Under the Kyoto Protocol many countries have targets to reduce carbon emissions and increase renewable energy production. In order to do this effectively the impact and efficacy of differing schemes must be determined. One option for producing electricity is through the use of a tidal barrage....

The paper presents the results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the electric generation by means of photovoltaic panels. It considers mass and energy flows over the whole production process starting from silica extraction to the final panel assembling, considering the most advanced and...

ERRs (Energy return ratios) are valuable metrics for understanding and comparing the contributions of individual energy technologies. It is also important to calculate ERRs in the context of a system, or economy, using a mix of energy technologies. In this paper I demonstrate a framework to...

To improve the ecological performance of energy conversion systems, it is essential to understand the formation of environmental impact at component level. A method has been developed that (a) reveals the extent to which each component of an energy conversion system is responsible for the...

This study evaluates the environmental and thermodynamic performance of six coal-fired power plants with CO2 capture and storage. The technologies examined are post-combustion capture using monoethanolamine, membrane separation, cryogenic fractionation and pressure swing adsorption,...

This paper presents the results of a life cycle assessment of domestic heat pumps in the UK in comparison with gas boilers. The study considers air (ASHP), ground (GSHP) and water (WSHP) source heat pumps. The results show that heat pumps have higher environmental impacts than gas boilers due to...

Steam methane reforming (SMR) is one of the most promising processes for hydrogen production. Several studies have demonstrated its advantages from the economic viewpoint. Nowadays process development is based on technical and economical aspects; however, in the near future, the environmental...

The thermochemical production of hydrogen from lignocellulosic biomass is systematically analyzed by developing thermo-environomic models combining thermodynamics with economic analysis, process integration techniques and optimization strategies for the conceptual process design. H2 is produced...

An ‘integrated appraisal’ of a solar hot water (SHW) system in the UK residential sector was carried out to assess its overall energetic, environmental and economic performance. The energy analysis indicates that when displacing a gas boiler, oil boiler, or electrical immersion heater, the...

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is not widely used as a decision-supporting tool in Italy, despite recent European Commission policies fostering its adoption to achieve an energy- and resource-efficient economy. In this paper, an LCA of waste management system of the 1st Macrolotto industrial area...