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Updated:
13.08.2009
E-Mail: peter.burgherr@psi.ch

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Life Cycle Assessment

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) deals with all the industrial activities involved in the fabrication of a product or the delivery of a service as well as the exchanges between such activities and the environment. Life Cycle Inventory assessment (LCI) accounts for all material and energy flows occurring during the three phases of production, operation and decommissioning over the life of every activity.

The GaBE project focuses on the assessment of present and future energy systems (or energy chains). These include electricity, heating and to some extent also transportation systems. All energy sources are assessed, including fossil, nuclear and renewable resources. All elements of the production chains are analyzed, from raw materials extraction through processing, transport, energy conversion, and waste management. Therefore both direct and indirect burdens are accounted for such as emissions to air, water and soil as well as resource use. The cumulative results of the inventories allow fair comparisons of the widest spectrum of environmental burdens associated with each unit of energy. The environmental inventories are also used as the basis for the estimation of comprehensive damage and associated external costs using the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) methodology. The environmental profiles are an essential input to the GaBE implementation of Multi-Criteria Decision Assessment (MCDA).

Main projects and selected results

NEEDS

The objective of the four year (2004-2008) European Integrated Project NEEDS (New Energy Externalities Developments for Sustainability) is to “evaluate the full costs and benefits (i.e. direct + external) of energy policies and of future energy systems, both at the level of individual countries and for the enlarged EU as a whole.” To achieve this, the ambition is to integrate three major methodologies: LCA, External Cost Assessment and Energy-Economy Modeling (Markal/Times), as well as apply MCDA (the latter under the lead of PSI-GaBE ). NEEDS is a project of the ExternE Series. Within the LCA Research Stream, PSI-GaBE is responsible for the Work Packages “Advanced Fossil” and “Development of a Parameterization Method to Address Space- and Time-Dependencies in Life Cycle Inventories”, and also contributes to the “Advanced Nuclear” Work Package .

ExternE-Pol

The 2002-2004 project “Externalities of Energy: Extension of accounting framework and Policy Applications” (ExternE-Pol) belongs to the family of ExternE. PSI-GaBE was responsible for the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of new technologies. The goal of this analysis was to estimate the associated external costs, by combining detailed life cycle inventories covering full energy systems with damage factors from airborne emissions based on the impact-pathway approach. The external costs were calculated based on average damage factors for emissions in Europe. Sensitivity analyses were performed reflecting on the one hand the uncertainties of impacts and on the other hand the sensitivity to monetary valuation. PSI-GaBE used as basis the energy systems included in the LCI database ecoinvent (see below), with extension to selected new technologies (gas combined cycle, advanced coal, heat pumps).

Selected results can be seen clicking on the thumbnails below.

External costs of current and advanced electricity systems
Contribution percent to external costs of electricity systems by species

ecoinvent 2000

Energy systems (electricity and heat) are one major component of the LCA database ecoinvent, making up nearly half of the total number of datasets. Within the 1999-2004 projects “ecoinvent 2000” and its follow-up “ecoinvent Introduction”, PSI-GaBE coordinated the activities for current (year 2000) energy systems and developed LCI for: hard coal; lignite; natural as well as industrial gas-fuelled boilers and power plants; combined heat and power; nuclear; hydro; wind; wood; and heat pumps. ESU-services contributed LCI for: oil; upstream natural gas; photovoltaics; solar collectors; and electricity mix. The work was a thorough update and extension of the LCI study “Ökoinventare von Energiesystemen”, issued by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and PSI-GaBE in 1994 and 1996, which was the precursor of ecoinvent.

For selected results based on ecoinvent v1.2 click on the thumbnails below.

Environmental profile of current heating systems
Environmental profile of current electricity systems
Greenhouse gas emissions from current electricity mixes
Life Cycle Impact Assessment example

CETP

The Life Cycle Assessment Task performed in 1999-2003 for the China Energy Technology Program (CETP) established for the first time streamlined environmental inventories of coal, nuclear, natural gas, and wind energy systems for supply of electricity to the Shandong province with a twenty year time horizon. The assessment of the coal energy chain associated with current power plants in Shandong included surveys of operational power stations as well as major coal mines in Shanxi and Shandong provinces. The work was performed in collaboration with the Policy Research Division at the Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy (PRCEE) of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) in Beijing, with assistance from the Shandong Electric Power Research Institute (SEPRI). LCA results were applied in the EIA, Electricity Sector Simulation (ESS), as well as Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) Tasks.

