Lifecycle Carbon Footprint Analysis of Batteries vs. Flywheels

LEGACY CONTENT: This content is older yet still valid and provides valuable insights. However, it may contain data and/or messaging written under different technological or market circumstances. ------ Flywheel energy storage for static UPSs is often thought to be the “greener” technology when compared to batteries. This paper presents a lifecycle carbon footprint analysis to show that the opposite is often true, primarily because the energy consumed to operate the flywheel over its lifetime is greater than that of the equivalent VRLA battery solution, and the carbon emissions from this energy outweighs any carbon emissions savings in raw materials or cooling. A tool is presented to help demonstrate these carbon tradeoffs.