IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v68y2014icp264-272.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Extended exergy-based sustainability accounting of a household biogas project in rural China

Author

Listed:
  • Yang, J.
  • Chen, B.

Abstract

Biogas has been earmarked as one of the leading renewable energy sources capable of mitigating environmental emissions in rural areas. Thus, developing an accounting technique is of particular importance in coping with increasing problems related to renewable agriculture and rural energy supply. In this study, extended exergy was generalised for the sustainability evaluation of biogas projects. Furthermore, a series of extended exergy-based indicators was presented as benchmarking from the perspectives of resources, economics and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The sustainability of a “Three-in-One” biogas production system in southern China was thereby evaluated based on the proposed framework. The results show that economic costs concentrate in the construction phase. GHG emissions are mainly derived from bricks and cement, with proportions of 36.23% and 34.91%, respectively. The largest resource depletion occurs during the consumption of feedstock (87.06%) in the operation phase. Compared with other renewable energy conversion systems, the biogas project has a higher renewability (0.925) and economic return on investment ratio (6.82) and a lower GHG emission intensity (0.012). With the merit of bridging thermodynamics and externality, the extended exergy-based approach presented in this study may effectively appraise the energy and environmental performance of biogas projects.

Suggested Citation

  • Yang, J. & Chen, B., 2014. "Extended exergy-based sustainability accounting of a household biogas project in rural China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 264-272.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:68:y:2014:i:c:p:264-272
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2014.01.017
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421514000226
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2014.01.017?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. Chen, Bin & Chen, Shaoqing, 2013. "Life cycle assessment of coupling household biogas production to agricultural industry: A case study of biogas-linked persimmon cultivation and processing system," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 707-716.
    2. Enrico Sciubba, 2004. "From Engineering Economics to Extended Exergy Accounting: A Possible Path from Monetary to Resource‐Based Costing," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 8(4), pages 19-40, October.
    3. Corrado, A. & Fiorini, P. & Sciubba, E., 2006. "Environmental assessment and extended exergy analysis of a “zero CO2 emission”, high-efficiency steam power plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 31(15), pages 3186-3198.
    4. Nzila, Charles & Dewulf, Jo & Spanjers, Henri & Tuigong, David & Kiriamiti, Henry & van Langenhove, Herman, 2012. "Multi criteria sustainability assessment of biogas production in Kenya," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 496-506.
    5. Shao, Ling & Wu, Zi & Chen, G.Q., 2013. "Exergy based ecological footprint accounting for China," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 83-96.
    6. Chen, G.Q. & Qi, Z.H., 2007. "Systems account of societal exergy utilization: China 2003," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 208(2), pages 102-118.
    7. Dai, Jing & Fath, Brian & Chen, Bin, 2012. "Constructing a network of the social-economic consumption system of China using extended exergy analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(7), pages 4796-4808.
    8. Gosens, Jorrit & Lu, Yonglong & He, Guizhen & Bluemling, Bettina & Beckers, Theo A.M., 2013. "Sustainability effects of household-scale biogas in rural China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 273-287.
    9. Talens Peiró, L. & Villalba Méndez, G. & Sciubba, E. & Gabarrell i Durany, X., 2010. "Extended exergy accounting applied to biodiesel production," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(7), pages 2861-2869.
    10. Seckin, C. & Sciubba, E. & Bayulken, A.R., 2012. "An application of the extended exergy accounting method to the Turkish society, year 2006," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 151-163.
    11. Bligh, David C. & Ismet Ugursal, V., 2012. "Extended exergy analysis of the economy of Nova Scotia, Canada," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 878-890.
    12. Sciubba, Enrico, 2011. "A revised calculation of the econometric factors α- and β for the Extended Exergy Accounting method," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 222(4), pages 1060-1066.
    13. Zhang, Bo & Chen, G.Q., 2010. "Physical sustainability assessment for the China society: Exergy-based systems account for resources use and environmental emissions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(6), pages 1527-1545, August.
