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The term “carbon footprint” refers to greenhouse gas emissions, which are important when discussing human-induced climate change. Different energy types have different carbon footprints, with some of these values being lower than others. So, we had to ask: Which energy sources have the lowest carbon footprint?
Wind, nuclear, tidal, hydropower, geothermal, solar, and wave energy have the lowest carbon footprint. Per kWh produced, the energy sources emit between 11 and 48 gCO2 on a life-cycle basis. These energy types combat climate change and have various environmental benefits.
Keep reading to learn about the overall carbon footprints of these energies, their carbon footprints throughout their life-cycles, and their environmental benefits and drawbacks.
The carbon footprint is one of the ways we measure the effects of human-induced global climate change. It primarily focuses on the GHG emissions associated with consumption, but also includes other emissions such as methane (CH4), nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons.
“Carbon footprint: the amount of greenhouse gases and specifically carbon dioxide emitted by something (such as a person’s activities or a product’s manufacture and transport) during a given period”
Merriam Webster
Basically, it is the amount of carbon emitted by an activity or an organization. This includes GHG emissions from fuel that we burn directly (e.g., heating a home, driving a car) and GHG emissions from manufacturing the products that we use (e.g., power plants, factories, and landfills).
To understand the carbon footprint of all energy types, we must assess their life-cycle and each stage’s carbon footprint. This life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a method to evaluate the environmental impacts of products and materials. Over the years, companies have strategically used LCA to research and create more sustainable products. So, we had a look at the LCA for all of the energy types! (No worries, we’ll link back to each throughout this article.)
When discussing the carbon footprint of certain energy types, we must take into account carbon emissions across the energy’s building, operating, and building back phases.
Type of EnergyCarbon FootprintWindOnshore: 11 gCO2/KWhHave a look at the illustration below to see the average life-cycle CO2 equivalent emissions of the seven energy sources with the lowest carbon footprint and how they compare to the other energy types.
World Nuclear Association: Average life-cycle CO2 equivalent emissionsThe energies with the lowest carbon footprint, minus hydropower, are all defined as clean energies. Clean energy is an energy substitute for fossil fuels (e.g., coal, oil, natural gas) that can reduce the effects of global warming by limiting global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). It is derived from processes that do not release GHGs into our atmosphere but may possess geographic limitations and offer intermittent production peaks depending on weather conditions.
Over 80% of the world’s energy in 2019 came from the burning of fossil fuels, and only around 8.5% of the world’s energy came from clean energy sources.
Our World in Data: Global Primary Energy Consumption by SourceAlthough hydropower is not a clean energy source, it is a renewable energy with CO2 reduction benefits accounting for more than 60% of global renewable energy generation.
Wind is a form of solar energy that is caused by the uneven heating of the earth’s surface, irregularities of the earth’s surface, and the earth’s rotation. To harness wind energy, the wind turns the turbine blades around a rotor, which spins a generator to create electricity. An average annual wind speed of 9 miles per hour (mph) or 4 meters per second (m/s) for small turbines and 13mph (5.8m/s) for utility-scale turbines is necessary to economically harness wind energy.
“Wind: a current of air moving approximately horizontally, especially one strong enough to be felt”
Cambridge Dictionary
Wind energy has the lowest carbon footprint of all energy types. On a life-cycle basis, onshore wind emits 11 and offshore wind emits 12 grams of CO2 equivalent per kWh of electricity produced.
Our World in Data: Wind power generationThere are two main types of wind energy:
Here are the life-cycle stages of wind energy and each stage’s carbon footprint:
: Check out the full article about wind energy here: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Wind Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
The Global installed capacity of wind energy increased by a factor of 75 between 1997 and 2018, growing from 7.5 GW to over 564 GW. Because wind energy is one of the cheapest and fastest-growing renewable energy technologies with a low carbon emissions profile, it is important to understand what its carbon footprint is and how its carbon emissions affect the global climate change process.
When it comes to nuclear energy, we need to start with atoms. All matter consists of atoms, each of which contains a nucleus. When a neutron strikes the nucleus of an atom, the atomic center can break apart into pieces, thereby releasing energy in the form of radiation and heat. This energy heats water, produces steam that spins a turbine, and drives generators to produce electricity.
