7-008 (O) Proceedings of the 2 nd Regional Conference on Energy Technology Towards a Clean Environment 12-14 February 2003, Phuket, Thailand Beyond energy efficiency - application of LCA for integrated environmental assessment Shabbir H. Gheewala 1,* and Per H. Nielsen 2 1. The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand 2. 2.-0 LCA Consultants, Borgergade 6, 1300 Copenhagen K, Denmark Abstract This paper illustrates the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) in the design of three commonly used products – air-conditioners, televisions and refrigerators – which are energy-intensive during their operation. As anticipated, the analysis shows the importance of energy efficiency in improving the environmental performance of these products. However, the analysis also brings out the importance of material and resource use, recycling and impacts such as toxicity. In case of the air-conditioner, the leakage of refrigerant (R22) and aluminium production have significant contributions to stratospheric ozone depletion and carcinogenicity potential respectively. The LCAs of the television and refrigerator reveal that a large portion of the resources used end up as solid waste. The analyses also show that the primary energy for the production of raw materials is much higher than that required for the manufacture of product. These factors highlight the advantage of recycling. LCA is thus a tool for integrated environmental assessment which includes and goes beyond energy efficiency. Keywords energy efficiency, integrated environmental assessment, LCA, recycling Introduction Over-reliance on fossil energy, its non-renewability and environmental impacts associated with its production and use have led to search for alternatives in terms of renewable energy sources as also energy efficiency measures. Energy efficiency is a desirable goal irrespective of the source of energy, renewable or non-renewable. So is the improvement in design of products which depend on energy use during their operation. There are however, issues of material and resource use, recycling and impacts such as toxicity, which are of importance too. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool for integrated environmental assessment which includes all the above-mentioned issues in addition to addressing the energy usage / efficiency aspects. This paper illustrates the application of LCA in the design of three commonly used products – air-conditioner, television and refrigerator – that are energy- intensive during their operation. In each case it is seen that energy efficiency has a substantial positive effect on the environmental profile of the product. However, the LCA also reveals other effects of importance such as toxicity and materials recycling which may have been overlooked if energy efficiency was the only consideration in product design. * Corresponding author