    14. Chen, Yu & Yang, Gaihe & Sweeney, Sandra & Feng, Yongzhong, 2010. "Household biogas use in rural China: A study of opportunities and constraints," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 545-549, January.
    15. Chen, G.Q. & Jiang, M.M. & Yang, Z.F. & Chen, B. & Ji, Xi & Zhou, J.B., 2009. "Exergetic assessment for ecological economic system: Chinese agriculture," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 220(3), pages 397-410.
    16. Finnveden, Göran & Östlund, Per, 1997. "Exergies of natural resources in life-cycle assessment and other applications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 22(9), pages 923-931.
    17. Ptasinski, K.J. & Koymans, M.N. & Verspagen, H.H.G., 2006. "Performance of the Dutch Energy Sector based on energy, exergy and Extended Exergy Accounting," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 31(15), pages 3135-3144.
    18. Milia, Daniela & Sciubba, Enrico, 2006. "Exergy-based lumped simulation of complex systems: An interactive analysis tool," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 100-111.
    19. Pöschl, Martina & Ward, Shane & Owende, Philip, 2010. "Evaluation of energy efficiency of various biogas production and utilization pathways," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(11), pages 3305-3321, November.
    20. Sciubba, Enrico, 2003. "Extended exergy accounting applied to energy recovery from waste: The concept of total recycling," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 28(13), pages 1315-1334.
    21. Srinivasan, Sunderasan, 2008. "Positive externalities of domestic biogas initiatives: Implications for financing," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 12(5), pages 1476-1484, June.
    22. Chen, H. & Chen, G.Q., 2011. "Energy cost of rapeseed-based biodiesel as alternative energy in China," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 1374-1378.
    23. Sciubba, Enrico, 2003. "Cost analysis of energy conversion systems via a novel resource-based quantifier," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 457-477.
    24. Zhang, Bo & Chen, G.Q. & Xia, X.H. & Li, S.C. & Chen, Z.M. & Ji, Xi, 2012. "Environmental emissions by Chinese industry: Exergy-based unifying assessment," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 490-501.
    25. Chen, G.Q. & Chen, B., 2009. "Extended-exergy analysis of the Chinese society," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(9), pages 1127-1144.
    26. Tsatsaronis, George, 2007. "Definitions and nomenclature in exergy analysis and exergoeconomics," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 249-253.
    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. Li, Changjiang & Liao, Yuncheng & Wen, Xiaoxia & Wang, Yangfeng & Yang, Fei, 2015. "The development and countermeasures of household biogas in northwest grain for green project areas of China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 835-846.
    2. Qi, Hai & Dong, Zhiliang & Dong, Shaohui & Sun, Xiaotian & Zhao, Yiran & Li, Yu, 2021. "Extended exergy accounting for smelting and pressing of metals industry in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    3. Wu, X.F. & Chen, G.Q. & Wu, X.D. & Yang, Q. & Alsaedi, A. & Hayat, T. & Ahmad, B., 2015. "Renewability and sustainability of biogas system: Cosmic exergy based assessment for a case in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1509-1524.
    4. Song, Dan & Lin, Ling & Wu, Ye, 2019. "Extended exergy accounting for a typical cement industry in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 678-686.
    5. Sobhy Khedr & Melchiorre Casisi & Mauro Reini, 2022. "The Thermoeconomic Environment Cost Indicator (i ex-TEE ) as a One-Dimensional Measure of Resource Sustainability," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-14, March.
    6. Liu, J. & Goel, A. & Kua, H.W. & Wang, C.H. & Peng, Y.H., 2021. "Evaluating the urban metabolism sustainability of municipal solid waste management system: An extended exergy accounting and indexing perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 300(C).
    7. Rocco, Matteo V. & Di Lucchio, Alberto & Colombo, Emanuela, 2017. "Exergy Life Cycle Assessment of electricity production from Waste-to-Energy technology: A Hybrid Input-Output approach," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 832-844.
    8. Luo, Lulin & Lu, Lidi & Shen, Xuelian & Chen, Jinhua & Pan, Yang & Wang, Yuchen & Luo, Qing, 2023. "Energy, exergy and economic analysis of an integrated ground source heat pump and anaerobic digestion system for Co-generation of heating, cooling and biogas," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    9. Jun Hou & Weifeng Zhang & Pei Wang & Zhengxia Dou & Liwei Gao & David Styles, 2017. "Greenhouse Gas Mitigation of Rural Household Biogas Systems in China: A Life Cycle Assessment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-14, February.

