. Part 1. Environmental Transformation Models

Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izabela Piasecka ◽  
Patrycja Bałdowska-Witos ◽  
Józef Flizikowski ◽  
Katarzyna Piotrowska ◽  
Andrzej Tomporowski
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Wind Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Polymer Materials ◽  
Wind Power Plant ◽  
Polymer Waste ◽  
Wind Power Plants ◽  
The Impact

Controlling the system—the environment of power plants is called such a transformation—their material, energy and information inputs in time, which will ensure that the purpose of the operation of this system or the state of the environment, is achieved. The transformations of systems and environmental inputs and their goals describe the different models, e.g., LCA model groups and methods. When converting wind kinetic energy into electricity, wind power plants emit literally no harmful substances into the environment. However, the production and postuse management stages of their components require large amounts of energy and materials. The biggest controlling problem during postuse management is wind power plant blades, followed by waste generated during their production. Therefore, this publication is aimed at carrying out an ecological, technical and energetical transformation analysis of selected postproduction waste of wind power plant blades based on the LCA models and methods. The research object of control was eight different types of postproduction waste (fiberglass mat, roving fabric, resin discs, distribution hoses, spiral hoses with resin, vacuum bag film, infusion materials residues, surplus mater), mainly made of polymer materials, making it difficult for postuse management and dangerous for the environment. Three groups of models and methods were used: Eco-indicator 99, IPCC and CED. The impact of analysis objects on human health, ecosystem quality and resources was controlled and assessed. Of all the tested waste, the life cycle of resin discs made of epoxy resin was characterized by the highest level of harmful technology impact on the environment and the highest energy consumption. Postuse control and management in the form of recycling would reduce the negative impact on the environment of the tested waste (in the perspective of their entire life cycle). Based on the results obtained, guidelines and models for the proecological postuse control of postproduction polymer waste of wind power plants blades were proposed.

scholarly journals Life Cycle Assessment of New High Concentration Photovoltaic (HCPV) Modules and Multi-Junction Cells

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 2916
Author(s):  
Jérôme Payet ◽  
Titouan Greffe
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Active Material ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
High Concentration

Worldwide electricity consumption increases by 2.6% each year. Greenhouse gas emissions due to electricity production raise by 2.1% per year on average. The development of efficient low-carbon-footprint renewable energy systems is urgently needed. CPVMatch investigates the feasibility of mirror or lens-based High Concentration Photovoltaic (HCPV) systems. Thanks to innovative four junction solar cells, new glass coatings, Position Sensitive Detectors (PSD), and DC/DC converters, it is possible to reach concentration levels higher than 800× and a module efficiency between 36.7% and 41.6%. From a circular economy’s standpoint, the use of concentration technologies lowers the need in active material, increases recyclability, and reduces the risk of material contamination. By using the Life Cycle Assessment method, it is demonstrated that HCPV presents a carbon footprint ranking between 16.4 and 18.4 g CO2-eq/kWh. A comparison with other energy means for 16 impact categories including primary energy demand and particle emissions points out that the environmental footprint of HCPV is typically 50 to 100 times lower than fossil fuels footprint. HCPV’s footprint is also three times lower than that of crystalline photovoltaic solutions and is close to the environmental performance of wind power and hydropower.

scholarly journals Global life-cycle impacts of onshore wind-power plants on bird richness

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 100080
Author(s):  
Roel May ◽  
Heleen Middel ◽  
Bård G. Stokke ◽  
Craig Jackson ◽  
Francesca Verones
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Wind Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Onshore Wind ◽  
Wind Power Plants ◽  
Bird Richness
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