EVALUATING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF DIFFERENT ENERGY SOURCES, FOSSIL OR ALTERNATIVE, THROUGH THE LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT METHOD

Energy is one of the most important components of a country's economy and development, and fossil fuels ensure 83.4 % of primary energy worldwide. One of the most debated facts nowadays is the influence of the fossil fuels used as a main energy source, on climate change, in fact the CO2 emissions released by these fuels. Therefore, alternative energy sources have been developed to reduce CO2 emissions, respectively the impact of greenhouse gases, on the environment. The present study proposes an objective evaluation of different types and sources of energy and a relevant method for assessment of the environmental impact of representative type of energy sources. Consequently, fossil fuels and alternative sources of energy, especially electricity, are evaluated by Life cycle assessment method. Specific power energy of each category of combustibles, as well as their specific emission of CO2, SOx and NOx, are highlighted and discussed. The study emphasized that the impact of different energy sources has to be attentively analyzed in order not to actually generate more serious environmental consequences.