Estimating the true GHG emissions reduction due to electric vehicles integration

Abstract

Unabated emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and its attendant climate change consequences can adversely affect the present and future generations. The energy and the transportation sectors have been identified as the two largest producers of the GHGs emissions due to their massive dependence on fossil fuels. Deployment of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in Distributed Generation (DG) of electricity and integration of Electric vehicles (EVs) in the transportation sector have been suggested as means of reducing the GHGs emissions. There are concerns, however, about EVs reducing emissions in the transportation sector and increasing the same in the power sector. This paper, therefore, presents an algorithm to empirically estimate the annual Real-Emissions-Reduction (RER) in the UK due to EVs integration from the year 2009 to 2013. The algorithm computes and compares the Apparent-Emissions-Reduction (AER) due to EVs in the transportation sector and the emissions due to EVs at the power stations to give the RER. Results from the algorithm and the implications of the figures are then discussed.