Chalmers Conferences, LCM 2013

AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK WITH SYSTEMATIC REGIONAL AND TIME SCENARIOS
Thomas Gibon, Edgar Hertwich, Richard Wood

Last modified: 2014-09-11

Abstract


A multiregional and scenario-based framework for environmental
assessment is presented. Applied to energy production systems, this model
clearly shows wide variations in various impact categories. An illustration
of these variations is provided by the modeling of a concentrated solar
power plant. Results show most of the environmental impacts are embodied
in infrastructure; hence impacts are also strongly related to the temporal
development of the background electricity mix. We conclude that, whereas
greenhouse gas emissions are significantly lowered in comparison with
fossil-fuel counterparts, material requirements are higher for this kind of
technology, and even increasing with time.

Keywords


life-cycle assessment; hybrid LCA; scenario assessment

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