Comparison Of Carbon Footprint Research Articles

Fly Ash from Coal Power Plants and its Application - a Step Towards Green Building

The utilization of fly ash, a byproduct from thermal power plants, in construction materials such as concrete, mortar, bricks, asphalt mixes, and binders for stabilization offers significant environmental and economic benefits. This comprehensive technical review delineates the historical background, current applications, and future potential of fly ash in reducing the construction industry's carbon footprint, particularly in Serbia. It outlines the successful integration of fly ash in various construction scenarios, emphasizing its role in enhancing material properties while contributing to sustainability by repurposing industrial waste. The document further explores the environmental advantages of fly ash use, highlighting its impact on lowering the carbon emissions associated with traditional cement and aggregate production. Through a detailed comparison of carbon footprints, the text argues for the adoption of fly ash in construction practices as a pathway towards achieving a carbon-neutral future. The discussion on the variable CO2 footprint of fly ash, influenced by production methods, underlines the importance of optimizing these processes to fully leverage its environmental benefits. This review underscores the need for the construction industry to embrace fly ash as a key component in materials, aiming for both performance improvement and sustainability, aligning with global efforts towards a CO2-neutral environment.

Carbon footprint comparison for technologies using frozen vegetable outgrades

When developing food production technologies, production processes carbon footprint (CF) detailed analysis is necessary to minimize greenhouse gas emissions to provide new, healthy, multivegetable products. Purpose of study was CF determination and optimization of technologies that use vegetable outgrade to produce products. A methodology has been developed for calculating the CF, both for frozen vegetables and new multivegetable products and, based on the assumptions made, a monitoring system for CF analysis at the production plant and in laboratory tests. Work scope included technological processes analysis with production cycle unit processes schemes development for determining CF measurement scope and calculating methodology. Portable process metering line was designed and implemented for energy consumption measurement in laboratory and industrial scale with volume and production cycles number. The data obtained, regarding CF parameters for different production variants, allowed optimizing the production process. CF analysis was carried out for the manufacturing of the obtained products (on a laboratory and/or technical scale), taking into account technological processes. Measurement ranges were determined and ways of counting CF under these conditions were developed. Based on the resulting database production CF of: vegeburgers (0.26–0.28 and 0.22–0.32 kg CO2/kg, experimental and industrial production, respectively), vegetable paste (0.10–0.18 kg CO2/kg) and liobatones (29 kg CO2/kg - 2 kg CO2/piece) were determined. On the basis of the analysis of unit processes (for vegeburger, paste, liobatone) it was found that the highest CO2 emissions occurred in the processes: blanching from 65% to 80% (in laboratory scale), frying from 75% to 86% (in industrial scale), pasteurization 94% (in industrial scale), freeze-drying 91% (in laboratory scale). Sustainable development of unit processes can reduce effects of climate change.

Comparison of Carbon Footprint, Environment Impact, Efficacy and Benefit–Cost Ratio of Insecticide Resistance Management with Conventional Methods used by Thai Chinese Cabbage Farmers

Aim To evaluate and compare the carbon footprint, efficacy, and benefit-cost ratios of Chinese cabbage grown via insecticide resistance management with two farming methods used by Thai farmers. Background Insecticide usage is currently being reduced by the employment of sustainable products and the promotion of environmentally friendly methods, thereby increasing the income of Chinese cabbage farmers in Thailand. Methods This study aims to evaluate the control of insect pests and marketable produce in Chinese cabbage using various methods. Pests were counted every five days, and the marketable produce was evaluated. Greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact were estimated using methodologies such as the environmental impact quotient, with the pesticide usage costs and benefit-cost ratios recorded. Results The study compared two farming methods with insecticide resistance management, revealing that in the growing of Chinese cabbage, the latter exhibited lower emissions per acre and kg. However, the environmental impact was higher in methods 1 and 2 due to the increased spray application involved. The insecticide resistance management method was found to effectively control pests and produce marketable produce with less total investment and labour expenses. Conclusion The study analysed the impact of farming practices and pesticide resistance management strategies on the environment and carbon emissions. The results showed that insecticide resistance management is more effective in reducing carbon emissions and positively impacting the environment while also providing a better benefit-cost ratio. However, the study suggests that education and continuous monitoring are required for effective resistance management. The findings also emphasise the need for adaptation to changing pests and the consideration of external factors such as market demand, climate change, and government policies to ensure long-term sustainability.

