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Renewable Energy Resources: Regional Potential and Ecological Impact Assessment

Renewable Energy Resources: Regional Potential and Ecological Impact Assessment. Bernhard Zimmer Bavarian Institute for Sustainable Development Hosemannstraße 28 83451 Piding, Germany Contact: zimmer@bifne.de. Regional Potential. water power for generation of electricity

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Renewable Energy Resources: Regional Potential and Ecological Impact Assessment

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  1. Renewable Energy Resources:Regional Potential and Ecological Impact Assessment Bernhard Zimmer Bavarian Institute for Sustainable Development Hosemannstraße 2883451 Piding, Germany Contact: zimmer@bifne.de

  2. Regional Potential • water power for generation of electricity • wind power for generation of electricity • solar power for generation of heat and electricity (photovoltaics) • biomass for for generation of heat and electricity • biomass for biofuel and biogas production

  3. Utilization of solar power in Southern Germany

  4. Utilization of solar power in Southern Germany Districts of Traunstein and Berchtesgadener Land

  5. Strength of renewable energy resources • peripheral, local sources • local exploitation is possible • regional and local value creation (economic potential) • potential for small and medium-sized companies

  6. Weakness of renewable energy resources • uneven sources (e.g. wind, solar power) • renewable but not unlimited (e.g. biomasses) • not without impacts on environment • sometimes in competition to food production (e.g. cornbased biogas)

  7. Life Cycle Assessment, tool to estimate environmental impacts

  8. Impact Categoriesfor Natural Resources and Land Use input related categories(resource depletion or competition) • abiotic resources  (funds, flows) • biotic resources  (funds e.g. biodiversity) • Land output related categories(pollution) • global warming potential (GWP100) • depletion of stratospheric ozone • ecotoxicological impacts • human toxicological impacts • formation of photo-oxidants • acidification • eutrophication • odour • noise • radiation • casualties • ...

  9. LCA of wood chips was part of the project: • Supply of forest wood chips: • economical and environmental assessment (LCA) of current supply chains(3 years; Budget: 500.000 €) • Main task of the project was to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current supply chains as well as assessing their economical and environmental impacts.

  10. amount of energy based on Ho amount of energy based on Hu upper heating value (Ho) lower heating value (Hu) water content [%] mass of combustible per kg ovendried mass Relationsship between heating values and water content

  11. Supply chain – modules of investigation (LCA) different harvesting and hauling systems were investigated Forest management steady state chipping and mobil chipping on the forest roads Chipping transport by tractors and different trucks Transports loss of mass and heating value eg. by fungi Storage of wood chips Ash treatment Energy combustion Electricity Heat

  12. Harvesting traditional

  13. Harvesting and hauling - mechanized

  14. Feller-buncher-sytems - thinnings

  15. Bunching of forest residues

  16. Wood chips – forest chips

  17. Chipping

  18. Transport by tractor and agricultural systems

  19. Transport by trucks

  20. Transport by railway – long distance transports

  21. Transports: specific primary energy consumption Energy consumption [kWh/MWh] distance [km]

  22. Combined heat and power generation (up to 60 MW)

  23. Specific primary energy consumption

  24. Specific primary energy consumption

  25. Primary energy consumption versus Hu softwood – water content x=50%)scenario: „private forest owners“ harvesting hauling chipping wood:energy storage transports

  26. Primary energy consumption versus Hu softwood – water content x=50%)scenario: „private forest owners“ scenario: „feller-buncher-system“ harvesting hauling chipping wood:energy storage transports

  27. Energy balance of the supply chain

  28. carbon dioxide1851 kg water1082 kg solar energy 19100 MJ wood productionthroughphotosynthesis water541 kg water oxygen 1392 kg nutrientsN, P, K, Mg, Ca wood atro(softwood) 1000 kg

  29. Global warming potencial – GWP100

  30. Conclusions • Energy from wood chips is not only renewable and so called „CO2-neutral“. • Energy from wood has the additional benefit of the substitution of fossil fuels (e.g. heating-oil, natural gas) and therefore an „C-plus-effect“. • From worldwide point of view: as long as any energy is produced by fossil fuels this substitution effect can be considered.

  31. Thank you for your attention • Photos: B. Zimmer

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