“Nuclear Power: the power produced when the nucleus (= central part) of an atom is divided or joined to another nucleus”
Cambridge Dictionary
Nuclear energy has the second-lowest carbon footprint of all energy types. Per kWh produced, nuclear energy emits 12 grams of CO2 on a life-cycle basis. It combats climate change and has various environmental benefits, but comes with the threat of nuclear waste products.
Our World in Data: Nuclear EnergyThere are two ways to generate nuclear energy:
The Uranium isotope used in nuclear fission is Uranium-235 (U-235) because its atoms are easily split apart in nuclear reactors. U-235 has a concentration of 2.8 parts per million (0.7% abundance) in Earth’s crust. Although it can be found almost everywhere supplies of U-235 are finite, and we have already used up most of it because it has a half-life of about 700 million years.
Here are the life-cycle stages of nuclear energy and each stage’s carbon footprint:
: Check out the full article about nuclear energy here: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Nuclear Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
Globally there are 440 nuclear reactors with a total output capacity of 390,000 megawatts (MWe) located in 30 countries. Nuclear energy makes up 10% of global energy generation. Because it is often described as an efficient, safe, and clean energy substitute for fossil fuels, understanding nuclear energy’s carbon footprint and how its carbon emissions affect the global climate change process is important.
The gravitational pull of the sun and moon coupled with the rotation of the earth creates tides in the ocean. To produce tidal energy, tidal turbines, barrages, and lagoons use the rise and fall of tides to spin a generator to produce electricity. A minimum tidal range of 10 feet is required to harness tidal energy economically.
“Tidal Power: power that comes from the movement of the tide (= the rise and fall of the ocean that happens twice every day) and that can be used especially for producing electricity”
Cambridge Dictionary
Tidal energy has the third-lowest carbon footprint of all energy types. On a life-cycle basis, tidal energy emits 22 grams of CO2 equivalent per kWh of electricity produced.
Our World in Data: Installed Global Renewable Energy Capacity by Technology, MarineThere are three types of tidal energy technology:
Here are the life-cycle stages of tidal energy and each stage’s carbon footprint:
: Check out the full article about tidal energy here: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Tidal and Wave Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
There are roughly 3,000 GW of energy stored in the world’s tides. Because the generating potential for tidal energy is so high, it is important to understand what its carbon footprint is. And how its carbon emissions affect the global climate change process.
Hydropower contributes to the avoidance of GHG emissions from the burning of fossil fuels (e.g. coal) and is classified as a renewable energy source because the resource (water) naturally replaces itself over time. To harness energy from water, flowing water turns turbines and spins a generator to generate electricity.
“Hydropower: hydroelectric power (= the production of electricity by the force of fast-moving water)”
Cambridge Dictionary
Hydropower energy has the fourth-lowest carbon footprint of all energy types. Per kWh produced, hydropower emits 24 grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) on a life-cycle basis.
Our World in Data: Hydropower Generation, 2020Hydropower can be divided into three main categories depending on how many megawatts (MW) of power are generated.
And those categories can be defined as one of three types of hydroelectric facility:
Here are the life-cycle stages of hydropower and each stage’s carbon footprint:
: Check out the full article about hydropower energy here: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Hydropower? A Life-Cycle Assessment
Hydropower makes up more than 60% of global renewable energy generation. Because the amount of GHG emissions from hydropower depends on the scale, it is important to understand what its carbon footprint is and how its carbon emissions affect the global climate change process.
The decay of radioactive materials in the rock and fluid of the earth’s core produces geothermal energy. Drilling down to hot water reservoirs up to a mile below the surface creates steam that rotates a turbine, which spins a generator to generate electricity. Geothermal is found along major tectonic plate boundaries where volcanoes are located. Because the Earth has an almost unlimited supply of heat generated by its core, and the water extracted from the reservoirs can be recycled via re-injection into the ground, it is a renewable energy source.
“Geothermal: involving or produced by the heat that is inside the earth”
Cambridge Dictionary
Geothermal energy has the fifth-lowest carbon footprint of all energy types. Per kWh produced, geothermal energy emits 38 grams of CO2 on a life-cycle basis.
Our World in Data: Installed Geothermal CapacityThe three main types of geothermal power plants are:
Here are the life-cycle stages of geothermal energy and each stage’s carbon footprint:
: Check out the full article about geothermal energy here: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Geothermal Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
The potential electricity generation for geothermal is 240 GW, with lower and upper limits of 50 GW and 1000-2000 GW, respectively. Because geothermal energy has a large electricity generation potential – and production has steadily increased in the last decade – it is important to understand what its carbon footprint is. And how its carbon emissions affect the global climate change process.
