Life cycle assessment of a small wind turbine with vertical axis in France

Abstract

The growing consumption, joined to the steady increase of the prices in non renewable sources and the fact that more people is starting to realize that human race are undermining the planet’s regenerating bio-capacity and also the natural ecosystems have had as consequence a popularization of renewable energies which do not use fossil fuels. Among the available alternatives wind energy is one of the best sources because it is endless. In particular, an option that is gaining strength particularly for remote rural areas and small businesses or individuals are the small wind turbines. In this project the reader will find a life cycle assessment of a mini wind turbine. This turbine will be located near the city of Valenciennes in the north of France. To carry out the project a full life cycle inventory of the turbine has been conducted which has required various exchanges of information with the turbine seller, in addition to an exhaustive analysis of all the materials and processes detailed in the technical documentation of the turbine. Later on, a life cycle impact assessment has been carried out. To perform this analysis a specialized tool in LCA has been used which contains a comprehensive database with specific processes including the energy chain starting from the extraction of raw materials. Finally, a small analysis of the results is shown along with a series of instructions on what to do to extend the study of the results and give more precision to them.