ABSTRACT: The potential of electric vehicles for reducing the harmful environmental impacts of road transport in everyday conditions has to be analyzed and evaluated. If electric vehicles shall realize their potential to reduce emissions and minimize the consumption of resources, then locally generated and stored energy could increase the use of renewable energy sources. A quantitative method is necessary to determine if local energy is environmentally advantageous and, for that purpose, the life cycle assessment is a suitable method which quantifies potential environmental impacts. BS Energy is a German energy and drinking water distributor that has been expanding its business investing on new clean technologies, such as electric cars, and plans the installation of a stationary energy storage. This work carries out a detailed life cycle assessment for the local energy storage system testing several energy scenarios and taking into account the following environmental impacts: global warming, ozone depletion, photochemical smog, acidification and eutrophication. The decision of whether to prioritize one impact category over another is not always simple, as discussed in this paper.
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