Systemanalys av en energigemenskaps klimatavtryck

Sammanfattning

Energy communities are increasingly recognized as a key element in the transition towards a more sustainable energy system, enabling local production, storage and sharing of energy. However, new technologies also introduce additional climate impacts from manufacturing, making the overall climate benefit uncertain. The Swedish energy system is already to a large extent fossil-free, and the conditions differ from many other European countries. It is therefore uncertain if implementation of energy communities, which are an EU-level initiative, is equally justified in Sweden. The aim of this thesis is to analyze and compare the climate impact of different system configurations in a planned energy community in the residential area of Pottugnen and Spjället in Lund, Sweden. The study is conducted as a system analysis based on life cycle assessment (LCA), including embodied, operational and end-of-life emissions. Five system configurations are analyzed in comparison with a reference scenario, with additional components added progressively, including an exhaust air heat pump (EAHP), solar photovoltaics (PV), individual metering and billing (IMD), battery storage, and an internal distribution network (IKN) with energy routers. The results show that PV significantly reduces climate impact by replacing purchased electricity. IMD increases self-consumption but provides limited additional climate benefits. Battery storage and IKN improve system flexibility and self-consumption, but also increase embodied emissions. This indicates diminishing climate benefits with increasing system complexity. The results are sensitive to emission factors for electricity and district heating, as well as the geographical location of component production. The study demonstrates that the interaction between system components, rather than individual technologies, determines the overall climate performance. To minimize climate impact, it is essential to prioritize measures that increase self-consumption of renewable energy while avoiding unnecessary system complexity.