Title:
Externalities Assessment of Wood Energy in Switzerland
Author(s):
Heck, T.
Document(s):
Paper
Slide presentation
Abstract:
Trends of externalities of wood combustion in Switzerland are assessed. The total amount of wood combustion in Switzerland tended to increase significantly during the past two decades. Due to the partial shift from small wood appliances with high emission factors to larger systems with low emission factors, the overall external costs remained almost constant during this period. Contributions from direct appliance emissions and indirect contributions from the rest of the life cycle chain are considered. Open issues of the environmental impact and life cycle assessment methods are discussed and improvements are proposed. The "semi-regionalized approach" combining spatially differentiated environmental impact pathway analysis with full chain life cycle analysis is explained in a general way and in view of further developments. Effects of aerosols on climate are discussed. Estimates of health impacts based on a pulse emission model are derived. Optimized systems for the use of wood energy are discussed. The "life cycle energy penalties" of complex systems compared to simple systems are estimated. Cost-benefit analysis shows that there is a net benefit of emission reduction (electrostatic precipitators) for large wood systems.
Keywords:
biomass, emissions, life cycle assessment (LCA), sustainability, environmental impacts, externalities assessment
Topic:
Biomass Policies, Markets and Sustainability
Subtopic:
Markets, Investments & Financing
Event:
23rd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
4CO.1.3
Pages:
1393 - 1401
ISBN:
978-88-89407-516
Paper DOI:
10.5071/23rdEUBCE2015-4CO.1.3
Price:
FREE