Towards Sustainable Battery Recycling: A Carbon Footprint Comparison between Pyrometallurgical and Hydrometallurgical Battery Recycling Flowsheets

The expected large growth in electric mobility presents challenges, such as requiring a very large amount of critical raw materials like nickel, cobalt, and lithium. Due to this expected growth significant amounts of production scrap from cell and battery manufacturing will be generated. Over the next decade, increasingly larger amounts of Li-ion batteries from electric vehicles will also reach their end-of-life. Hence, in order to close the loop, the development and industrialization of sustainable battery recycling flowsheets are key so that both production scrap and end-of-life batteries can be recycled back to their ‘battery grade’ building blocks. Battery recycling flowsheets are typically categorized into two categories: (1) ‘Pyro-Hydro’, a combination of battery smelting in a pyrometallurgical process, followed by the further refining of the alloy via hydrometallurgy; and (2) ‘(Thermo)mechanical-Hydro’, a combination of (thermo)mechanical pretreatment and further hydrometallurgical refining of the resulting black mass. In this paper, a carbon footprint analysis is presented comparing these two battery recycling approaches: ‘Pyro-Hydro’ and ‘Thermomechanical-Hydro’, taking into account the impact of the latest evolutions in process technology and efficiency. To facilitate this comparison, a prospective LCA was carried out for the respective flowsheets. The quantitative analysis shows that ‘Pyro-Hydro’ leads to the lowest overall carbon footprint but also that both ‘Pyro-Hydro’ and ‘Thermomechanical-Hydro’ flowsheets have their challenges and opportunities for decarbonization. The inclusion of the fate of side streams such as graphite and electrolyte in the analysis is shown to be critically important in order to gain an objective and complete view.

The Carbon Footprint of Thermal Insulation: The Added Value of Circular Models Using Recycled Textile Waste

The goal of climate neutrality by 2050 drives the building sector towards stricter control of processes and products, leading to a substantial reduction of embodied carbon throughout the life cycle. Many of the most used insulation materials have a high carbon footprint, mainly due to the production phase (from cradle to gate). The need to reduce these impacts has led to the implementation of materials whose predominant raw material is recycled material in order to reduce the embodied carbon. The contribution presents the results of a research work that analysed the potential of insulation materials obtained from textile waste, evaluating not only their energy performance but also, above all, their environmental impact in terms of carbon footprint. It starts from a state-of-the-art analysis of the main traditional and new-generation thermal insulation materials, not only in relation to performance but also to environmental impacts, in order to investigate the opportunities offered using insulation materials designed according to circular models (10R) and produced with industrial and/or post-consumer waste fabrics, through a carbon footprint comparison. To support the choice of this type of insulation, a multi-criteria evaluation method is proposed through which the comparative analysis of the most significant insulation products selected is carried out.

Innovative bio‐based steel envelope systems

AbstractThe INCSEB project is aimed at developing 5 ultra‐low carbon envelope systems made in steel and that incorporate innovative use of wood fiber insulation. The systems under development are: 3 sandwich panels (cladding, pitch & flat roofing), 2 claddings (double skin & façade with plank). INCSEB includes tests to study various behaviors: mechanical, fire, thermal calculation, acoustic insulation, air/water/vapor permeability. Interpretation and classification reports will be done for each type of test. 2 full scale prototypes will allow to estimate the durability in real life conditions. LCA indicators and comparison of carbon footprint (GWP) to conventional systems based on a real office building will be provided. An economic study of the projected price of the 5 systems compared to existing conventional systems is also planned. Besides, as far as the production of innovative panels is concerned, it appears that they can be integrated in current production lines. Finally, actions to facilitate the dissemination of results and industrial application will be organized: drafts of design and installation guides, publications, submission of 3 amendments to relevant EN standardization committees, workshop, BIM objects. Lastly, the manufacturers plan to apply for patents protection.

