Increasing Precision in Greenhouse Gas Accounting Using Real-Time Emission Factors: A Case Study of Electricity in Spain

被引:24
作者
Spork, Charlie C. [1 ]
Chavez, Abel [2 ]
Gabarrell Durany, Xavier [3 ]
Patel, Martin K. [4 ]
Villalba Mendez, Gara [3 ]
机构
[1] Univ Utrecht, Energy Sci, Utrecht, Netherlands
[2] Potsdam Inst Climate Impact Res PIK, Potsdam, Germany
[3] Autonomous Univ Barcelona, Dept Chem Engn, Barcelona, Spain
[4] Univ Utrecht, Copernicus Inst Sustainable Dev, Utrecht, Netherlands
关键词
carbon footprint; greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; hourly emission factors; industrial ecology; national electric grid; power generation mix; TECHNOLOGIES;
D O I
10.1111/jiec.12193
中图分类号
X [环境科学、安全科学];
学科分类号
08 ; 0830 ;
摘要
For many companies, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with their purchased and consumed electricity form one of the largest contributions to the GHG emissions that result from their activities. Currently, hourly variations in electricity grid emissions are not considered by standard GHG accounting protocols, which apply a national grid emission factor (EF), potentially resulting in erred estimates for the GHG emissions. In this study, a method is developed that calculates GHG emissions based on real-time data, and it is shown that the use of hourly electricity grid EFs can significantly improve the accuracy of the GHG emissions that are attributed to the purchased and consumed electricity of a company. A model analysis for the electricity delivered to the Spanish grid in 2012 reveals that, for companies operating during the day, GHG emissions calculated by the real-time method are estimated to be up to 5% higher (and in some special cases up to 9% higher) than the emissions calculated by the conventional method in which a national grid EF is applied, whereas for companies operating during nightly hours, GHG emissions are estimated to be as low as 3% below the GHG emissions determined by the conventional method. A significant error can therefore occur in the organizational carbon footprint (CF) of a company and, consequently, also in the product CF. It is recommended that hourly EFs be developed for other countries and power grids.
引用
收藏
页码:380 / 390
页数:11
相关论文
共 28 条
[1]  
[Anonymous], SPAN EL SYST 2011
[2]  
[Anonymous], CLIMATE CHANGE 2007
[3]  
[Anonymous], ADV EN STUD CAN WE B
[4]  
[Anonymous], SPAN EL SYST 2012
[5]  
[Anonymous], LCA 13 1 3 OCT ORL F
[6]  
[Anonymous], INT MET CHECKL
[7]  
[Anonymous], WORLD DEV IND POW CO
[8]  
[Anonymous], 2008, ECOLOG ECO RES TRE
[9]  
[Anonymous], 2012, CO2 emissions from fuel combustion highlights
[10]  
[Anonymous], CARB FOOTPR NEXT STE