A Life Cycle Analysis of Hydrogen Production for Buildings and Vehicles
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0895-G02-04.1
A Life Cycle Analysis of Hydrogen Production for Buildings and Vehicles Kendra Tupper1 and Jan F. Kreider1 Building Systems Program, University of Colorado (Boulder) Boulder, CO 80309, U.S.A 1
ABSTRACT Aspects of the hydrogen economy are addressed by quantifying impacts and costs associated with a hydrogen-based energy infrastructure. It is recommended that hydrogen (H2) is produced from Solar Thermochemical (STC) Cycles and Wind Electrolysis, with the possible use of Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) to aid in the creation of a hydrogen infrastructure. Despite high impact assessment results from SimaPro, the external costs associated with Biomass gasification are shown to be comparable with those for Wind Electrolysis. Thus, biomass-produced hydrogen could also be a viable alternative, especially in areas ideally suited to the growth of energy crops. Finally, the most influential life cycle stages are the Manufacturing of the FCV and Hydrogen Production (except for the environmentally benign wind electrolysis). For the Wind/Electrolysis case, the majority of impacts come from plant construction. INTRODUCTION This paper assesses various aspects of the hydrogen economy by quantifying the impacts and external costs associated with a hydrogen based energy infrastructure. Along with the standard Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, the ExternE approach is used to make monetary quantifications and assessments. As the United States is looking to hydrogen as a possible energy source for the future, policymakers should be aware of the true costs and benefits associated with this energy economy. Considering life cycle impacts and external costs can help answer some crucial questions that currently energy policymakers are facing: 1. Should hydrogen replace coal, natural gas, and fuel oil as our source for electricity and transportation fuel? 2. If so, how should this hydrogen be produced? 3. Which stages of these life cycles contribute the largest impacts? Where should research efforts focus to lower the overall life cycle impacts? ExternE: Assessing external costs The production of energy from fossil fuels is associated with adverse human and environmental impacts. The use of energy causes damages to a wide range of receptors, including human health, natural ecosystems, and the built environment. Such damages, which have traditionally been ignored, are referred to as external costs, as they are not included in the market price of energy. The ExternE project, a research project of the European Commission, is the first comprehensive attempt to assess these environmental damage costs. This methodology applies an Impact Pathway Analysis (IPA) approach to quantify the dispersion and reaction of emissions. IPA is a bottom-up approach in which environmental impacts are traced along pathways from source emissions before being expressed in monetary benefits and costs. In order to express impacts in economic terms, monetary valuation must be applied to nonmarket costs. This is achieved by obtaining the willingness to p
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