Electricity from renewables (such as wind, hydro, solar or wood), Global

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Background of emission factor 

Renewable electricity comes from sources like wind, water flow, sunlight, or burning wood. Its emission factor is zero during use. However, when considering the entire lifecycle, renewable electricity does produce emissions, for example, from the manufacturing and end-of-life disposal of wind turbines and solar panels.

Emission factor category

The emission factor for electricity can be reported either as life cycle emissions (cradle-to-grave) or as emissions from the use phase. When calculating the emissions of purchased energy for a company, the use-phase emission factor should be applied. The use-phase emissions of renewable energy are zero, but renewables still have life cycle emissions. However, these are typically much lower than those of electricity generated from fossil fuels.