Hitachi Energy’s high-voltage products enable a carbon-neutral grid with a lower environmental footprint for sustainable electrification by taking a life cycle analysis approach over global warming potential.
A carbon-neutral grid needs futuristic vision and foresight
Keeping up with global demand for electricity means increased electrification, and greater penetration of renewables has increased load on the grid. At the same time, climate change makes sustainability critical.
Carbon-neutrality is more than renewable sources of energy, it’s also the environmental impact of the power grid itself. The power system needs equipment that can operate intelligently and with a lower carbon emissions footprint. But we must address the problems of today with foresight that protects the future.
To learn more about how Hitachi Energy’s High-Voltage products take a long-term view to enable carbon-neutral power grids, download our brochure
Tackling SF₆ – a life cycle view is the true measure of sustainability
As the power grid continues expanding, the global warming potential (GWP) of sulphur hexafuoride (SF6) has led to stricter regulations and necessitated a demand for alternative insulating and switching solutions for high-voltage products.
However, GWP does not provide a holistic perspective of the impact across the life cycle of high-voltage equipment, and could actually result in higher costs and increased emissions.
To learn more about SF6 impact and alternatives to SF6, watch this video
GWP vs LCA as a parameter for carbon neutral grids
3 reasons why Global Warming Potential (GWP) fails carbon neutrality |
3 reasons why Life-Cycle Analysis is a better measure for carbon neutrality |
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| EU regulations restrict the use of products with gases having a GWP of more than 10. This over-simplistic approach does not take into account the overall footprint of the switchgear and substation equipment. Solutions with GWP <10 of the insulation gas can have a higher environmental impact when considering the full product life cycle. |
Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) assesses environmental, social, and economic impacts of a product throughout its lifecycle - from cradle to cradle – i.e. from sourcing raw material to recycling. |
| The GWP threshold does not differentiate between voltage levels of the switchgear, so could impact grid resilience and reliability adverse in switchgear above 52 kV. | LCA considers all the materials in a product over its lifecycle to assesses environmental impact and emissions. |
| GWP limits feasible alternative technology options such as C4FN and natural gases and slows down the SF6 replacement process. | LCA quantifies both direct and indirect emissions over a product's entire life – which is the true measure of environmental impact. |
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EconiQ – Our eco-efficient high-voltage portfolio addresses carbon-neutrality across the life cycle of the grid
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