Optimum wind- and photovoltaic-based stand-alone systems on the basis of life cycle energy analysis

Energy Policy

Volumn 50, Issue , 2012, Pages 345-357

  Kaldellis, J K ^a   Zafirakis, D ^a   Stavropoulou, V ^a   Kaldelli, El ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WEST ATTICA   (Greece)

Author keywords

Embodied energy; Solar energy; Wind energy

Indexed keywords

AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS; BATTERY STORAGE; EMBODIED ENERGY; ENERGY ANALYSIS; ENERGY AUTONOMIES; ENERGY CONTENT; GRID-CONNECTED; REMOTE CONSUMERS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE; SOLAR POTENTIAL; STANDALONE SYSTEMS;

ENERGY MANAGEMENT; SOLAR ENERGY; WIND POWER;

LIFE CYCLE;

LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS; OPTIMIZATION; RENEWABLE RESOURCE; SOLAR POWER; WIND POWER;

EID: 84866952067     PISSN: 03014215     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2012.07.029     Document Type: Article

References (41)

1. Alkaner S., Zhou P. A comparative study on life cycle analysis of molten carbon fuel cells and diesel engines for marine application. Journal of Power Sources 2006, 158:188-199.
2. Alsema E.A., Nieuwlaar E. Energy viability of photovoltaic systems. Energy Policy 2000, 28:999-1010.
3. Alsema, E.A., Wild-Scholten, M.J., Fthenakis, V.M., 2006. Environmental Impacts of PV Electricity Generation-A Critical Comparison of Energy Supply Options, in: 21st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, Dresden, Germany, 4-8 September, 2006.
4. Baker J. New technology and possible advances in energy storage. Energy Policy 2008, 36:4368-4373.
5. Crawford R.H. Life cycle energy and greenhouse emissions analysis of wind turbines and the effect of size on energy yield. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2009, 13:2653-2660.
6. Electricity Storage Association (ESA), 2003. Technologies and Applications. Technology Comparisons, California, United States of America, Available at: (accessed in December 2011). http://electricitystorage.org.
7. Fthenakis V., Alsema E. Photovoltaics energy payback times, greenhouse gas emissions and external costs: 2004-early 2005 status. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications 2006, 14:275-280.
8. Fthenakis V.M., Kim H.C. Environmental impacts of photovoltaic life cycles. Comprehensive Renewable Energy 2012, 1:143-159.
9. Guezuraga B., Zauner R., Pölz W. Life cycle assessment of two different 2MW class wind turbines. Renewable Energy 2012, 37:37-44.
10. Hall P.J., Bain E.J. Energy-storage technologies and electricity generation. Energy Policy 2008, 36:4352-4355.
11. Kaldellis J.K. Optimum autonomous wind-power system sizing for remote consumers, using long-term wind speed data. Applied Energy 2002, 71:215-233.
12. Kaldellis J.K., Kavadias K.A. Cost-benefit analysis of remote hybrid wind-diesel power stations: case study Aegean Sea Islands. Energy Policy 2007, 35:1525-1538.
13. Kaldellis J.K., Kavadias K.A., Koronakis P.S. Comparing wind and photovoltaic stand-alone power systems used for the electrification of remote consumers. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2007, 11:57-77.
14. Kaldellis J.K., Zafirakis D., Kavadias K. Minimum cost solution of wind-photovoltaic based stand-alone power systems for remote consumers. Energy Policy 2012, 42:105-117.
15. Kaldellis J.K., Zafirakis D., Kondili E. Optimum autonomous stand-alone photovoltaic system design on the basis of energy pay-back analysis. Energy 2009, 34:1187-1198.
16. Kaldellis J.K., Zafirakis D., Kondili E. Energy pay-back period analysis of stand-alone photovoltaic systems. Renewable Energy 2010, 35:1444-1454.
17. 2 life-cycle analyses of wind turbines-review and applications. Renewable Energy 2002, 26:339-362.
18. Lenzen M., Wachsmann U. Wind turbines in Brazil and Germany: an example of geographical variability in life-cycle assessment. Applied Energy 2004, 77:119-130.
19. Mahmoud M.M., Ibrik I.H. Techno-economic feasibility of energy supply of remote villages in Palestine by PV-systems, diesel generators and electric grid. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2006, 10:128-138.
