Abstract
Introduction
New and innovative technologies may claim substantial efficiency gains in the future. However, they are often assessed based on their current performance, measured in the laboratory or in pilot plants. The goal of discussion forum 38 was, on one hand, to shed light on the main drivers and principles that ensure a sensible and fair assessment of far future technologies. On the other hand, the most recent European developments in prospective technology assessment of emerging energy technologies and the related quantification of external costs were touched upon.
Discussion
The discussion forum started with three talks dedicated to external costs and multicriteria decisions presenting results of the New Energy Externality Developments for Sustainability project. After three presentations considering long-term LCI modeling aspects, lectures were held covering industry implementation and case studies. The following main conclusions were drawn at the end of discussion forum 38: (a) life cycle assessment (LCA) is considered a useful tool for environmental assessments of future energy technology, (b) consistency in LCA modeling of future situations is achieved by adapting data in the foreground (electricity-generating technology) and in the background (electricity supply mix, material manufacture, transport services, etc.), (c) external cost assessments and multicriteria decision analysis involve value judgments and thus do lead to a variety of different conclusions, (d) the present situation must be known properly to be able to model possible future situations, and (e) challenges are the data availability and definition of consistent scenarios of the future.
References
ecoinvent Centre (2006) ecoinvent data v1.3, final ecoinvent reports no. 1–16. ISBN 3-905594-38-2. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Duebendorf, Switzerland. Available at http://www.ecoinvent.org
Goedkoop M, Spriensma R (2000) The Eco-Indicator 99: a damage oriented method for life cycle impact assessment. PRé Consultants, Amersfoort, The Netherlands. Available at http://www.pre.nl/eco-indicator99/
NEEDS (2009) NEEDS—new energy externalities developments for sustainability. Available at www.needs-project.org. Accessed on June 29, 2009
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Frischknecht, R., Büsser, S. & Krewitt, W. Environmental assessment of future technologies: how to trim LCA to fit this goal?. Int J Life Cycle Assess 14, 584–588 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-009-0120-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-009-0120-6