Статья

Energy Return on Energy Invested (ERoEI) for photovoltaic solar systems in regions of moderate insolation: A comprehensive response

Marco RaugeiCenter for Life Cycle Analysis, Columbia University, New York, NY, USASgouris SgouridisDepartment of Engineering Systems and Management, Masdar Institute, United Arab EmiratesDavid J. MurphyDepartment of Environmental Studies, St. Lawrence University, NY, USAVasilis FthenakisCenter for Life Cycle Analysis, Columbia University, New York, NY, USARolf FrischknechtTreeze, SwitzerlandChristian BreyerSchool of Energy Systems, Lappeenranta University of Technology, FinlandUgo BardiDepartment of Chemistry, University of Florence, ItalyC. J. BarnhartHuxley College of the Environment and Institute for Energy Studies, Western Washington University, WA, USAAlastair BuckleyDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, UKMichael Carbajales‐DaleEnvironmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USADénes CsalaDepartment of Engineering, Lancaster University, UKM.J. de Wild ScholtenGarvin HeathMechanical Engineering Department, University of Colorado, CO, USAArnulf Jäger‐WaldauEuropean Commission Joint Research Centre, BelgiumChristopher JonesTyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Manchester, UKA. C. KellerEnrica LeccisiDepartment of Science and Technology, Parthenope University of Naples, ItalyPierluigi MancarellaSchool of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester, UKNicola PearsallDepartment of Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering, Northumbria University, UKA. SiegelW.C. SinkeInstitute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, NetherlandsPhilippe StolzTreeze, Switzerland

2017en

ABI

Аннотация

A recent paper by Ferroni and Hopkirk (2016) asserts that the ERoEI (also referred to as EROI) of photovoltaic (PV) systems is so low that they actually act as net energy sinks, rather than delivering energy to society. Such claim, if accurate, would call into question many energy investment decisions. In the same paper, a comparison is also drawn between PV and nuclear electricity. We have carefully analysed this paper, and found methodological inconsistencies and calculation errors that, in combination, render its conclusions not scientifically sound. Ferroni and Hopkirk adopt ‘extended’ boundaries for their analysis of PV without acknowledging that such choice of boundaries makes their results incompatible with those for all other technologies that have been analysed using more conventional boundaries, including nuclear energy with which the authors engage in multiple inconsistent comparisons. In addition, they use out-dated information, make invalid assumptions on PV specifications and other key parameters, and conduct calculation errors, including double counting. We herein provide revised EROI calculations for PV electricity in Switzerland, adopting both conventional and ‘extended’ system boundaries, to contrast with their results, which points to an order-of-magnitude underestimate of the EROI of PV in Switzerland by Ferroni and Hopkirk.

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Идентификаторы

DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2016.12.042

Цитирования и источники

Цитирований: 2Использованных источников: 0

Показатели — AkademScholar