IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/rensus/v57y2016icp380-392.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Renewability assessment of a production system: Based on embodied energy as emergy

Author

Listed:
  • Shao, Ling
  • Chen, G.Q.

Abstract

Based on a comprehensive review of previous renewability assessment studies, the present work contributes a framework to assess the renewability of a production system based on the systems ecological concept of embodied energy as emergy (embodied solar energy). An input–output analysis based transformity database is adopted to concretely trace the renewable and nonrenewable resources embodied in the supply chain for all product materials. A renewability index as the percentage of total renewable resources over the total resources used for the production process is devised to assess the renewability of a production system. The renewability assessment of a typical wastewater treatment system in Beijing is performed as a case study to illustrate the framework in context of water–energy nexus. The renewability index of the case system is evaluated around 13%, and fossil energy is revealed as a key source for total resources use. The presented framework is shown to have broad application prospects and can be very useful in sustainability studies.

Suggested Citation

  • Shao, Ling & Chen, G.Q., 2016. "Renewability assessment of a production system: Based on embodied energy as emergy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 380-392.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:57:y:2016:i:c:p:380-392
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2015.12.063
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136403211501446X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.rser.2015.12.063?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cleveland, Cutler J. & Kaufmann, Robert K. & Stern, David I., 2000. "Aggregation and the role of energy in the economy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 301-317, February.
    2. Li, Xin & Feng, Kuishuang & Siu, Yim Ling & Hubacek, Klaus, 2012. "Energy-water nexus of wind power in China: The balancing act between CO2 emissions and water consumption," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 440-448.
    3. Velásquez, H.I. & De Oliveira, S. & Benjumea, P. & Pellegrini, L.F., 2013. "Exergo-environmental evaluation of liquid biofuel production processes," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 97-103.
    4. Chen, G.Q. & Yang, Q. & Zhao, Y.H. & Wang, Z.F., 2011. "Nonrenewable energy cost and greenhouse gas emissions of a 1.5Â MW solar power tower plant in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 1961-1967, May.
    5. Malça, João & Freire, Fausto, 2006. "Renewability and life-cycle energy efficiency of bioethanol and bio-ethyl tertiary butyl ether (bioETBE): Assessing the implications of allocation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 31(15), pages 3362-3380.
    6. Chen, Z.M. & Chen, G.Q., 2011. "Embodied carbon dioxide emission at supra-national scale: A coalition analysis for G7, BRIC, and the rest of the world," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 2899-2909, May.
    7. Plappally, A.K. & Lienhard V, J.H., 2012. "Energy requirements for water production, treatment, end use, reclamation, and disposal," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(7), pages 4818-4848.
    8. M. Lenzen & D. Moran & K. Kanemoto & B. Foran & L. Lobefaro & A. Geschke, 2012. "International trade drives biodiversity threats in developing nations," Nature, Nature, vol. 486(7401), pages 109-112, June.
    9. Scott, Christopher A. & Pierce, Suzanne A. & Pasqualetti, Martin J. & Jones, Alice L. & Montz, Burrell E. & Hoover, Joseph H., 2011. "Policy and institutional dimensions of the water-energy nexus," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 6622-6630, October.
    10. Yang, Q. & Chen, G.Q. & Liao, S. & Zhao, Y.H. & Peng, H.W. & Chen, H.P., 2013. "Environmental sustainability of wind power: An emergy analysis of a Chinese wind farm," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 229-239.
    11. Silalertruksa, Thapat & Gheewala, Shabbir H., 2009. "Environmental sustainability assessment of bio-ethanol production in Thailand," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(11), pages 1933-1946.
    12. Shao, Ling & Wu, Zi & Zeng, L. & Chen, Z.M. & Zhou, Y. & Chen, G.Q., 2013. "Embodied energy assessment for ecological wastewater treatment by a constructed wetland," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 63-71.
    13. Ko, Jae-Young & Day, John W. & Lane, Robert R. & Day, Jason N., 2004. "A comparative evaluation of money-based and energy-based cost-benefit analyses of tertiary municipal wastewater treatment using forested wetlands vs. sand filtration in Louisiana," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(3), pages 331-347, July.
    14. Chen, Shaoqing & Chen, Bin, 2012. "Sustainability and future alternatives of biogas-linked agrosystem (BLAS) in China: An emergy synthesis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(6), pages 3948-3959.
    15. Fytili, D. & Zabaniotou, A., 2008. "Utilization of sewage sludge in EU application of old and new methods--A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 116-140, January.
    16. Tyagi, Vinay Kumar & Lo, Shang-Lien, 2013. "Sludge: A waste or renewable source for energy and resources recovery?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 708-728.
    17. Chen, G.Q. & Zhang, Bo, 2010. "Greenhouse gas emissions in China 2007: Inventory and input-output analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 6180-6193, October.
    18. Bullard, Clark W. & Penner, Peter S. & Pilati, David A., 1978. "Net energy analysis : Handbook for combining process and input-output analysis," Resources and Energy, Elsevier, vol. 1(3), pages 267-313, November.
    19. Chen, G.Q. & Yang, Q. & Zhao, Y.H., 2011. "Renewability of wind power in China: A case study of nonrenewable energy cost and greenhouse gas emission by a plant in Guangxi," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 2322-2329, June.
    20. Pan, Lingying & Liu, Pei & Ma, Linwei & Li, Zheng, 2012. "A supply chain based assessment of water issues in the coal industry in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 93-102.
