A Life Cycle Assessment of the Environmental and Human Health Impacts of Emerging Energy Storage Technology Deployment
Assessing health and safety implications of emerging energy storage technologies
University of California, Irvine
Recipient
Irvine, CA
Recipient Location
37th
Senate District
73rd
Assembly District
$598,901
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
Results from the life cycle assessment suggest that Vanadium-Redox flow battery exhibited the highest environmental impacts and potential human health hazards, and the highest material cost -- $491/kWh across its life cycle. These impacts are attributable to the carbon emission intensity and high market prices for materials used to produce the vanadium pentoxide electrolyte. Production of the All-Iron flow battery exhibited the lowest impacts according to 6 of the 8 environmental indicators as well as the lowest potential human health hazards, and material costs of $196/kWh. Production of the Zinc-Bromide flow battery exhibited environmental and human health impacts at a level between the other two battery chemistries, and the lowest materials costs of $153/kWh. These results are very sensitive to assumptions about the life cycle inventories and the materials chosen for these specific systems.
The Issue
Scalable stationary energy storage is a critical component for facilitating the increased integration of renewable resources and meeting California's energy goals. However, the information about environmental and human health impacts of the emerging large-scale energy storage technologies, especially flow batteries, is largely incomplete. A better understanding of the potential issues associated with the life cycle supply chain will enable these technologies to be scaled to the capacity levels necessary for providing widespread grid services without creating negative externalities.
Project Innovation
This project investigated whether flow batteries are a viable option for providing grid energy storage at the large scale, either in place of or alongside lithium-ion battery technology. The researchers are examining a life cycle-based characterization of the environmental impacts and resource usage associated with three chemistries of flow batteries (Vanadium Redox (V2O5), Zinc-Bromide (ZnBr), and Iron-Sodium (FeNa)). The research focused on materials use, energy use, and toxic waste outputs of the life cycle phases of each flow battery type, including materials extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal or recycling as applicable.
Project Benefits
This project provides guidance for California policymakers and planning agencies for selecting emerging energy storage technologies that can facilitate the increased uptake of renewable resources and decarbonization of California's energy system, helping safeguard the environment and public health. This study is a first of its kind for flow battery technology and provides the knowledge base needed for flow batteries to be deployed in a safe and environmentally sensitive manner.
Environmental Sustainability
This project provides information that can be used to avoid or reduce environmental and safety issues that could result from the scale-up of energy storage technologies. Environmental impacts of flow battery are driven by the materials chosen in the design stage. Therefore, different system designs may substitute these materials.
Key Project Members
Brian Tarroja
Match Partners
University of California, Irvine
