Abstract
Increasing needs for taller wind turbines with bigger capacities, intended for places with high wind velocities or at higher altitudes, have led to new technologies in the wind energy industry. A recently introduced structural system for onshore wind turbine towers is the hybrid steel tower. Comprehension of the environmental response of this hybrid steel structural system is warranted. Even though life cycle assessments (LCAs) for conventional wind turbine tubular towers exist, the environmental performance of this new hybrid structure has not been reported. The present paper examines the LCA of 185 m tall hybrid towers. Considerations made for the LCA procedure are meticulously described, including particular attention at the erection and transportation stage. The highest environmental impacts arise during the manufacturing stage followed by the erection stage. The tower is the component with the largest carbon emissions and energy requirements. The obtained LCA footprints of hybrid towers are also compared to the literature data on conventional towers, resulting in similar environmental impacts.
Highlights
With increasing CO2 emissions, there is an urgent demand for environmental awareness and sustainable design and construction
A significant reduction of the carbon emissions can be achieved with the use of renewable energy sources, such as solar radiation, movement of water, geothermal and wind energy [1]
The results of the life cycle assessments (LCAs) of the wind turbine towers are usually assessed by determining (a) the global warming potential (GWP), in which the emissions of greenhouse gases are evaluated; (b) the abiotic depletion (AD), which is one of the most prevalent impact categories of LCA and includes the depletion of non-renewable resources; and (c) the energy payback time (EPT), which shows the duration the wind energy system has to operate in order to produce the amount of energy that was necessitated throughout its entire life
Summary
With increasing CO2 emissions, there is an urgent demand for environmental awareness and sustainable design and construction. The results of the LCA of the wind turbine towers are usually assessed by determining (a) the global warming potential (GWP), in which the emissions of greenhouse gases are evaluated; (b) the abiotic depletion (AD), which is one of the most prevalent impact categories of LCA and includes the depletion of non-renewable resources; and (c) the energy payback time (EPT), which shows the duration the wind energy system has to operate in order to produce the amount of energy that was necessitated throughout its entire life. Focus has been previously placed upon common forms of tubular towers, while any research results on hybrid towers has not been reported Aiming to address this knowledge gap, this paper presents a comprehensive LCA targeting in a better understanding of the environmental performance of the recently introduced tall onshore hybrid steel wind turbine towers.
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