Life Cycle Assessment of electricity production from renewable energies: review and results harmonization

A signifi cant number of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analyses of renewable energy technologies isavailable in the literature, even though there is a lack of consistent conclusions about the life cycleimpacts of the different technologies. The reported results vary consistently, according to the size andthe technology of the considered plant, thus limiting the utility of LCA to inform policy makers andconstituting a barrier to the deployment of a full awareness on sustainable energies. This variability inLCA results, in fact, can generate confusion regarding the actual environmental consequences ofimplementing renewable technologies. The article reviews approximately 50 papers, related to morethan 10 0 different case studies regarding solar energy (Concentrated Solar Power, Photovoltaic), windpower, hydropower, and geothermal power. A methodology for the harmonization of the results ispresented. The detailed data collection and the results normalization and harmonization allowed a morereliable comparison of the various renewable technologies. For most of the considered environmentalindicators, wind power technologies turn out to be the low end while geothermal and PV technologiesthe high end of the impact range where all the other technologies are positioned.