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Life-Cycle Assessment of Electric Power Systems

Publication Type

Journal Article

Date Published

08/2013

Authors

Masanet, Eric R, Yuan Chang, Anand R Gopal, Peter H Larsen, William R Morrow III, Roger Sathre, Arman Shehabi, Pei Zhai

DOI

10.1146/annurev-environ-010710-100408

Abstract

The application of life-cycle assessment (LCA) to electric power (EP) technologies is a vibrant research pursuit that is likely to continue as the world seeks ways to meet growing electricity demand with reduced environmental and human health impacts. While LCA is an evolving methodology with a number of barriers and challenges to its effective use, LCA studies to date have clearly improved our understanding of the life-cycle energy, GHG emissions, air pollutant emissions, and water use implications of EP technologies. With continued progress, LCA offers promise for assessing and comparing EP technologies in an analytically-thorough and environmentally-holistic manner for more robust deployment decisions. This article summarizes: (1) major challenges in applying LCA to EP technologies thus far, (2) LCA results to date on the various impacts of EP technologies, and (3) opportunities for improving LCAs as applied to EP technologies moving forward.

Journal

Annual Review of Environment and Resources

Volume

Year of Publication

2013

Organization

Sustainable Energy Systems Group, Sustainable Energy Department, Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division

Research Areas

Life Cycle Assessment & Technoeconomic Modeling, Climate Change Strategies & Policies, EAEI Technoeconomic & Life-Cycle Modeling