Piotrowska Katarzyna, Piasecka Izabela, Kłos Zbigniew, Marczuk Andrzej, Kasner Robert
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, 20-618 Lublin, Poland.
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 85-796 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Materials (Basel). 2022 Nov 4;15(21):7778. doi: 10.3390/ma15217778.
The conversion of kinetic energy from wind and solar radiation into electricity during the operation of wind and photovoltaic power plants causes practically no emissions of chemical compounds that are harmful to the environment. However, the production of their materials and components, as well as their post-use management after the end of their operation, is highly consumptive of energy and materials. For this reason, this article aims to assess the life cycle of a wind and photovoltaic power plant in the context of the sustainable development of energy systems. The objects of the research were two actual technical facilities-a 2 MW wind power plant and a 2 MW photovoltaic power plant, both located in Poland. The analysis of their life cycle was carried out on the basis of the LCA (life-cycle assessment) method, using the ReCiPe 2016 calculation procedure. The impact of the examined renewable energy systems was assessed under 22 impact categories and 3 areas of influence (i.e., human health, ecosystems, and resources), and an analysis was conducted for the results obtained as part of three compartments (i.e., air, water, and soil). The life cycle of the wind power plant was distinguished by a higher total potential negative environmental impact compared to the life cycle of the photovoltaic power plant. The highest levels of potential harmful impacts on the environment in both life cycles were recorded for areas of influence associated with negative impacts on human health. Emissions to the atmosphere accounted for over 90% of all emissions in the lifetimes of both the wind and the photovoltaic power plants. On the basis of the obtained results, guidelines were proposed for pro-ecological changes in the life cycle of materials and elements of the considered technical facilities for renewable energy sources, aimed at better implementation of the main assumptions of contemporary sustainable development (especially in the field of environmental protection).
在风力发电厂和光伏发电厂运行期间，将风能和太阳辐射的动能转化为电能，实际上不会产生对环境有害的化合物排放。然而，其材料和组件的生产，以及运行结束后的使用后管理，能源和材料消耗都很高。因此，本文旨在从能源系统可持续发展的角度评估风力发电厂和光伏发电厂的生命周期。研究对象是两个实际的技术设施——一个位于波兰的2兆瓦风力发电厂和一个位于波兰的2兆瓦光伏发电厂。基于生命周期评估（LCA）方法，使用ReCiPe 2016计算程序对它们的生命周期进行了分析。在22个影响类别和3个影响领域（即人类健康、生态系统和资源）下评估了所研究的可再生能源系统的影响，并针对作为三个部分（即空气、水和土壤）的一部分获得的结果进行了分析。与光伏发电厂的生命周期相比，风力发电厂的生命周期具有更高的总体潜在负面环境影响。在两个生命周期中，对环境潜在有害影响最高的是与对人类健康的负面影响相关的影响领域。在风力发电厂和光伏发电厂的整个生命周期中，向大气的排放占所有排放的90%以上。基于所得结果，针对所考虑的可再生能源技术设施的材料和元件生命周期中的生态友好型变化提出了指导方针，旨在更好地实施当代可持续发展的主要假设（特别是在环境保护领域）。