Examples of LCA results are provided in the CETP Guided Tour (go to: Technologies & Burdens / Environmental Burdens).

VSE Vorschau 95

An LCI study on future electricity options to meet the expected electricity demand growth in Switzerland up to the year 2030 was carried out by PSI-GaBE and ETHZ on behalf of the Swiss Association of Producers and Distributors of Electricity (VSE). Advanced systems for coal, natural gas, nuclear, hydro, and photovoltaic generation (as representative for new renewables) were assessed based on a quasi-static LCA modeling approach, i.e. using two time points for describing background technologies and power mixes.

For an example result click on the thumbnail below.

Comparison of GHG results for current (ecoinvent) and future systems


Main publications

Comparison of Energy Systems

Bauer, C.. (2008) Life Cycle Assessment of Fossil and Biomass Power Generation Chains. An analysis carried out for ALSTOM Power Services.PSI-Report No.08-05. Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
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Bauer C., Dones R., Heck T., Hirschberg S., “Comparative environmental assessment of current and future electricity supply technologies for Switzerland”. Proceedings available on CD. 3rd International Conference on Life Cycle Management, 27-29 August 2007, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Felder R., Dones R., “Ecological impacts of Synthetic Natural Gas from wood (SNG) used in current heating and car systems", Poster. 3rd International Conference on Life Cycle Management, 27-29 August 2007, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Dones R., “Sustainability of Electricity Systems: LCA applied in External Cost and Multi-Criteria Assessments”. Keynote paper for the session "Energy and Sustainability", The 7th International Conference on EcoBalance, 14-16 November 2006, Tsukuba, Japan, pg. 15-18.
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Dones R., Heck T., “LCA-based evaluation of ecological impacts and external costs of current and new electricity and heating systems”. In S. Papasavva and V. Fthenakis (Eds): Life-Cycle Analysis Tools for Green Materials and Processes Selection, Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. Vol. 895, Warrendale, PA, 2006, paper number 0895-G03-01, pg. 1-14 (ISBN: 1-55899-850-0).
Link to Document

Felder R. and Dones R., "Evaluation of ecological impacts of synthetic natural gas from wood used in current heating and car systems". Biomass and Bioenergy (2007), doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2006.08.005

Dones R., Heck T., Hirschberg S., “Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Energy Systems, Comparison and Overview.” In: Encyclopedia of Energy (Ed. Cleveland C.), Vol. 3, pp. 77-95. Academic Press/Elsevier, San Diego, USA (2004).
Download Summary in PSI Annex IV 2003

Gantner U., Jakob M., Hirschberg S., “Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Costs of Alternative Swiss Energy Supply Strategies”. In: Williams D., Durie B., McMullan P., Paulson C. and Smith A. (Eds.), Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT-5), Cairns, Australia, 13-16 August 2000, IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia (2000) 991-996.
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Dones R., Gantner U., Hirschberg S., “Greenhouse gas total emissions from current and future electricity and heat supply systems”. In Eliasson B., Riemer P. and Wokaun A. (Eds.), Proceedings of 4th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT-4), Interlaken, Switzerland, 31 Aug. - 2 Sept. 1998, Pergamon, Amsterdam (1999) 891-896.
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ecoinvent

Dones R., Bauer C., Heck T. (2007) LCA of current coal, gas and nuclear electricity systems and electricity mix in the USA. Proceedings of the 14th SETAC Europe LCA Case Studies Symposium, December 3-4, 2007, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Dones R., "Critical note on the estimation by Storm van Leeuwen J.W. and Smith P. of the energy uses and corresponding CO2 emissions from the complete nuclear energy chain", PSI, 10 April 2007.
Download complete note
Download short version (German)

Energie-Spiegel No.11 / June 2004

Dones R., Heck T., Faist Emmenegger M., Jungbluth N., "Life Cycle Inventories for the Nuclear and Natural Gas Energy Systems, and Examples of Uncertainty Analysis". In Int J LCA Vol. 10 (1) (2005) http://dx.doi.org/10.1065/lca2004.12.181.2.

Jungbluth N., Bauer C., Dones R., Frischknecht R., "Life Cycle Assessment for Emerging Technologies: Case Studies for Photovoltaic and Wind Power". In Int J LCA Vol. 10 (1) (2005) http://dx.doi.org/10.1065/lca2004.11.181.3.

