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Life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions, water and land use for concentrated solar power plants with different energy backup systems

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  • Klein, Sharon J.W.
  • Rubin, Edward S.

Abstract

Concentrated solar power (CSP) is unique among intermittent renewable energy options because for the past four years, utility-scale plants have been using an energy storage technology that could allow a CSP plant to operate as a baseload renewable energy generator in the future. No study to-date has directly compared the environmental implications of this technology with more conventional CSP backup energy options. This study compares the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water consumption, and direct, onsite land use associated with one MWh of electricity production from CSP plants with wet and dry cooling and with three energy backup systems: (1) minimal backup (MB), (2) molten salt thermal energy storage (TES), and (3) a natural gas-fired heat transfer fluid heater (NG). Plants with NG had 4–9 times more life cycle GHG emissions than plants with TES. Plants with TES generally had twice as many life cycle GHG emissions as the MB plants. Dry cooling reduced life cycle water consumption by 71–78% compared to wet cooling. Plants with larger backup capacities had greater life cycle water consumption than plants with smaller backup capacities, and plants with NG had lower direct, onsite life cycle land use than plants with MB or TES.

Suggested Citation

  • Klein, Sharon J.W. & Rubin, Edward S., 2013. "Life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions, water and land use for concentrated solar power plants with different energy backup systems," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 935-950.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:63:y:2013:i:c:p:935-950
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2013.08.057
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    2. Fabio Maria Aprà & Sander Smit & Raymond Sterling & Tatiana Loureiro, 2021. "Overview of the Enablers and Barriers for a Wider Deployment of CSP Tower Technology in Europe," Clean Technol., MDPI, vol. 3(2), pages 1-18, April.
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    6. Aseri, Tarun Kumar & Sharma, Chandan & Kandpal, Tara C., 2020. "Estimating capital cost of parabolic trough collector based concentrating solar power plants for financial appraisal: Approaches and a case study for India," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 1117-1131.
    7. Feng, Tian-tian & Gong, Xiao-lei & Guo, Yu-hua & Yang, Yi-sheng & Dong, Jun, 2019. "Regulatory mechanism design of GHG emissions in the electric power industry in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 187-201.
    8. Aseri, Tarun Kumar & Sharma, Chandan & Kandpal, Tara C., 2021. "Estimation of capital costs and techno-economic appraisal of parabolic trough solar collector and solar power tower based CSP plants in India for different condenser cooling options," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 344-362.
    9. Wu, X.D. & Ji, Xi & Li, Chaohui & Xia, X.H. & Chen, G.Q., 2019. "Water footprint of thermal power in China: Implications from the high amount of industrial water use by plant infrastructure of coal-fired generation system," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 452-461.
    10. Fan, Ying & Wu, Xudong & Wu, Xiaofang & Li, Chaohui & Yang, Qing & Hayat, Tasawar & Alsaedi, Ahmed & Wang, Ping & Chen, Guoqian, 2020. "A unified ecological assessment of a solar concentrating plant based on an integrated approach joining cosmic exergy analysis with ecological indicators," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    11. Boukelia, T.E. & Mecibah, M.S. & Kumar, B.N. & Reddy, K.S., 2015. "Investigation of solar parabolic trough power plants with and without integrated TES (thermal energy storage) and FBS (fuel backup system) using thermic oil and solar salt," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 292-303.
    12. Gabriella Ferruzzi & Camelia Delcea & Antonino Barberi & Vincenzo Di Dio & Marialaura Di Somma & Pietro Catrini & Stefania Guarino & Federico Rossi & Maria Laura Parisi & Adalgisa Sinicropi & Sonia Lo, 2023. "Concentrating Solar Power: The State of the Art, Research Gaps and Future Perspectives," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-41, December.
    13. Bai, Wuliyasu & Zhang, Long & Lu, Shengfang & Ren, Jingzheng & Zhou, Zhiqiao, 2023. "Sustainable energy transition in Southeast Asia: Energy status analysis, comprehensive evaluation and influential factor identification," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 284(C).
    14. Blanca Corona & Diego Ruiz & Guillermo San Miguel, 2016. "Life Cycle Assessment of a HYSOL Concentrated Solar Power Plant: Analyzing the Effect of Geographic Location," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-14, May.
    15. Tarun Kumar Aseri & Chandan Sharma & Tara C. Kandpal, 2022. "Condenser cooling technologies for concentrating solar power plants: a review," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 4511-4565, April.
    16. Wu, X.D. & Guo, J.L. & Chen, G.Q., 2018. "The striking amount of carbon emissions by the construction stage of coal-fired power generation system in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 358-369.
    17. Vieira de Souza, Luiz Enrique & Gilmanova Cavalcante, Alina Mikhailovna, 2017. "Concentrated Solar Power deployment in emerging economies: The cases of China and Brazil," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 1094-1103.
    18. Ehtiwesh, Ismael A.S. & Coelho, Margarida C. & Sousa, Antonio C.M., 2016. "Exergetic and environmental life cycle assessment analysis of concentrated solar power plants," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 145-155.
    19. Manente, Giovanni & Rech, Sergio & Lazzaretto, Andrea, 2016. "Optimum choice and placement of concentrating solar power technologies in integrated solar combined cycle systems," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 96(PA), pages 172-189.
    20. Hahn Menacho, A.J. & Rodrigues, J.F.D. & Behrens, P., 2022. "A triple bottom line assessment of concentrated solar power generation in China and Europe 2020–2050," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    21. Gasia, Jaume & Miró, Laia & Cabeza, Luisa F., 2017. "Review on system and materials requirements for high temperature thermal energy storage. Part 1: General requirements," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 1320-1338.

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