Carbon footprint comparison analysis of passenger car segment electric and ICE propelled vehicles in Kuwait

Considering the decrease in the fossil-fuel reserves and environmental drawbacks of internal combustion engine (ICE) propelled vehicles, the usage of alternative prime movers such as electric vehicles (EVs) has gained significant potential in the last decades. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are a few currently available examples of vehicle electrification. EVs have zero in-use emissions, however, depending on the region to be operated, well-to-wheel (WTW) emissions need to be considered for a realistic carbon footprint effect considering global warming (GW) analysis. Especially, considering the countries where the usage of renewable energy (RE) sources is extremely limited, such as Kuwait and other GCC countries, the benefit of EVs significantly decreases. Within this perspective in this study, an inclusive CO2 emissions analysis for two passenger segment vehicles with different prime movers are analyzed: ICE and electric motor (EM). Longitudinal vehicle models were developed via MATLAB/Simulink software for both prime mover configurations which are capable of simulating the fuel/energy consumption using Toyota Camry and Lexus UX 300e vehicles. The generated CO2 emissions by the two prime movers were compared using the previously generated Kuwait driving cycle (Kuwait DC). The results indicated that the use of BEVs generated fewer CO2 emissions nearly half the amount of what ICE propelled vehicles generated.

Pathways to net-zero farming: a carbon footprint comparison of vertical versus traditional agriculture

Pathways to net-zero farming: a carbon footprint comparison of vertical versus traditional agriculture

Lifecycle carbon footprint comparison between internal combustion engine versus electric transit vehicle: A case study in the U.S.

Since transportation accounts for a large portion of a city's overall greenhouse gas emissions, cities are looking to lessen this effect by replacing more internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) with electric vehicles (EVs). In this research, two vehicle models of comparable size from each category were compared using life cycle analysis (ICEV and EV). The ICEV is a Ford Transit van, while the EV is a Ford E-transit van, both of which are supposed to have a lifespan of 150,000 km for comparison. Carbon footprint for both vehicles is examined from cradle-to-grave: including raw material production, manufacturing, transportation, operation, and decommissioning. According to the findings, the carbon emissions produced per kilometer by an electric vehicle are considerably lower. The Ford transit van emits 469.1 gCO2-eq/km and the Ford E-transit van emits 363.2 gCO2eq/km during a vehicle's lifetime. The impact of electricity generating in each U.S. states on the carbon footprint of ICEVs and EVs showed that the use of renewable energy sources for power generation would result in a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Lifespan sensitivity analysis with 100000 km and 350000 km indicated that the longer life of a vehicle alters the efficiency balance in favor of an electric vehicle.

First Passenger Operation of a State-of-the-art Battery-Electric Multiple Unit (BEMU) in Germany

This paper presents the first fully approved battery-electric multiple unit in Germany in the last 60 years (Rittig, 2006). Furthermore, we describe the area of application and what to consider when deploying battery-electric trains. An economical and carbon footprint comparison is performed to show that even today the battery-electric train can be a viable alternative to diesel trains on regional lines. Under the given assumptions, a battery train fleet can be 20 % cheaper than a diesel fleet and the greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by up to 98 %. Finally, we present some preliminary results from the ongoing vehicle test operation.

