| dc.description.abstract | Energy storage is an important step for reducing peak energy demand and can contribute to reducing the fossil fuel energy demand by storing renewable energy. Off grid applications can have a fluctuating energy demand that is most of the time delivered by a Diesel generator set. However, it is also possible to deliver this energy demand by an Energy Storage System. Although storage systems often have no direct GHG emissions, indirect emissions can lead to problem shifting by for example a reduction of direct CO2 emissions but an increase in land use, fine dust formation, or abiotic depletion. This can also be the case with a relative new technology, developed by Greener Power Solutions, a 330 kWh mobile battery system. A Life Cycle Assessment method is applied for this technology and compared with a Diesel generator set, a technology that has direct emissions and can be used in the same applications as the battery. The aim for this study was to provide a transparent inventory for both the battery and the generator set, to create a detailed overview of the environmental impact from cradle-to-grave. In order to create a fair comparison, multiple factors are taken into account e.g. lifetime of both technologies, efficiency due to internal losses of the battery, and efficiency of the genset due to a non-optimal operating point. In the most realistic scenario, the Global Warming Potential of the Greener battery is 53.3% of the total CO2 emissions from the Diesel generator set. The Fine Particulate Matter Formation is 27.5% PM2.5 eq compared to the total FPMF emissions from the Diesel generator. The robustness of the study was tested by creating scenarios for the production and the use phase with different charge methods and electricity sources. The use phase has the largest environmental impact for both technologies. Therefore it is advised to Greener Power Solutions to charge the battery by renewable energy wherever possible and to avoid charging it by a Diesel generator set, although this can run at a more efficient operating point when using a battery system. This study is executed in the hope of mitigating climate change by analysing the potential of a widely used energy storage system to reduce GHG emissions. | |
