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Environmental impacts of micro-wind turbines and their potential to contribute to UK climate change targets

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  • Greening, Benjamin
  • Azapagic, Adisa

Abstract

This paper evaluates the life cycle environmental sustainability of micro-wind turbines in the UK in comparison with grid electricity and solar PV (photovoltaics). The results suggests that per kWh electricity generated, the majority of environmental impacts from the wind turbines are lower than from grid electricity, ranging from 26% lower terrestrial toxicity to 92% lower global warming. However, depletion of abiotic elements, fresh-water and human toxicities are 82%, 74% and 53% higher than for grid electricity, respectively. The wind turbines are more environmentally sustainable than solar PV for seven out of 11 impacts, ranging from 7.5% lower eutrophication to 85% lower ozone layer depletion. However, depletion of fossil resources, fresh-water, human and terrestrial toxicities are higher for the wind turbine than for the PV, ranging from 5% for the former to 87% for the latter. UK-wide deployment of micro-wind turbines would save between 0.6 and 1% of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions on 2009 levels. Therefore, the potential of micro-wind turbines to contribute towards UK's climate change targets is limited.

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  • Greening, Benjamin & Azapagic, Adisa, 2013. "Environmental impacts of micro-wind turbines and their potential to contribute to UK climate change targets," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 454-466.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:59:y:2013:i:c:p:454-466
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2013.06.037
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kabir, Md Ruhul & Rooke, Braden & Dassanayake, G.D. Malinga & Fleck, Brian A., 2012. "Comparative life cycle energy, emission, and economic analysis of 100 kW nameplate wind power generation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 133-141.
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    Cited by:

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    3. Ozoemena, Matthew & Hasan, Reaz & Cheung, Wai Ming, 2016. "Analysis of technology improvement opportunities for a 1.5 MW wind turbine using a hybrid stochastic approach in life cycle assessment," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 369-382.
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    5. van Haaren, Rob & Morjaria, Mahesh & Fthenakis, Vasilis, 2015. "An energy storage algorithm for ramp rate control of utility scale PV (photovoltaics) plants," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 894-902.
    6. Sunderland, Keith M. & Narayana, Mahinsasa & Putrus, Ghanim & Conlon, Michael F. & McDonald, Steve, 2016. "The cost of energy associated with micro wind generation: International case studies of rural and urban installations," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 818-829.
    7. Mendecka, Barbara & Lombardi, Lidia, 2019. "Life cycle environmental impacts of wind energy technologies: A review of simplified models and harmonization of the results," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 462-480.
    8. Lombardi, Lidia & Mendecka, Barbara & Carnevale, Ennio & Stanek, Wojciech, 2018. "Environmental impacts of electricity production of micro wind turbines with vertical axis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 128(PB), pages 553-564.
    9. Cusenza, Maria Anna & Guarino, Francesco & Longo, Sonia & Mistretta, Marina & Cellura, Maurizio, 2020. "Environmental assessment of 2030 electricity generation scenarios in Sicily: An integrated approach," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 1148-1159.
    10. Dowon Han & Young Gun Heo & Nak Joon Choi & Sang Hyun Nam & Kyoung Ho Choi & Kyung Chun Kim, 2018. "Design, Fabrication, and Performance Test of a 100-W Helical-Blade Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine at Low Tip-Speed Ratio," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-17, June.
    11. Atilgan, Burcin & Azapagic, Adisa, 2016. "Renewable electricity in Turkey: Life cycle environmental impacts," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 649-657.
    12. Aberilla, Jhud Mikhail & Gallego-Schmid, Alejandro & Stamford, Laurence & Azapagic, Adisa, 2020. "Design and environmental sustainability assessment of small-scale off-grid energy systems for remote rural communities," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).

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