Based on ene.field’s Life cycle environmental assessment, life cycle GHG emissions of the FC micro-CHP units installed today are lower than for a gas condensing boiler or a heat pump in all the investigated scenarios. Depending on the electricity mix that a FC micro-CHP would replace and the utilisation rate of the system, the life cycle GHG emission savings can reach up to 50% of CO2eq compared to a condensing boiler in an existing building. Taking into account that more than 80% of Europe’s individual heating systems are non-condensing boilers, the GHG savings would likely be higher.
The system level environmental impact for the large scale uptake of FC micro-CHP in Europe, identified by ene.field, is estimated at 32 mln tonnes of CO2eq reductions in 2030 taking into account EU and national energy and climate commitments and compared to a scenario with no micro-CHP deployment. This would amount to the abatement of 25% of Belgium’s total emissions in 2015.
Climate benefits of FC micro-CHP will likely persist beyond 2030, as the technology will likely displace more carbon intensive generating technologies rather than renewable energy up to 2050.