    21. Leontief, Wassily, 1970. "Environmental Repercussions and the Economic Structure: An Input-Output Approach," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 52(3), pages 262-271, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Qiang & Jiang, Feng & Li, Rongrong, 2022. "Assessing supply chain greenness from the perspective of embodied renewable energy – A data envelopment analysis using multi-regional input-output analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 1292-1305.
    2. Zhao, Rongqin & Liu, Ying & Tian, Mengmeng & Ding, Minglei & Cao, Lianhai & Zhang, Zhanping & Chuai, Xiaowei & Xiao, Liangang & Yao, Lunguang, 2018. "Impacts of water and land resources exploitation on agricultural carbon emissions: The water-land-energy-carbon nexus," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 480-492.
    3. Duan, Cuncun & Chen, Bin, 2017. "Energy–water nexus of international energy trade of China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 725-734.
    4. Zhang, Binyue & Chen, Bin, 2017. "Sustainability accounting of a household biogas project based on emergy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 819-831.
    5. Nakano, Satoshi & Arai, Sonoe & Washizu, Ayu, 2018. "Development and application of an inter-regional input-output table for analysis of a next generation energy system," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 2834-2842.
    6. Cristiano, S. & Ulgiati, S. & Gonella, F., 2021. "Systemic sustainability and resilience assessment of health systems, addressing global societal priorities: Learnings from a top nonprofit hospital in a bioclimatic building in Africa," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    7. Chen, G.Q. & Wu, X.F., 2017. "Energy overview for globalized world economy: Source, supply chain and sink," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 735-749.
    8. Pan, Hengyu & Geng, Yong & Jiang, Ping & Dong, Huijuan & Sun, Lu & Wu, Rui, 2018. "An emergy based sustainability evaluation on a combined landfill and LFG power generation system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 310-322.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shao, Ling & Wu, Zi & Zeng, L. & Chen, Z.M. & Zhou, Y. & Chen, G.Q., 2013. "Embodied energy assessment for ecological wastewater treatment by a constructed wetland," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 63-71.
    2. 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.
    3. Yang, Qing & Han, Fei & Chen, Yingquan & Yang, Haiping & Chen, Hanping, 2016. "Greenhouse gas emissions of a biomass-based pyrolysis plant in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 1580-1590.
    4. Wu, X.D. & Chen, G.Q., 2017. "Energy and water nexus in power generation: The surprisingly high amount of industrial water use induced by solar power infrastructure in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 125-136.
    5. 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.
    6. Sharifzadeh, Mahdi & Hien, Raymond Khoo Teck & Shah, Nilay, 2019. "China’s roadmap to low-carbon electricity and water: Disentangling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from electricity-water nexus via renewable wind and solar power generation, and carbon capture and sto," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C), pages 31-42.
    7. Wu, X.D. & Xia, X.H. & Chen, G.Q. & Wu, X.F. & Chen, B., 2016. "Embodied energy analysis for coal-based power generation system-highlighting the role of indirect energy cost," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 936-950.
    8. Zhang, L.X. & Wang, C.B. & Bahaj, A.S., 2014. "Carbon emissions by rural energy in China," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 641-649.
    9. Yang, Jin & Chen, Bin, 2014. "Global warming impact assessment of a crop residue gasification project—A dynamic LCA perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 269-279.
    10. Wu, Xudong & Li, Chaohui & Shao, Ling & Meng, Jing & Zhang, Lixiao & Chen, Guoqian, 2021. "Is solar power renewable and carbon-neutral: Evidence from a pilot solar tower plant in China under a systems view," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    11. Chen, G.Q. & Li, J.S. & Chen, B. & Wen, C. & Yang, Q. & Alsaedi, A. & Hayat, T., 2016. "An overview of mercury emissions by global fuel combustion: The impact of international trade," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 345-355.
    12. Changbo Wang & Lixiao Zhang & Shuying Yang & Mingyue Pang, 2012. "A Hybrid Life-Cycle Assessment of Nonrenewable Energy and Greenhouse-Gas Emissions of a Village-Level Biomass Gasification Project in China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 5(8), pages 1-16, July.
    13. Li, Xue & Lin, Cong & Wang, Yang & Zhao, Lingying & Duan, Na & Wu, Xudong, 2015. "Analysis of rural household energy consumption and renewable energy systems in Zhangziying town of Beijing," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 318(C), pages 184-193.
    14. Yang, Jin & Chen, Bin, 2016. "Energy–water nexus of wind power generation systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 1-13.
    15. Zhang, Xiaohong & Wu, Liqian & Zhang, Rong & Deng, Shihuai & Zhang, Yanzong & Wu, Jun & Li, Yuanwei & Lin, Lili & Li, Li & Wang, Yinjun & Wang, Lilin, 2013. "Evaluating the relationships among economic growth, energy consumption, air emissions and air environmental protection investment in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 259-270.
    16. Zhang, Xiaohong & Qi, Yan & Wang, Yanqing & Wu, Jun & Lin, Lili & Peng, Hong & Qi, Hui & Yu, Xiaoyu & Zhang, Yanzong, 2016. "Effect of the tap water supply system on China's economy and energy consumption, and its emissions’ impact," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 660-671.
    17. Khan, Zarrar & Linares, Pedro & García-González, Javier, 2017. "Integrating water and energy models for policy driven applications. A review of contemporary work and recommendations for future developments," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 1123-1138.
    18. Liu, Yitong & Chen, Bin & Wei, Wendong & Shao, Ling & Li, Zhi & Jiang, Weizhong & Chen, Guoqian, 2020. "Global water use associated with energy supply, demand and international trade of China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    19. Li, Y.L. & Chen, B. & Chen, G.Q., 2020. "Carbon network embodied in international trade: Global structural evolution and its policy implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    20. Fang, Delin & Chen, Bin, 2017. "Linkage analysis for the water–energy nexus of city," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 770-779.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:57:y:2016:i:c:p:380-392. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.