Evaluation of electricity related impacts using a dynamic LCA model

Author(s): G. Herfray and B. Peuportier
Paper category: symposium
Book title: International Symposium on Life Cycle Assessment and Construction – Civil engineering and buildings
Editor(s): A. Ventura and C. de la Roche
Print ISBN: 978-2-35158-127-8
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-128-5
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Pages: 300 – 308 (+ 3 pages of appendixes)
Total Pages: 12
Language: English

Abstract: A dynamic LCA model has been developed to account for the seasonal, weekly and hourly variation of the electricity production mix. The objective is to evaluate more precisely the environmental impacts of electricity consumption and production in buildings, which is useful to compare e.g. plus energy buildings with standard alternatives.
The French electricity grid manager (RTE) provides hourly production values for nuclear, hydro-electricity, gas+coal and fuel thermal plants, and other types1. Based upon these data, the model evaluates the production mix in terms of an average temperature in France (due to a high electricity use for heating), and several periodic functions corresponding to variation frequencies identified by a Fourier analysis. In a second step, specific production mixes are derived for different uses: heating, cooling, domestic hot water, domestic appliances and office appliances.
This method is applied to a case study, showing the discrepancy between such a dynamic model and the standard LCA practice corresponding to the use of a yearly average production mix. The model requiring hourly energy consumption data, the EQUER LCA tool, being linked to dynamic thermal simulation, has been used. Perspectives are proposed to improve the model and reduce uncertainty.

Online publication: 2012
Publication Type: full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00