Item Details
Skip Navigation Links
   ActiveUsers:1547Hits:20992021Skip Navigation Links
Show My Basket
Contact Us
IDSA Web Site
Ask Us
Today's News
HelpExpand Help
Advanced search

In Basket
  Journal Article   Journal Article
 

ID171524
Title ProperDifferences in CO2 emissions of solar PV production among technologies and regions
Other Title Informationapplication to China, EU and USA
LanguageENG
AuthorBergh, Jeroen C J M van den ;  Liu, Feng
Summary / Abstract (Note)A widespread implicit assumption is that renewable energy options are approximately low-carbon. However, production and life cycles of such technologies tend to produce CO2 emissions. To minimize life-cycle emissions, one should account for such emissions and implement adequate policies to encourage innovation and adoption of well-performing technologies in this respect. We develop a framework to analyse this issue, grounded in the concepts of ‘energy return on energy invested’ (EROI) and ‘net energy return on carbon invested’ (EROC). Applying these to the main PV technologies and production regions – namely China, EU and USA – displays considerable discrepancies. We conditionally predict the development of average EROI and EROC over time under business-as-usual and low-carbon electricity generation scenarios. A main policy lesson is that without a systemic policy instrument, such as carbon pricing, incentives for low-carbon production of renewable energy options are too weak, which likely will delay a complete transition to a low-carbon economy.
`In' analytical NoteEnergy Policy Vol.138; Mar 2020: p.111234
Journal SourceEnergy Policy 2020-03 138
Key WordsClimate Policy ;  Life - Cycle Assessment ;  EROI ;  EROC ;  PV Technologies