CAP Renewable Energy Technologies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary greenhouse gas emission source associated with the manufacturing of crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) panels?
- Methane from silicon mining
- Carbon dioxide from energy-intensive purification processes (Correct answer)
- Nitrous oxide from anti-reflective coatings
- Sulfur hexafluoride from module encapsulation
Correct answer: Carbon dioxide from energy-intensive purification processes
Manufacturing crystalline silicon PV panels requires high-temperature processes for silicon purification that are energy-intensive and historically powered by fossil fuels, making CO₂ the dominant emission.
Question 2: Which capacity factor range best represents a typical onshore wind farm in the United States?
- 10–20%
- 25–45% (Correct answer)
- 55–70%
- 75–90%
Correct answer: 25–45%
US onshore wind farms typically achieve capacity factors of 25–45%, reflecting the intermittent nature of wind resources and turbine efficiency.
Question 3: In carbon auditing of a utility-scale solar farm, which lifecycle phase typically contributes the LEAST to total lifecycle GHG emissions?
- Module manufacturing
- Balance-of-system installation
- Operational phase (Correct answer)
- End-of-life decommissioning
Correct answer: Operational phase
Solar PV systems produce negligible operational emissions since sunlight is free and no fuel combustion occurs during electricity generation.
Question 4: A carbon auditor is assessing a biomass power plant that co-fires with coal. Which emission accounting approach correctly handles the biogenic CO₂ from biomass combustion under GHG Protocol?
- Include biogenic CO₂ in Scope 1 emissions
- Exclude biogenic CO₂ from Scope 1 but report it separately (Correct answer)
- Count biogenic CO₂ as a negative emission (carbon removal)
- Allocate biogenic CO₂ proportionally to Scope 2
Correct answer: Exclude biogenic CO₂ from Scope 1 but report it separately
GHG Protocol requires biogenic CO₂ from biomass combustion to be reported separately from Scope 1 fossil CO₂, not included in the Scope 1 total.
Question 5: What does a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with renewable energy attributes allow a corporate buyer to claim under Scope 2 market-based accounting?
- Reduced Scope 1 emissions proportional to renewable share
- Zero Scope 2 emissions for the contracted renewable electricity volume (Correct answer)
- Scope 3 avoided emissions equal to grid displacement
- Scope 2 emissions based on the regional grid average only
Correct answer: Zero Scope 2 emissions for the contracted renewable electricity volume
Under market-based Scope 2 accounting, a PPA with bundled RECs allows the buyer to claim zero emission factor for the contracted renewable electricity volume.
Question 6: Which renewable energy technology produces the highest lifecycle GHG emissions per kWh generated, based on IPCC median estimates?
- Onshore wind
- Utility-scale solar PV
- Concentrating solar power (CSP) (Correct answer)
- Run-of-river hydropower
Correct answer: Concentrating solar power (CSP)
CSP systems have higher lifecycle emissions per kWh than wind or standard solar PV due to material-intensive thermal storage systems and lower capacity factors in most locations.
Question 7: When auditing offshore wind projects, what additional emission source must be accounted for compared to onshore wind?
- Turbine blade erosion particulates
- Marine vessel fuel consumption for installation and O&M (Correct answer)
- Saltwater corrosion inhibitor chemicals
- Radar interference mitigation equipment
Correct answer: Marine vessel fuel consumption for installation and O&M
Offshore wind requires specialized marine vessels for installation, cable laying, and ongoing maintenance, contributing significant fuel-combustion emissions not present in onshore projects.
CAP Renewable Energy Technologies 2
What is the primary greenhouse gas emission source associated with the manufacturing of crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) panels?