Energy and environmental performances of small and innovative solar cooling systems

The development of renewable energy technologies is a critical tool for reducing climate change and the reliance on fossil fuels. However, renewable energy technologies cannot be considered totally clean because they require energy consumption and have environmental impacts that cannot be neglected during their life cycle. This paper presents the results of two researches related to the application of solar thermal system for building heating and cooling. It is focused on small and compact systems of two different typologies. An innovative compact Solar DEC system is analysed in terms of potential competitor of stand alone electrically driven HVAC systems. The performances of small absorption chillers coupled with low temperature solar collectors is investigated by the means of Life Cycle Assessment approach in order to highlight their environmental impacts also during manufacturing and end-of-life phases.Bajada New Energy, General Membrane, EcoGroup, Econetique, Energy Investment, JMV Vibro Blocks, Solar Engineering, Solar Solutionspeer-reviewe

Life cycle assessment of power generation systems in Spain: Exploring a broader view from a consequential perspective

Developing new clean power generation systems is a research priority for the energy sector, and selection should be based on environmental performance over the entire lifetime. Consequential Life Cycle Assessment evaluates the consequences of this selection and provides environmental data to support decision-making. This research uses a consequential approach to assess the environmental impacts of two medium power generation systems. The selected environmental impact assessment methods are IPCC 2013 GWP 100y and ReCiPe 2016. Moreover, the work describes a methodology for finding the marginal mix technologies for electricity and cooling energy production depending on the time horizon. The positive environmental consequences associated with short-term marginal energy mixes (electricity and cooling) progressively disappear when the marginal energy mix varies throughout time. The environmental results strongly depend on the marginal mix of technologies and evidence the necessity to develop methodologies and standards to improve the robustness of environmental assessments. A new line of discussion is opened concerning the temporal variation of environmental impacts of an energy production system, which could also be considered in Attributional Life Cycle Assessments

LiSET: A framework for early-stage life cycle screening of emerging technologies

While life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool often used to evaluate the environmental impacts of products and technologies, the amount of data required to perform such studies make the evaluation of emerging technologies using the conventional LCA approach challenging. The development paradox is such that the inputs from a comprehensive environmental assessment has the greatest effect early in the development phase, and yet the data required to perform such an assessment are generally lacking until it is too late. Previous attempts to formalize strategies for performing streamlined or screening LCAs were made in the late 1990s and early 2000s, mostly to rapidly compare the environmental performance of product design candidates. These strategies lack the transparency and consistency required for the environmental screening of large numbers of early‐development candidates, for which data are even sparser. We propose the Lifecycle Screening of Emerging Technologies method (LiSET). LiSET is an adaptable screening‐to‐LCA method that uses the available data to systematically and transparently evaluate the environmental performance of technologies at low readiness levels. Iterations follow technological development and allow a progression to a full LCA if desired. In early iterations, LiSET presents results in a matrix structure combined with a “traffic light” color grading system. This format inherently communicates the high uncertainty of analysis at this stage and presents numerous environmental aspects assessed. LiSET takes advantage of a decomposition analysis and data not traditionally used in LCAs to gain insight to the life cycle impacts and ensure that the most environmentally sustainable technologies are adopted

Selection of alternative central-station technologies for the Satellite Power System (SPS) comparative assessment

An important effort is the Satellite Power System (SPS) comparative Assessment is the selection and characterization of alternative technologies to be compared with the SPS concept. The ground rules, criteria, and screening procedure applied in the selection of those alternative technologies are summarized. The final set of central station alternatives selected for comparison with the SPS concept includes: (1) light water reactor with improved fuel utilization, (2) conventional coal combustion with improved environmental controls, (3) open cycle gas turbine with integral low Btu gasifier, (4) terrestrial photovoltaic, (5) liquid metal fast breeder reactor, and (6) magnetic confinement fusion

Analysis for biotechnology innovations using Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA):

" Meeting the food needs of the world's growing population while reducing poverty and protecting the environment is a major global challenge. Genetically modified crops appear to provide a promising option to deal with this challenge. However there is a need to make strategic decisions on how to spend limited agricultural research funds in order to achieve a maximum impact with regard to finding sustainable solutions to end hunger and poverty. In international development institutions, there is growing interest in the potential use of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as part of a research based Environmental Management System (EMS) to promote mainstreaming of environmental considerations in policy development. SEA was developed as an approach to integrate environmental considerations at a policy level, where alternatives environmental policies can be evaluated. In this paper, we propose using SEA in a policy research and priority setting process regarding new technologies, taking the development of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) as an example. We propose that this method would be a useful tool for the international agricultural research centers of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), streamlining business processes, strengthening accountability, sharpening the research agenda it supports, fostering broader partnerships, and increasing the relevance and impact of CGIAR research in achieving international development goals. Currently international law requires only Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) of specific biotechnology projects. The incorporation of environmental considerations only at the level of specific projects precludes the adoption of alternative environmental policies. In this review, we outline an SEA approach currently being considered at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) for use in evaluating biotechnology policies. SEA may be a useful tool to inform the evaluation of biotechnology policies and priorities by taking account of information on the economic, social, and environmental benefits, cost and risks of adopting those policies." Authors' AbstractRisk, Strategic Environmental Assessment, Genetically modified organisms, Living modified organisms,