Dones R. (Ed.), Bauer C., Bolliger R., Burger B., Faist Emmenegger M., Frischknecht R., Heck T., Jungbluth N., Röder A., “Life Cycle Inventories of Energy Systems: Results for Current Systems in Switzerland and other UCTE Countries. Final report ecoinvent 2000 No. 5. Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, Switzerland (2004). Retrieved from: http://www.ecoinvent.ch.

Dones R. (Ed.), Bauer C., Bolliger R., Burger B., Faist Emmenegger M., Frischknecht R., Heck T., Jungbluth N., Röder A., “Sachbilanzen von Energiesystemen: Grundlagen für den ökologischen Vergleich von Energiesystemen und den Einbezug von Energiesystemen in Ökobilanzen für die Schweiz. Final report ecoinvent 2000 No. 6. Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, Switzerland. Retrieved from: http://www.ecoinvent.ch.

Bauer C., “Holzenergie”. In: Sachbilanzen von Energiesystemen: Grundlagen für den öko-logischen Vergleich von Energiesystemen und den Einbezug von Energiesystemen in Ökobilanzen für die Schweiz” (Ed. Dones R.). Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, Switzerland (2003). Retrieved from: http://www.ecoinvent.ch.

Bolliger R., Bauer C., “Wasserkraft”. In: Sachbilanzen von Energiesystemen: Grundlagen für den ökologischen Vergleich von Energiesystemen und den Einbezug von Energiesystemen in Ökobilanzen für die Schweiz (Ed. Dones R.). Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, Switzerland (2003). Retrieved from: http://www.ecoinvent.ch.

Burger B., Bauer C., “Windkraft”. In: Sachbilanzen von Energiesystemen: Grundlagen für den ökologischen Vergleich von Energiesystemen und den Einbezug von Energiesystemen in Ökobilanzen für die Schweiz (Ed. Dones R.). Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, Switzerland (2004). Retrieved from: http://www.ecoinvent.ch.

Dones R., “Kernenergie”. In: Sachbilanzen von Energiesystemen: Grundlagen für den ökologischen Vergleich von Energiesystemen und den Einbezug von Energiesystemen in Ökobilanzen für die Schweiz (Ed. Dones R.). Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, Switzerland (2003). Retrieved from: http://www.ecoinvent.ch.

Faist Emmenegger M., Heck T., Jungbluth N., “Erdgas”. In: Sachbilanzen von Energiesystemen: Grundlagen für den ökologischen Vergleich von Energiesystemen und den Einbezug von Energiesystemen in Ökobilanzen für die Schweiz (Ed. Dones R.). Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, Switzerland. Retrieved from: http://www.ecoinvent.ch.

Heck T., “Wärmepumpen”. In: Sachbilanzen von Energiesystemen: Grundlagen für den ökologischen Vergleich von Energiesystemen und den Einbezug von Energiesystemen in Ökobilanzen für die Schweiz (Ed. Dones R.). Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, Switzerland (2004). Retrieved from: http://www.ecoinvent.ch.

Heck T., “Wärme-Kraft-Kopplung”. In: Sachbilanzen von Energiesystemen: Grundlagen für den ökologischen Vergleich von Energiesystemen und den Einbezug von Energiesystemen in Ökobilanzen für die Schweiz (Ed. Dones R.). Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, Switzerland (2004). Retrieved from: http://www.ecoinvent.ch.

Röder A., Bauer C., Dones R., “Kohle”. In: Sachbilanzen von Energiesystemen: Grundlagen für den ökologischen Vergleich von Energiesystemen und den Einbezug von Energiesystemen in Ökobilanzen für die Schweiz (Ed. Dones R.). Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, Switzerland (2004). Retrieved from: http://www.ecoinvent.ch.

Frischknecht R., Althaus H.-J., Bauer C., Doka G., Heck T., Jungbluth N., Kellenberger D., Nemecek T. (2007): The Environmental Relevance of Capital Goods in Life Cycle Assessments of Products and Services. Int J LCA, 12, Special Issue 1, pp. 7-17. <DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1065/lca2007.02.309>

Frischknecht R., Jungbluth N., Althaus H.-J., Doka G., Dones R., Hellweg S., Heck T., Hischier R., Nemecek T., Rebitzer G., Spielmann M., “Overview and Methodology”. Final report ecoinvent 2000 No. 1. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, Switzerland (2004). Retrieved from: http://www.ecoinvent.ch.