Carbon Footprint Comparison of Bitcoin and Conventional Currencies in a Life Cycle Analysis Perspective

Carbon Footprint Comparison of Bitcoin and Conventional Currencies in a Life Cycle Analysis Perspective

Comparison of carbon footprint and water scarcity footprint of milk protein produced by cellular agriculture and the dairy industry

PurposeThis paper studies the carbon footprint and water scarcity footprint (WSF) of a milk protein, beta-lactoglobulin, produced by cellular agriculture and compares this to extracted dairy protein from milk. The calculations of the microbially produced proteins were based on a model of a hypothetical industrial-scale facility. The purpose of the study is to examine the role relative to dairy of microbially produced milk proteins in meeting future demand for more sustainably produced protein of high nutritional quality.MethodsThe evaluated process considers beta-lactoglobulin production in bioreactor cultivation with filamentous fungi T. reesei and downstream processing for product purification. The model considers four production scenarios in four different locations (New Zealand, Germany, US, and Australia) with a cradle-to-gate system boundary. The scenarios consider different sources of carbon (glucose and sucrose), different options for the fungal biomass treatment (waste or animal feed) and for the purification of the product. Allocation to biomass was avoided by considering it substituting the production of general protein feed. The carbon footprint and WSF (based on AWaRe factors) modelling is compared to calculations and actual data on extracted dairy protein production in NZ. The uncertainties of modelled process were addressed with a sensitivity analysis.Results and discussionThe carbon footprint of microbially produced protein varied depending on the location (energy profile) and source of carbon used. The lowest carbon footprint (5.5 t CO2e/t protein) was found with sucrose-based production in NZ and the highest (17.6 t CO2e/t protein) in Australia with the glucose and chromatography step. The WSF results varied between 88–5030 m3 world eq./t protein, depending on the location, type of sugar and purification method used. The avoided feed production had a bigger impact on the WSF than on the carbon footprint. Both footprints were sensitive to process parameters of final titre and protein yield from sugar. The results for milk protein were of similar magnitude, c.10 t CO2e/t protein and 290–11,300 m3 world eq./t protein.ConclusionsThe environmental impacts of microbially produced milk protein were of the same magnitude as for extracted dairy protein. The main contributions were sugar and electricity production. The carbon footprints of proteins produced by cellular agriculture have potential for significant reduction when renewable energy and more sustainable carbon sources are used and combined with evolving knowledge and technology in microbial production. Similarly, the carbon footprint of milk proteins can potentially be reduced through methane reduction technologies.

Embodied energy and carbon footprint comparison in wind and photovoltaic power plants

Embodied energy and carbon footprint comparison in wind and photovoltaic power plants

Comparison of carbon footprint and net ecosystem carbon budget under organic material retention combined with reduced mineral fertilizer

BackgroundExcessive application of chemical fertilizer has resulted in lower nitrogen uptake and utilization efficiency of crops, decreasing soil fertility, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and worse environmental pollution. Organic material retention is regard as the key to solve these problems. The objective of this study is to conduct an assessment of carbon budget under Astragalus sinicus L. and rice straw retention combined with reduced mineral fertilizer based on the 2-year field experiment in a paddy field in the south of China. The experiment was randomized complete block design including four treatments with triplicates: control CK (winter follow, 120 kg ha−1 N fertilizer for each rice season) and three treatments with Astragalus sinicus L. and rice straw retention named RA, RB, and RC (reduced N fertilizer by 15%, 27.5%, and 40% in each rice season).ResultsTreatments RA, RB, and RC increased greenhouse gas emissions by 9.30–101.25%, among which CH4 accounted for more than 60%; Carbon input of crops from treatments RA, RB, and RC increased by 2.25–12.10% compared with control CK over the 2 years. Though treatments RA, RB, and RC enhanced CO2 emissions, treatment RB decreased carbon footprint and became carbon sink.ConclusionsThe results of this study reveal that treatment RB (Astragalus sinicus L. and rice straw retention with reduced N fertilizer by 27.5%) is better in reducing chemical fertilizer amount, increasing crop yield and carbon input, which is more conductive to sustainable development of agriculture.

