Life cycle impact assessment of renewable energy systems: wind vs. photovoltaic systems

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a well-structured method usedto estimate the environmental impacts associated with the full life cycle of product, service, or system. To effectively analyze products, a cradle-to-grave approach is used, from the acquisition of the raw materials to final disposal. LCA studies offer an overview of the associated environmental impacts, which can be used for sustainable improvements, policy making and marketing purposes.This LCA study compares two renewable energy technologies, a 2.0-MWwind turbine and a 570 kWp photovoltaic system. For comparative purposes, the systems were analyzed based on an annual electricity consumption of 47,410 MWh for a periodof 60 years. The two systems were modeled in the LCA software, SimaPro 8.0.4.26, using the European impact assessment ReCiPe. The results are presented based on characterization, damage assessment, normalization, weighting and single score elements. The assessment resulted indemonstrable environmental impacts associated with the implementation of wind turbines compared tophotovoltaic plants. Wind turbine contributed to greater impact in 12 out of the 17 midpoint impact categories. The single score of total environmental damage were found to be 35.9 MPt for wind turbines and 23.8 MPt for photovoltaic systems.