Kelly, C L (2019) Development of a site selection tool based in life cycle assessment (LCA), for tidal power schemes. PhD thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, UK.
Abstract
This thesis discusses the development of a site selection tool for positioning Tidal Stream Generators (TSG) with respect to both the financial and environmental impact that the site selection process has. This is particularly important due to the current commercialisation of the tidal stream industry, which is presently transitioning from testing and refining device designs to fully functioning device deployment and even tidal stream arrays.Tidal power is billed as a green and renewable energy source that has the advantage of being reliable and predictable. However, current site selection techniques typically look purely at the feasibility and the financial elements of a project. The methodology proposed in this thesis combines the results from a typical Technical Feasibility Study (TFS) with a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to account for the Global Warming Potential (GWP) that occurs during the life cycle of a TSG. These results are combined with respect to a user-defined weighting system that will enable the user to weigh the importance of each of these elements. This results in the creation of a novel decision-making support tool for site selection of tidal devices, with both financial and environmental assessment aspects right at its core.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Blanco-Davis, E; Wang, J and Davies, P |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | renewable energy; environmental assessment; environmental impact; feasibility study; life cycle |
| Index terms: | life cycle assessment, global warming, feasibility study, environmental assessment, renewable energy, renewable energy source, stream, decision-making, methodology, site selection, environmental impact, life cycle, testing |
| Subjects: | energy systems, design stages, value management, decision analysis, water management, professional practice, environmental impact, climate science, cognitive psychology, research methods |
| Topics: | Sustainability, Risk Management, Project Management, Engineering Principles, Research Practice, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
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