Environmental and economic feasibility study of flocculation process as a treatment of wastewater in ethanol production

Bio-based fuels are the most promising and ecological alternatives to fossil fuels. Sustainable technologies are being developed and applied to biofuel production in order to minimize the costs and the environmental impacts of the system. Wastes produced from ethanol plant have been concerned ethanol producers and environmental protectors due to the negative environmental impacts caused. Challenges are presented on the treatment of wastewater from an ethanol biorefinery. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of flocculation process as a treatment for wastewater in substitution of the evaporation process in an ethanol plant by analyzing the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Techno-Economic Assessment (TEA)

Smart environmental monitoring and assessment technologies (SEMAT)- a new paradigm for low-cost, remote aquatic environmental monitoring

Expense and the logistical difficulties with deploying scientific monitoring equipment are the biggest limitations to undertaking large scale monitoring of aquatic environments. The Smart Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Technologies (SEMAT) project is aimed at addressing this problem by creating an open standard for low-cost, near real-time, remote aquatic environmental monitoring systems. This paper presents the latest refinement of the SEMAT system in-line with the evolution of existing technologies, inexpensive sensors and environmental monitoring expectations. We provide a systems analysis and design of the SEMAT remote monitoring units and the back-end data management system. The system's value is augmented through a unique e-waste recycling and repurposing model which engages/educates the community in the production of the SEMAT units using social enterprise. SEMAT serves as an open standard for the community to innovate around to further the state of play with low-cost environmental monitoring. The latest SEMAT units have been trialled in a peri-urban lake setting and the results demonstrate the system's capabilities to provide ongoing data in near real-time to validate an environmental model of the study site

Can Lessons from Public Health Disease Surveillance Be Applied to Environmental Public Health Tracking?

Disease surveillance has a century-long tradition in public health, and environmental data have been collected at a national level by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for several decades. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced an initiative to develop a national environmental public health tracking (EPHT) network with “linkage” of existing environmental and chronic disease data as a central goal. On the basis of experience with long-established disease surveillance systems, in this article we suggest how a system capable of linking routinely collected disease and exposure data should be developed, but caution that formal linkage of data is not the only approach required for an effective EPHT program. The primary operational goal of EPHT has to be the “treatment” of the environment to prevent and/or reduce exposures and minimize population risk for developing chronic diseases. Chronic, multifactorial diseases do not lend themselves to data-driven evaluations of intervention strategies, time trends, exposure patterns, or identification of at-risk populations based only on routinely collected surveillance data. Thus, EPHT should be synonymous with a dynamic process requiring regular system updates to a) incorporate new technologies to improve population-level exposure and disease assessment, b) allow public dissemination of new data that become available, c) allow the policy community to address new and emerging exposures and disease “threads,” and d) evaluate the effectiveness of EPHT over some appropriate time interval. It will be necessary to weigh the benefits of surveillance against its costs, but the major challenge will be to maintain support for this important new system

Life cycle assessment of lithium iron phosphate and electrochemical recuperator cells for city buses in Finland

The study investigates the environmental impacts of electric city buses based on the storage technologies applied and the degree of electrification within the Finnish context. Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and electrochemical recuperator (ECR) were selected as storage technologies. ECR can be an alternative to the lithium-ion battery; however, little is known regarding its environmental performance when applied to electrify city buses. The study focused on diesel buses, battery electric buses (BEB) and plug-in hybrid buses. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to assess the potential environmental impacts between storage technologies and the degree of electrification. Primary data from the industry was used to assess the impacts of manufacturing ECR. The results showed that manufacturing a kWh of ECR generated a global warming potential (GWP) of 178 kg CO2-eq, higher than LFP. However, its application indicated that ECR performed better. The impacts of using ECR and LFP in BEB were 385 g CO2-eq/km and 441 g CO2-eq/km, respectively. The hybrid system generated 652 g CO2-eq/km and 670 g CO2-eq/km for ECR and LFP, respectively. The study also showed no consistent pattern between the degree of electrification and environmental benefits. Scenario analysis revealed that BEB provided the best GWP when assessed using a Finnish and Norwegian electricity mix, while the hybrid system performed the best when Polish electricity was applied. This study demonstrated that storage technologies, degree of electrification, fuel consumption, and electricity sources affect environmental performance. Careful assessment is needed before deciding to electrify the city's transport system.© 2024 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed