Life cycle analysis of solar thermal systems in hotel buildings

Abstract

This paper evaluates the environmental impact of solar thermal systems in hotel buildings using LCA approach. The energy and the environmental performances of one of the most common renewable technologies have been studied: the solar thermal systems for space heating and domestic hot water production (solar combi systems). A life cycle assessment has been performed following the international standards of ISO 14040 series, supported by GaBi software. The aim is to trace the energy system’s environmental impact related to its life cycle. A comprehensive review of similar analysis for energy systems is presented, and the results are compared with the ones derived from conventional systems as well as other renewable energy technologies. The results presented in this paper include the analysis of the production, disposal and transportation of the materials and energy used for the manufacturing processes of the building’s energy systems.