Systematic Assessment of Carbon Emissions from Renewable Energy Access to Improve Rural Livelihoods
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Cherni, JA
Olalde Font, R
Serrano, L
Henao, F
Urbina, A
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
One way of increasing access to electricity for impoverished unconnected areas without adding significant amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere is by promoting renewable energy technologies. However, decision-makers rarely, if ever, take into account the level of in-built energy requirements and consequential CO2 emissions found in renewable energy, particularly photovoltaic cells and related equipment, which have been widely disseminated in developing countries. The deployment of solar panels worldwide has mostly relied on silicon crystalline cell modules, despite the fact that less polluting material—in particular, thin film and organic cells—offers comparatively distinct technical, environmental and cost advantages characteristics. A major scientific challenge has thus been the design of a single decision-making approach to assess local and global climate change-related impacts as well as the socio-economic effects of low-carbon technology. The article focuses on the functions of the multi-criteria-based tool SURE-DSS and environmental impact analysis focused on greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions balance to inform the selection of technologies in terms of their impact on livelihoods and CO2eq. emissions. An application in a remote rural community in Cuba is discussed. The results of this study show that while PV silicon (c-Si), thin film (CdTe) and organic solar cells may each equally meet the demands of the community and enhance people’s livelihoods, their effect on the global environment varies.
Date Issued
2016-12-19
Date Acceptance
2016-12-08
Citation
Energies, 2016, 9 (12)
ISSN
1996-1073
Publisher
MDPI AG
Journal / Book Title
Energies
Volume
9
Issue
12
Copyright Statement
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. (CC BY 4.0).
License URL
Sponsor
Department for International Development (UK) (DFID)
Grant Number
R8018
Subjects
Science & Technology
Technology
Energy & Fuels
photovoltaic technologies
multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA)
life-cycle analysis (LCA)
rural energy and development
SURE-DSS
SOLAR HOME SYSTEMS
LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT
PAY-BACK TIME
PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS
PV MODULES
CELLS
BATTERIES
EFFICIENCIES
CONSUMPTION
EXPERIENCE
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
1086