Solar energy is the conversion of sunlight into electrical energy either through the use of photovoltaic (PV) panels or solar radiation concentrating mirrors. The energy produced is then used to generate electricity or can be stored in batteries or thermal storage for use at a later time.
“Solar Energy: energy that uses the power of the sun to produce electricity”
Cambridge Dictionary
Solar energy has the fifth-lowest carbon footprint. On a life-cycle basis, concentrated solar emits 38, PV roof solar emits 41, and PV utility solar energy emits 48 grams of CO2 equivalent per kWh of electricity produced.
Our World in Data: Solar Power GenerationHarnessing the power of the sun falls into two main categories:
Here are the life-cycle stages of solar energy and each stage’s carbon footprint:
: Check out the full article about solar energy here: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Solar Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
Enough sunlight strikes the surface of the earth in an hour and a half to account for the world’s energy consumption in a year. Because solar energy has such a large electricity generation potential, it is important to understand what its carbon footprint is. And how its carbon emissions affect the global climate change process.
Waves are formed when the wind blows over the surface of the water on oceans or lakes. 95% of the wave’s energy is stored between the surface of the water and the top 1/4th of the wave’s length. To produce wave energy, float/buoy, oscillating water columns, and tapered channel systems use the rise and fall of waves to produce electricity.
“Wave Power: electrical energy generated by harnessing the up-and-down motion of ocean waves”
Britannica
Wave energy has a low carbon footprint. Wave energy emits similarly low levels of CO2 compared to tidal energy, although more research is still needed.
Our World in Data: Installed Global Renewable Energy Capacity by Technology, MarineThere are three types of wave energy technology:
Here are the life-cycle stages of wave energy and each stage’s carbon footprint:
: Check out the full article about wave energy here: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Tidal and Wave Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
The market for wave energy is expected to reach $141 million by 2027. Because the generating potential for wave energy is so high, it is important to understand what its carbon footprint is. And how its carbon emissions affect the global climate change process.
Fossil fuel combustion is the main contributor to atmospheric CO2 levels. Climate Change occurs when CO2 and other air pollutants absorb sunlight and solar radiation in the atmosphere, trapping the heat and acting as an insulator for the planet. Since the Industrial Revolution, Earth’s temperature has risen a little more than 1 degree Celsius (C), or 2 degrees Fahrenheit (F). The current global annual temperature rise is 0.18C, or 0.32F, for every 10 years.
Using clean energy (wind, nuclear, tidal, geothermal, solar, wave) and hydropower energy instead of fossil fuel energy helps mitigate the following negative effects of climate change:
Experts claim that to avoid a future plagued by rising sea levels, acidified oceans, loss of biodiversity, more frequent and severe weather events, and other environmental disasters brought on by the hotter temperatures, we must limit global warming to 1.5C by 2040.
The more we reduce CO2 emissions, the more we slow the rate of temperature rise, sea-level rise, ice melting, and ocean acidification. When these rates are slowed, the earth’s biodiversity does not have to struggle to adapt to temperature and pH changes. People will not be displaced due to the flooding of coastal areas. And icebergs will continue to provide climate regulation.
The overall environmental friendliness of an energy source depends on which specific type of energy is being discussed.
“Environmentally friendly: (of products) not harming the environment.”
Cambridge Dictionary
There are collective, as well as unique, benefits and drawbacks to each energy source. The 7 energy sources with the lowest carbon footprint have low levels of CO2 emissions and numerous environmental benefits as a result.
All 7 energies have the following environmental benefits:
There are also specific benefits unique to each energy type:
Each energy type comes with its own set of environmental drawbacks that should be taken into account when discussing its carbon footprint.
Wind, nuclear, tidal, hydropower, geothermal, solar, and wave energy have the lowest carbon footprints across their building, operating, and building back phases compared to all other energy sources. They combat global warming with their low levels of CO2 emissions and have various other environmental benefits including energy independence and job creation. Our atmosphere and Earth’s biota benefit when we use these energy sources instead of fossil fuels.
Carbon emissions have devastating effects on the environment. Reducing our carbon footprint is important because it mitigates the effects of climate change, which has a positive cascade effect on public health and plant and animal diversity. In addition, this boosts the global economy and leads to innovative, more environmentally-friendly solutions.
Stay impactful,
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