potential articles, we used the search terms “LCA”, “life cycle assessment”, in
combination with one of the following keywords: MARKAL, “TIMES model”,
OSeMOSYS, TEMOA, ESOM in the search engine Web of Science, covering publications of the last ten years. The keyword “TIMES” is too generic to be used as a
meaningful filter. However, most of the publications mention the keyword
MARKAL, the TIMES predecessor. To complete the review, we revised the annual
summaries of the IEA Energy Technology Systems Analysis Program (ETSAP),
covering publications from 2005 until 2013 [26]. ETSAP’s reviews include over 250
references to articles using TIMES models in peer-reviewed journals. Studies
deriving life cycle emissions from environmentally extended input-output (EEIO)
data are included, despite having a different level of technological detail [8–10]. Only
works published in peer-reviewed journals were considered. Studies that used LCA
data for comparative purposes but did not attempt to integrate inventories (e.g. [27,
28]) or that had unclear methodology with unreachable authors [29] are not included
in the review. Overall, ten articles are included in our analysis (Table 1). We note that
prospective LCA of energy systems has also been done with other model paradigms
such as general equilibrium models or power models [19]. However, linking such
models entails different problems and is out of the scope of this chapter.
2 LCA-TIMES Integration Challenges
In TIMES models the energy supply chain is defined as a set of energy resources,
conversion technologies and end-use demands connected by energy commodities in
what is called the reference energy system (RES). The RES provides a complete
Table 1 Scope and number of technologies mapped in studies integrating TIMES models and
LCA
Sectors
No of tech.
mapped
Scope
Database
Ref.
Norwegian electricity sector
9
Attributional
ecoinvent 3
[3]
US electricity sector
9
Attributional
US LCI and
ecoinvent 2.2
[4]
Multisector (end-uses) and
electricity sector (Switzerland)
43
Attributional
ecoinvent 2.2
[5]
Electricity and oil mining sector
7
Attributional
ecoinvent 1.1
[7]
Multisector
192
Consequential
ecoinvent 2.2
[6]
Spanish electricity sector
26
Consequential
ecoinvent 3
[12]
UK energy supply
250
Not stated
UK EE-MRIO
[8,
9]
EU electricity sector
146
Not stated
Exiobase and
ecoinvent
[10]
French biofuel sector
35
Not stated
mixed
[11]
252
M. F. Astudillo et al.
combination with one of the following keywords: MARKAL, “TIMES model”,
OSeMOSYS, TEMOA, ESOM in the search engine Web of Science, covering publications of the last ten years. The keyword “TIMES” is too generic to be used as a
meaningful filter. However, most of the publications mention the keyword
MARKAL, the TIMES predecessor. To complete the review, we revised the annual
summaries of the IEA Energy Technology Systems Analysis Program (ETSAP),
covering publications from 2005 until 2013 [26]. ETSAP’s reviews include over 250
references to articles using TIMES models in peer-reviewed journals. Studies
deriving life cycle emissions from environmentally extended input-output (EEIO)
data are included, despite having a different level of technological detail [8–10]. Only
works published in peer-reviewed journals were considered. Studies that used LCA
data for comparative purposes but did not attempt to integrate inventories (e.g. [27,
28]) or that had unclear methodology with unreachable authors [29] are not included
in the review. Overall, ten articles are included in our analysis (Table 1). We note that
prospective LCA of energy systems has also been done with other model paradigms
such as general equilibrium models or power models [19]. However, linking such
models entails different problems and is out of the scope of this chapter.
2 LCA-TIMES Integration Challenges
In TIMES models the energy supply chain is defined as a set of energy resources,
conversion technologies and end-use demands connected by energy commodities in
what is called the reference energy system (RES). The RES provides a complete
Table 1 Scope and number of technologies mapped in studies integrating TIMES models and
LCA
Sectors
No of tech.
mapped
Scope
Database
Ref.
Norwegian electricity sector
9
Attributional
ecoinvent 3
[3]
US electricity sector
9
Attributional
US LCI and
ecoinvent 2.2
[4]
Multisector (end-uses) and
electricity sector (Switzerland)
43
Attributional
ecoinvent 2.2
[5]
Electricity and oil mining sector
7
Attributional
ecoinvent 1.1
[7]
Multisector
192
Consequential
ecoinvent 2.2
[6]
Spanish electricity sector
26
Consequential
ecoinvent 3
[12]
UK energy supply
250
Not stated
UK EE-MRIO
[8,
9]
EU electricity sector
146
Not stated
Exiobase and
ecoinvent
[10]
French biofuel sector
35
Not stated
mixed
[11]
252
M. F. Astudillo et al.