20. Martínez E., Sanz F., Pellegrini S., Jiménez E., Blanco J. Life cycle assessment of a multi-megawatt wind turbine. Renewable Energy 2009, 34:667-673.
21. McDonald N.C., Pearce J.M. Producer responsibility and recycling solar photovoltaic modules. Energy Policy 2010, 38:7041-7047.
22. Nandi S.K., Ghosh H.R. A wind-PV-battery hybrid power system at Sitakunda in Bangladesh. Energy Policy 2009, 37:3659-3664.
23. Nawaz I., Tiwari G.N. Embodied energy analysis of photovoltaic (PV) system based on macro- and micro-level. Energy Policy 2006, 34:3144-3152.
24. Nishimura A., Hayashi Y., Tanaka K., Hirota M., Kato S., Ito M., Araki K., Hu E.J. Life cycle assessment and evaluation of energy payback time on high-concentration photovoltaic power generation system. Applied Energy 2010, 87:2797-2807.
25. Perpinan O., Lorenzo E., Castro M.A., Eyras R. Energy payback time of grid connected PV systems: comparison between tracking and fixed systems. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research Applications 2009, 17:137-147.
26. Raugei M., Bargigli S., Ulgiati S. Life cycle assessment and energy pay-back time of advanced photovoltaic modules: CdTe and CIS compared to poly-Si. Energy 2007, 32:1310-1318.
27. Richards B.S., Watt M.E. Permanently dispelling a myth of photovoltaics via the adoption of a new net energy indicator. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2007, 11:162-172.
28. Roy A., Kedare S.B., Santanu B. Optimum sizing of wind-battery systems incorporating resource uncertainty. Applied Energy 2010, 87:2712-2727.
29. Rydh C.J., Sanden B.A. Energy analysis of batteries in photovoltaic systems. Part I: Performance and energy requirements. Energy Conversion and Management 2005, 46:1957-1979.
30. Sandia National Laboratories, 1991. Stand-Alone PV Systems-A Handbook of Recommended Design Practices. Photovoltaic Design Assistance Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico-USA.
31. Schleisner L. Life cycle assessment of a wind farm and related externalities. Renewable Energy 2000, 20:279-288.
32. Schmid A.L., Hoffmann C.A.A. Replacing diesel by solar in the Amazon: short-term economic feasibility of PV-diesel hybrid systems. Energy Policy 2004, 32:881-898.
33. Sherwani A.F., Usmani J.A., Varun Life cycle assessment of solar PV based electricity generation systems: a review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2010, 14:540-544.
34. Stoppato A. Life cycle assessment of photovoltaic electricity generation. Energy 2008, 33:224-232.
35. Tremeac B., Meunier F. Life cycle analysis of 4.5MW and 250W wind turbines. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2009, 13:2104-2110.
36. Watt M.E., Johnson A.J., Ellis M., Outhred H.R. Life cycle air emissions from PV power systems. Progress in Photovoltaics Research and Applications 1998, 6:127-136.
37. Wild-Scholten, M.J., Alsema, E., Horst, E.W., Bachler, M., Fthenakis, V.M., 2006a. A cost and environmental impact comparison of grid-connected rooftop and groundbased PV systems, in: 21st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, Dresden, Germany, 4-8 September, 2006.
38. Wild-Scholten, M.J., Alsema, E.A., 2005. The real environmental impacts of crystalline silicon PV modules: an analysis based on up-to-date manufacturers data, in: 20th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, Barcelona, Spain, 6-10 June, 2005.
39. Wild-Scholten, M.J., Alsema, E.A., 2006b. Environmental life cycle inventory of crystalline silicon photovoltaic module production, in: Proceedings of the Materials Research Society Symposium, San Francisco, California-USA, 8-21 April, 2006.
40. Wild-Scholten, M.J., Jungbluth, N., Tuchschmid, M., 2008. Life cycle assessment of photovoltaics: update of ecoinvent data V2.0, ECN-M-08-058, Available at: (10/12/2011). http://www.ecn.nl.
41. Zafirakis, D., Kavadias, K., Kaldellis, J.K., 2010. Optimization of Energy Autonomous Wind-Photovoltaic Hybrid Systems, in: World Renewable Energy Congress (WREC), Abu Dhabi, UAE, 25-30 September, 2010.