    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. Qi, Hai & Dong, Zhiliang & Dong, Shaohui & Sun, Xiaotian & Zhao, Yiran & Li, Yu, 2021. "Extended exergy accounting for smelting and pressing of metals industry in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    2. Song, Dan & Lin, Ling & Wu, Ye, 2019. "Extended exergy accounting for a typical cement industry in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 678-686.
    3. Ricardo Manso & Tânia Sousa & Tiago Domingos, 2018. "The Way Forward in Quantifying Extended Exergy Efficiency," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-32, September.
    4. Seckin, Candeniz & Bayulken, Ahmet R., 2013. "Extended Exergy Accounting (EEA) analysis of municipal wastewater treatment – Determination of environmental remediation cost for municipal wastewater," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 55-64.
    5. Dai, Jing & Chen, Bin & Hayat, Tasawar & Alsaedi, Ahmed & Ahmad, Bashir, 2015. "Sustainability-based economic and ecological evaluation of a rural biogas-linked agro-ecosystem," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 347-355.
    6. Ricardo Manso & Tânia Sousa & Tiago Domingos, 2017. "Do the Different Exergy Accounting Methodologies Provide Consistent or Contradictory Results? A Case Study with the Portuguese Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Sector," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-31, August.
    7. Seckin, C. & Sciubba, E. & Bayulken, A.R., 2012. "An application of the extended exergy accounting method to the Turkish society, year 2006," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 151-163.
    8. Enrico Sciubba, 2012. "A Thermodynamically Correct Treatment of Externalities with an Exergy-Based Numeraire," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(5), pages 1-25, May.
    9. Liu, J. & Goel, A. & Kua, H.W. & Wang, C.H. & Peng, Y.H., 2021. "Evaluating the urban metabolism sustainability of municipal solid waste management system: An extended exergy accounting and indexing perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 300(C).
    10. Dai, Jing & Fath, Brian & Chen, Bin, 2012. "Constructing a network of the social-economic consumption system of China using extended exergy analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(7), pages 4796-4808.
    11. Rocco, M.V. & Colombo, E. & Sciubba, E., 2014. "Advances in exergy analysis: a novel assessment of the Extended Exergy Accounting method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1405-1420.
    12. Diaz-Mendez, S.E. & Sierra-Grajeda, J.M.T. & Hernandez-Guerrero, A. & Rodriguez-Lelis, J.M., 2013. "Entropy generation as an environmental impact indicator and a sample application to freshwater ecosystems eutrophication," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 234-239.
    13. Amiri, Zahra & Asgharipour, Mohammad Reza & Campbell, Daniel E. & Armin, Mohammad, 2020. "Extended exergy analysis (EAA) of two canola farming systems in Khorramabad, Iran," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    14. Sciubba, Enrico, 2011. "A revised calculation of the econometric factors α- and β for the Extended Exergy Accounting method," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 222(4), pages 1060-1066.
    15. Wu, X.F. & Chen, G.Q. & Wu, X.D. & Yang, Q. & Alsaedi, A. & Hayat, T. & Ahmad, B., 2015. "Renewability and sustainability of biogas system: Cosmic exergy based assessment for a case in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1509-1524.
    16. Raúl Arango-Miranda & Robert Hausler & Rabindranarth Romero-López & Mathias Glaus & Sara Patricia Ibarra-Zavaleta, 2018. "An Overview of Energy and Exergy Analysis to the Industrial Sector, a Contribution to Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-19, January.
    17. Colombo, Emanuela & Rocco, Matteo V. & Toro, Claudia & Sciubba, Enrico, 2015. "An exergy-based approach to the joint economic and environmental impact assessment of possible photovoltaic scenarios: A case study at a regional level in Italy," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 318(C), pages 64-74.
    18. An, Qier & An, Haizhong & Wang, Lang & Huang, Xuan, 2014. "Structural and regional variations of natural resource production in China based on exergy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 67-77.
    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. 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.

    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:enepol:v:68:y:2014:i:c:p:264-272. 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/locate/enpol .

    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.