Decarbonising hybrid renewable energy systems for electricity access from the project

Abstract

Nearly 750 million people worldwide still lack access to electricity. Off-grid hybrid renewable energy systems offer a promising solution for expanding electrification in remote areas. However, greenhouse gas emissions associated with their life cycle—including material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, construction, and end-of-life processes—are often overlooked, overestimating their potential to contribute to electrification while minimising emissions. This study proposes a methodological framework for assessing and mitigating life cycle emissions from the early planning stages of electrification projects. The framework is applied to a case study in Honduras, where a system combining solar photovoltaic panels, a biomass gasification unit, and battery storage is designed to provide electricity to an isolated community. The results show that emissions are primarily concentrated in the manufacturing of solar panels and the use of concrete for structural components. By applying targeted mitigation strategies at different life cycle stages, total emissions can be reduced by up to 31%. In particular, activities where the use of concrete can be avoided, replaced, or reduced, offer the greatest potential for decarbonisation. The improved system’s emission factor is estimated at 0.12 kgCO₂e/kWh, suggesting a meaningful contribution to emission reductions where electricity generation relies heavily on fossil fuels, with emission factors around 0.6 kgCO₂e/kWh.