Emission factors for energy sources (Resource)
Description: This page provides a table with emission factors from the IPCC; and a second table for compiling sources for emission factors for various energy sources. These emission factors can be used to estimate the carbon-intensity of said energy sources (e.g., hydrocarbons, solar, wind, etc.).
Note: For now this is a single page; it may eventually be expanded into multiple pages. Editors are free to do as much and request that a link to the energy-source specific page to be included on this Resource page.
Contents
What are emission factors?
Emission factors are greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit of activity data, e.g., kg CO2e per unit energy use. Refer to greenhouse gas conversion factors to convert non-CO2 greenhouse gases.
Approximate emission factors
| Product Sub-Category | Life cycle gram CO2e/kWh, Median
(exclusively electric energy)[1] |
Type of energy generated |
|---|---|---|
| Coal[2] | 820[3] | Heat (thermal) & Electric. |
| Oil[2] | n/a | Heat (thermal) & Electric. |
| Gas[2] | 490[4] | Heat (thermal) & Electric. |
| Biomass (cofiring/dedicated) | 740/230 | Heat (thermal) & Electric. |
| Solar PV (utility) | 48 | Electric. |
| Solar PV (rooftop) | 41 | Heat (thermal) & Electric. |
| Geothermal | 38 | Heat (thermal) (predominantly). |
| Concentrated solar power (CSP) | 27 | Electric. |
| Hydropower | 24 | Electric (predominantly) |
| Nuclear | 12 | Electric. |
| Wind (offshore) | 12 | Electric. |
| Wind (onshore) | 11 | Electric. |
| Ocean (tidal) | Pre-commercial. | Electric. |
| CCS -- Coal (Oxyfuel) | Pre-commercial | Heat (thermal) & Electric. |
| CCS -- Coal (PC)[3] | Pre-commercial | Heat (thermal) & Electric. |
| CCS -- Coal (IGCC)[5] | Pre-commercial | Heat (thermal) & Electric. |
| CCS -- Gas (Combined Cycle) | Pre-commercial | Heat (thermal) & Electric. |
| Bioenergy | n/a | Heat (thermal) & Electric. |
Emission factor and/or life cycle analysis sources
Coal, Oil and Gas are hydrocarbons.[2]
| Name | What? | Type | Format | Free? | Date updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of energy sources | Wikipedia page. | Article | Website | Free | n/a |
| OpenEI | MediaWiki containing databases | Articles and files | Website and downloads | Free | n/a |
Other sources
Select Wikipedia pages:
- Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of energy sources [1]
References
- ↑ See: Table A.III.2. Source: Schlömer S., T. Bruckner, L. Fulton, E. Hertwich, A. McKinnon, D. Perczyk, J. Roy, R. Schaeffer, R. Sims, P. Smith, and R. Wiser, 2014: Annex III: Technology-specific cost and performance parameters. In: Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Edenhofer, O., R. Pichs-Madruga, Y. Sokona, E. Farahani, S. Kadner, K. Seyboth, A. Adler, I. Baum, S. Brunner, P. Eickemeier, B. Kriemann, J. Savoleainen, S. Schlömer, C. von Stechow, T. Zwickel and J.C. Minx (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Fossilized carbon (and some hydrogen). In short, most of human-caused (aka anthropogenic) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions result when humans burn stuff (especially hydrocarbons) to make heat, work or electricity.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Pulverized Coal (PC).
- ↑ Combined Cycle.
- ↑ Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC).
