The environmental impacts of renewable energy

1
The environmental impacts of renewable energy

• Prof. Luigi Toro
• Sapienza University of Rome
• Dept. Of Chemistry

2
Zeroimpact illusion

• Every type of energy utilization for electricity
  generation has environmental consequences,
  including renewable energies
• manufacture processes
• aesthetic impact
• use of large areas of land
• impact on the eco-system

3
Issues to be addressed in the EU-MENA energy
project

• Manufacture processes - 1
• Due to the large size of the systems involved,
  manufacture, installation, maintenance and
  ultimately disposition of all the system
  components are to be optimised and subjected to
  an LCA analysis.
• Each of these processes require some energy
  input, which might significantly reduce the
  overall energy balance.
• ACTIONS REQUIRED
• a) Development of rigorous process and
  activities
• integration
• b) Rigorous and quantitative LCA analysis

4
Issues to be addressed in the EU-MENA energy
project

• Manufacture processes - 2
  Should photovoltaic cells be considered, the
  hazardous materials contained in them (arsenic
  and cadmium) can pose a serious problem in areas
  subject to dust abrasion, such as deserts. Even
  silicon dust might pose a health problem.
• ACTIONS REQUIRED
• a) Study of the rates of removal of hazardous
  materials from atmospheric agents
• b) Development of reliable regional models for
  the atmospheric dispersion and dry and wet
  settling of particulates generated from solar
  modules

5
Issues to be addressed in the EU-MENA energy
project

• Aesthetic impact - 1
  
  
• The construction of wind turbines towers may
  reduce property values and natural amenities,
  damaging or preventing the development of tourist
  resort in both South European and North African
  coastlines.
• ACTION REQUIRED
• a) Contingent analysis to identify the locations
  suitable for the construction of wind turbine
  towers

6
Issues to be addressed in the EU-MENA energy
project

• Aesthetic impact - 2
  
  
• The construction of overhead transmission lines
  and other facilities of a HVDC grid (pylons and
  transmission towers) in scenic areas (i.e.
  across the Alps) can run into the strong
  opposition of local communities.
• This may require the underground siting of
  additional energy infrastructure elements. (This
  is already part of the plan for the upgrading of
  the electricity grid in Piedmont)
• ACTIONS REQUIRED
• a) Consider tunneling and micro tunneling, using
  the technology borrowed from oil field
  exploration
• b) Consider the simultaneous underground of
  additional facilities (pipelines, captured CO2
  ducts, etc.) to reduce costs.

7
Issues to be addressed in the EU-MENA energy
project

• Use of land
  
  
• While wind power does not pose any significant
  problem, solar energy does, unless on worthless
  soil (deserts).
• The use of energy crops sent prices soaring and
  created the 3F-conflict (Food - Feed - Fuel).
• ACTIONS REQUIRED
• a) Use wastes, refuses and lignocellulosic
  products or energy crops harvested in off-years
• b) Optimise the production of electricity, fuels
  and chemicals in integrated biorefineries

8
Issues to be addressed in the EU-MENA energy
project

• Impact on ecosystems
  
  
• The major impact reported for wind towers is bird
  deaths from electrocution or collisions with
  spinning rotors.
• Large extensions of concentrating solar systems
  might disturb migratory birds.
• ACTION REQUIRED
• a) Identify areas which are not included in
  migratory paths

9
Conclusions

• A quantitative analysis of the overall
  environmental impact of the EU-MENA energy
  project has not been carried out in detail yet.
• A number of actions have been identified for
  inclusion in a comprehensive environmental
  feasibility study