Life cycle energy assessment of a standby diesel generator set

The global demand for emergency standby power (ESP) diesel generators continues to grow because of increasing population and urbanization in developing countries. In order to better understand and further reduce the environmental impact of these products, the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was applied to an 455 kW ESP diesel generator set to quantify the energy demands of each life cycle stage: materials, manufacturing, transportation, use, and end-of-life disposal. The life cycle inventory (LCI) was completed based on the information acquired from the manufacturing company and its suppliers, and the impact assessment, i.e., energy demand calculation was done using the data from the Ecoinvent and the Inventory of Carbon and Energy (ICE) databases. The results revealed that, similar to on-highway engines, diesel generators consumed most energy (>95% of the entire life cycle) during the use phase, followed by materials, transportation, and then manufacturing. Therefore, increasing fuel efficiency will have the largest energy and potentially environmental benefits. Printed circuit boards (PCBs), although of small mass, accounted for ∼35% of energy demands during the materials stage. The materials-related energy demands can be considerably reduced by increasing remanufacturing and recycling rates. Results from this study are expected to help the genset manufacturers to optimize their product design, supply chain, and service so as to minimize the lifetime environmental impact of the product.