Analysis On The Energy Consumption And Environmental Impact Of Solar Heating System Based On The Life Cycle Assessment

Solar energy with features of large quantity and clean, has been recognized as one type of renewable energy. As one of the most important way of Solar Thermal utilization, solar heating system has become a new method of heating, which attracting more and more attention all over the word after the development of recent decades. For the solar heating system in our country is still in the start stage, so the large-scale solar heating system are limited in number with many technical problems to be solved. As a newly emerging industry, the energy consumption and environment impact of solar heating system in life cycle are essential be carried out in a scientific way.With a complete set of evaluation system, Life Cycle Assessment(LCA) is a kind of important environmental management tool which can be used to analyze the energy consumption and environmental impact for solar heating system, as well as providing an effective method for solar heating system of energy-saving and environmental protection design. This paper, under the framework and theory of LCA, a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment model was carried out for solar heating system including raw material production and transportation, equipments production and installation, operation and maintenance, abandon and dispose. Abiotic depletion, global warming, acidification, photochemical ozone creation, eutrophication and human toxicity were considered in the phase of impact assessment.Then, taking a typical solar heating system in Tianjin as an example, life cycle inventory for solar heating system was compiled. Normalization and contribution analysis were conducted. The result was obtained that the stage of operation and maintenance & raw material production and transportation consumed the most energy in the life cycle of solar heating system, accounting for 62.5% and 36.6%. Abiotic depletion, global warming, acidification are the main environment impact categories, sharing the proportion for 32%, 25% & 18%. The process of operation and maintenance & raw material production and transportation presented significant influence on the environment, with the contribution of 75% and 24%, respectively.Finally, according to LCA results of solar heating system, strategies on energy saving & emission reduction was suggested, with the consideration of system design, materialization phase & operation management.