Single-use vs. reusable packaging in e-commerce: comparing carbon footprints and identifying break-even points

The market share of online retail has continued to grow over the past few years, most recently accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Individual shipments give rise to additional shipping packaging. Our carbon footprint comparison shows that reusable packaging is environmentally advantageous if it is reused often enough. To achieve this, however, political and economic incentives seem necessary.In Germany, the revenue of e-commerce amounted to over 68 billion euros in 2018 with over two billion shipments being delivered. Up to 30 percent of online retail’s carbon footprint comes from the use of shipping packaging. Reusable packaging could make a significant contribution to resource savings and waste avoidance. Few valid findings exist as to the environmental performance of reusable packaging systems in online retail. It is also difficult to ascertain which factors influence these results most (such as material, weight, number of cycles). Against this backdrop, we examined two types of reusable shipping packaging in terms of their CO2eq emissions: a reusable PP box and a reusable shipping bag. Both were then compared with single-use alter - natives. Compared to a single-use LDPE bag, the reusable shipping bag offered an environmental advantage after a few cycles, with the absolute carbon footprint of both bags depending on whether recycled material was used. For the reusable PP box, the break-even point was between 32 and 81 cycles, depending on which assumptions were made. For a broader application of reusable shipping packaging, further challenges arise, such as the cost-efficient design of return logistics or the optimization of the packaging design.

Assessing the carbon footprint of a university campus using a life cycle assessment approach

To respond to anthropogenic effects on the global climate system, higher education institutions are assessing and aiming to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the carbon footprint of Clemson University’s campus using a streamlined life cycle assessment approach. The carbon footprint sets a baseline for source specific evaluation and future mitigation efforts at Clemson University. Greenhouse gas emission sources presented in this carbon footprint include steam generation, refrigerants, electricity generation, electricity life cycle, various forms of transportation, wastewater treatment, and paper usage. This case study describes the approach used to quantify each greenhouse gas emission source, and discusses data assumptions and life cycles phases included to improve carbon footprint comparison with other higher education institutions. Results show that Clemson University’s carbon footprint for 2014 is approximately 95,000 metric tons CO2-equivalent, and 4.4 metric tons CO2-equivalent per student. Scope 1 emissions accounted for about 19% of the carbon footprint, while Scope 2 and 3 emissions each contributed nearly 41%. The largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions were electricity generation (41%), automotive commuting (18%), and steam generation (16%). Electricity generation from coal was 29% of the electricity generation resource mix and accounted for three-quarters of Clemson University’s GHG emissions associated with electricity.

Prospective carbon footprint comparison of hydrogen options

The Life Cycle Assessment methodology is often used to evaluate the environmental performance of hydrogen energy systems. However, even though hydrogen is usually seen as a strategic energy carrier for the future energy sector, there is a lack of case studies assessing its prospective life-cycle performance. In order to contribute to filling this gap, this work addresses a carbon footprint comparison of hydrogen options from a prospective standpoint. Four relevant hydrogen production pathways (steam methane reforming, grid-powered alkaline electrolysis, wind-powered alkaline electrolysis, and biomass gasification) under three time scenarios (reference, year 2030, and year 2050) are assessed, taking into account the expected evolution of key technical parameters such as efficiencies, lifespans, and the grid electricity mix. The results show a favourable carbon footprint of renewable hydrogen from biomass gasification and wind electrolysis, with a relatively steady near-zero carbon footprint. Despite the unfavourable carbon footprint results of conventional hydrogen from steam methane reforming and hydrogen from grid electrolysis, the latter is associated with a rapid trend towards a suitable long-term carbon footprint.