Frischknecht R., Jungbluth N., Althaus H.-J., Doka G., Dones R., Hischier R., Hellweg S., Nemecek T., Rebitzer G., Spielmann M., “Code of Practice”. Final report ecoinvent 2000 No. 2. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, Switzerland (2004). Retrieved from: http://www.ecoinvent.ch.

Frischknecht R., Jungbluth N., Althaus H.-J., Doka G., Dones R., Hellweg S., Hischier R., Humbert S., Margni M., Nemecek T., Spielmann M., “Implementation of Life Cycle Impact Assessment Methods”. Final report ecoinvent 2000 No. 3. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, Switzerland (2004). Retrieved from: http://www.ecoinvent.ch.

Dones R., Frischknecht R., “Life-cycle Assessment of Photovoltaic Systems: Results of Swiss Studies on Energy Chains”. In: Prog. Photovolt. Res. Appl. 6 (1998) 117-125.

Frischknecht R. (Ed.), Bollens U., Bosshart S., Ciot M., Ciseri L., Doka G., Dones R., Gantner U., Hischier R., Martin A., “Ökoinventare von Energiesystemen: Grundlagen für den ökologischen Vergleich von Energiesystemen und den Einbezug von Energiesystemen in Ökobilanzen für die Schweiz – 3. Auflage”. Gruppe Energie - Stoffe - Umwelt (ESU), Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich und Sektion Ganzheitliche Systemanalysen, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Bundesamt für Energie (Hrsg.), Bern, Switzerland (1996). Retrieved from: http://www.energieforschung.ch.

NEEDS

R. Dones, C. Bauer, T. Heck, O. Mayer-Spohn, M. Blesl (2007) Life Cycle Assessment of Future Fossil Technologies with and without Carbon Capture and Storage. Invited paper. Proceedings of 2007 Fall Meeting, November 26-30, 2007, Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. Vol. 1041E, 12 pg.
Online Access

CETP

Dones R., Zhou X., Tian C., “Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Chinese Energy Chains for Shandong Electricity Scenarios”. In: Int. J. Global Energy Issues, Vol. 22, Nos. 2/3/4, pp. 199 224 (2004).

Dones R., Zhou X., Tian C., “Life Cycle Assessment”. In: Eliasson B. and Lee Y. Y. (Eds): Integrated Assessment of Sustainable Energy Systems in China - The China Energy Technology Program, Book Series: Alliance for Global Sustainability Series: Volume 4, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht/Boston/London (2003) 319-444. (Book incl. DVD, Hardbound ISBN 1-4020-1198-9, Paperback ISBN 1-4020-1199-7). Available at: http://www.springeronline.com/sgw/cda/frontpage/0,11855,5-40356-72-33707785-0,00.html

VSE Vorschau 95

Dones R., Gantner U., and Hirschberg S., “Greenhouse gas total emissions from current and future electricity and heat supply systems”. In Eliasson B., Riemer P. and Wokaun A. (Eds.), Proceedings of 4th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT-4), Interlaken, Switzerland, 31 Aug. 2 Sept. 1998, Pergamon, Amsterdam (1999) 891 896.

Dones R., Gantner U., and Hirschberg S., “Environmental Inventories for Future Electricity Supply Systems for Switzerland”, in Knowledge Infrastructures and Decision Support Systems for Integrated Modelling in Energy Management and Policies, Gheorghe A.V. (Ed.), Special Issue of Int. J. of Global Energy Issues, Vol.12, Nos.1 6 (1999) 271 282.

Dones R., Gantner U., Hirschberg S. (PSI), and Doka G., Knoepfel I. (ETHZ), “Environmental Inventories for Future Electricity Supply Systems for Switzerland”, PSI Report No.96 07, Würenlingen and Villigen (Feb. 1996).
Download PSI Report

For the complete GaBE publication list click here

Contact persons

Christian Bauer
Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis
Paul Scherrer Institut
CH-5232 Villigen PSI
Switzerland

Phone: +41 (0) 56 310 2391
Fax: +41 (0) 56 310 2199
e-mail: Christian Bauer

Dr. Thomas Heck
Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis
Paul Scherrer Institut
CH-5232 Villigen PSI
Switzerland

Phone: +41 (0) 56 310 2651
Fax: +41 (0) 56 310 2199
e-mail: Thomas Heck

Andrew Simons
Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis
Paul Scherrer Institut
CH-5232 Villigen PSI
Switzerland

Phone: +41 (0) 56 310 2007
Fax: +41 (0) 56 310 2199
e-mail: Andrew Simons