Life Cycle Assessment and External Environmental Cost Analysis of Heat Pumps

摘要

Since the last petroleum shortages, environmental aspects are becoming more important. This has driven the scientific community to find new environmentally friendly solutions that help to minimize exhaust emissions and natural resources depletion. To achieve this, the environmental implications as well as critical points involved in each process must be analyzed, making possible the design of the best environmental strategies. Life cycle assessment (LCA) consists of an ultimate tool that provides a comparison between products, process, or services, thus helping to develop environmental improvements. In the present work, an LCA of a building air conditioning air-air heat pump has been carried out. To accomplish this objective, two methodologies have been tested—the Eco-Indicator99 and the EPS2000. Emissions and environmental impact determination, including those produced during the heat pump manufacture as well as the ones produced during the heat pump functioning were the primary analyzed parameters. Finally, a comparative long-term profitability study between a heat pump and a gas boiler has been carried out. External costs due to the environmental impact were also considered. Results show that EPS2000 is mainly focused on the energetic and nonenergetic resources decrease, while the Eco-indicator99 methodology is mainly focused on human health. The main impacts are due to resources depletion, life expectancy, and refrigerant (EPS2000), and to respiratory effects of inorganic substances, carcinogenesis, and climatic change (Eco-indicator99). Also, long-term profitability studies reveal better results for the heat pump compared to the boiler. The longer the life expectancy, the higher the economic profitability of the heat pump. Furthermore, the heat pump provides an alternative that does not need any additional investment for cooling requirements during summertime, while the boiler does. This factor could double the boiler investment costs.