Carbon footprint comparison of three different mine tailings management using a life cycle assessment approach

One of the potential risks in the mining operation is tailings management. Some environmental incidents occurred were associated with tailings. This paper investigated the carbon footprint of three different mine tailings management using life cycle assessment (LCA) and The Australian indicator set method was applied to assess the carbon footprint. Those three different mine tailings management were tailings paste (OPT 1), thickened tailings (OPT 2) and OPT 1 improvement. The extended strategies for OPT 1 were also proposed by improving flotation technology and introducing renewable energy sources (OPT 1A-G). These strategies changed fine coal segregation technology from column flotation to stack cell (OPT 1A) and substituted fossil fuels to renewable energy with the various reduction percentage of 10%, 30%, 50% (OPT 1B-G). The results of the analyses show that OPT 1 generated the highest carbon footprint compared to the base case scenario (OPT 2). Replacing column flotation with stack cell contributed to the reduction of carbon footprint by 18%. The renewable energy (the wind and solar) utilization of 10%, 30%, and 50% affected vary on the carbon footprint reduction from 24% to 44%.

Evaluating the Travel Demand using E-Bike on Campus

Nowadays, Malaysia is facing real problem on traffic issues such as traffic congestion, deficiency of land for parking space and increasing vehicle volume. Cycling is one of alternative approach of transportation to overcome traffic issues. This objective of this study is to forecast the travel demand using E-bike in University and comparison of carbon footprint reduces between E-bikes and motorize vehicle. UNITEN has launched a program called Electric Palled-Assisted Biked (EPAB) as topromotes the usage of E-Bikes as their main mode of transportation in UNITEN Putrajaya campus. All the travellingdata have been recording using Application Strava. The CO2 emission and fuel cost for those particular tripshave also addressed in these studies.The result found that 107.27 daily trips were generated by E-bikes in UNITEN Putrajaya campus. The study also found that 88 percent of CO2emission is reduced when substituting car with E-bikes. An astonishing 560.918kg of CO2 was prevented from releasing to the atmosphere. Cycling has been proven as one of alternative option in developed countries to reduce the vehicle volume on the road. Further studies on these topic is highly recommend by increasing the number of participant in future.

Comparison of carbon footprint of traditional agroforestry systems under rainfed and irrigated ecosystems

Untenable expansion of cultivated lands and intensive agriculture accentuating the release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere are warranting need for effective strategies to reduce the emission of green house gases associated with land use. Tree-based land use system has been emphasized as an effective strategy across ecological regions and farming situations as the most effective farmer-friendly technology limiting GHGs emission. The present study, therefore, was aimed to assess footprint and the annual fluxes of C in different traditional agroforestry systems in contrasting ecosystems to seek a way forward to mitigate climate change. The study revealed higher net C gain in rainfed ecosystem in agricultural system (3925.85 kg CE ha−1) followed by agroforestry systems with trees grown on the boundary (3868.03 kg CE ha−1) followed by trees scattered on farm land (3763.78 kg CE ha−1) and on field bunds (3752.53 kg CE ha−1). However, higher C sustainability index was with scattered planting of trees (30.35) followed by boundary planting (30.31), bund planting (29.54) and agricultural system (26.96). In irrigated ecosystem, higher C gain was in boundary planting of trees (6579.46 kg CE ha−1) followed by silvihorti (6539.96 kg CE ha−1) and bund planting (6051.59 kg CE ha−1), but was the lowest in crops alone (5850.46 kg CE ha−1) and in tree blocks (5121.59 kg CE ha−1). However, higher C sustainability index occurred with block plantation (537.28) followed by boundary planting (40.99), bund planting (37.15), agricultural system (36.56) and silvihorti system (18.58). Further, it was observed that among the inputs used chemical fertilizers contributed more towards GHGs emission in both the ecosystems (76% of the total emission). In the contrasting ecosystems, bund and boundary planting agroforestry systems were more sustainable in terms C efficiency and offered better food security unlike block plantation, and partial substitution of chemical fertilizer helped reduce C emission. Overall, the agroforestry land use systems proved highly sustainable on long-term basis and hence need promotion.