Multi-disciplinary evaluation of future electricity generation technologies

A broad portfolio of eighteen fossil, nuclear and renewable electricity generation technologies, together with their associated energy chains, were the focus of a comprehensive LCA based project to compare sustainability performances of electricity supply in Switzerland. The study used two time frames to assess the technologies currently considered as the best available and their evolutionary development up to 2030. Both large centralized power plants as well as smaller decentralized units were used and the study included electricity imports.

Report
Project overview and main results

Publications
Bauer, C., Dones, R., Heck, T., Hirschberg, S. (2006) Comparative environmental assessment of current and future electricity supply technologies for Switzerland. Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis, Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), Villigen PSI, Switzerland
Roth, S., Hirschberg, S., Bauer, C., Burgherr, P., Dones, R., Heck, T., Schenler, W. (2009) Sustainability of electricity supply technology portfolio. Annals of Nuclear Energy, 36, 409–416. doi: 10.1016/j.anucene.2008.11.029