Electricity production and consumption data from Danish power grid and governmental office buildings

Abstract

This data article is the second component of the two-part study on the effects of high-resolution energy data on building life cycle assessments (LCAs) (Environmental performance assessment of the use stage of buildings using dynamic high-resolution energy consumption and data on grid composition, in press) [1]. The first part being the article serving as the main platform for the communication of the conclusions of the study, and this data article serving as Supporting information, as well as a means to present any results and analysis not included in the article. The focus is to present additional information strengthening the findings of the article, by showing data, graphs, and tables not included in the research article due to size limitations.

Specifications table

Subject area	Building, Energy
More specific subject area	Electricity consumption, Use stage
Type of data	Table and figure
How data was acquired	National energy grid database, special agreement with governmental agency BYGST
Data format	Raw
Experimental factors	Data selected based on availability of hourly resolution, and representation of buildings of varying size and age.
Experimental features	LCA analysis
Data source location	Nationwide, Denmark, building locations anonymous.
Data accessibility	Partly public, partly confidential. Results published are publicly available, parts of data used are confidential I.E. data concerning the buildings.
Related research article	“Environmental performance assessment of the use stage of buildings using dynamic high-resolution energy consumption and data on grid composition” – in press

Value of the data

• •Documentation of substantial variance in electrical grid and associated impact potentials
• •Comparison between various data-resolutions shows deviation in environmental impacts
• •Highlights shortcomings of conventional, static system models

1. Data

• –National grid composition data (Denmark, 2017)
• –Electricity consumption data (18 office buildings in DK, 2017)
• –Reference database (ecoinvent 3.3)

Presented in this article are figures and tables showing the most important results of the data analysis, both from analysis of the separate data sets as well as the results from combining the two.

The figures presented in the following section describe the initial findings of the analysis, and show the spatial and temporal variations found within each of the data sets. Fig. 1, Fig. 4 display the results from the electricity production data set, and show the composition of the electrical grid as it varies both in location and over time. Fig. 2, Fig. 3 present the average temporal variations found in the building consumption data, as it changes throughout a day and a week.

Fig. 1.

Average yearly electricity grid compositions, for east and west Denmark.

Fig. 4.

Average hourly deviation in impact potentials pr. kWh.

Fig. 2.

Average daily electricity consumption throughout the week, east Denmark in blue and west Denmark in red.

Fig. 3.

Average hourly distribution of electricity consumption.

The tables show the progress of the analysis as it was carried out, with the initial table displaying the source specific reference impact potentials, which lay the foundation on which the actual impact potentials are calculated and presented in the following tables. These tables show the monthly average deviations in impact potentials pr. kWh, once for western Denmark and once for eastern Denmark. Lastly the actual environmental impact scores are presented, calculated from the combination of the electrical grid data with the actual building consumption data. The scores are presented as impact potentials distributed among the age groupings of the buildings in the study, once for each data resolution used (as well as the reference process calculations) and lastly a comparison between each resolution system, showing the variation in results based on data complexity.

2. Experimental design, materials, and methods

The electrical grid composition data are publicly available, showing the sources comprising the electricity production for every hour, in east and west Denmark [2]. The data concerning the electricity consumption of the selected buildings are however not publicly available, and were only usable after a special agreement with Bygningsstyrelsen (The Danish Building and Property Agency), and are as such not included in this data article.

With the composition of the electrical grid known for every hour of 2017, the environmental impact potentials of one kWh for each energy source was determined using openLCA and the ecoinvent 3.3 database. These impact potentials are displayed in Table 1.

Table 1.

Reference source specific unit impacts potentials from openLCA, showing the impacts pr. kWh for every electricity production source.

From the electrical grid composition data, the differences between east and west were determined, as well as the variations in the composition by hour, day, and month. These differences are displayed in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3 (Table 2, Table 3, Table 4, Table 5, Table 6, Table 7, Table 8).

Table 2.

Impact potentials pr. kWh by months relative to the yearly average, east Denmark - Hourly. The months with impacts significantly lower than the yearly average are denoted by a green color, while the higher scores are presented as orange/red.

Table 3.

Impact potentials pr. kWh by months relative to the yearly average. west Denmark - Hourly. The months with impacts significantly lower than the yearly average are denoted by a green color. while the higher scores are presented as orange/red.

Table 4.

Midpoint impact score results from analysis of hourly grid resolution.

Hourly grid resolution	W-II	W-II	W-III	E-I	E-II	EI-III	Unit
Fossil depletion	2.64E + 00	2.59E + 00	1.85E + 00	2.00E + 00	1.69E + 00	1.56E + 00	kg oil eq /m2
Marine eutrophication	2.49E−03	2.45E − 03	1.75E − 03	1.80E − 03	1.52E − 03	1.40E − 03	kg N eq /m2
Terrestrial acidification	4.00E − 02	3.86E-02	2.78E − 02	3.28E − 02	2.78E − 02	2.57E − 02	kg SO2 eq /m2
Ionizing radiation	1.04E + 00	1.04E + 00	7.34E − 01	6.58E − 01	5.53E − 01	5.02E − 01	kg U235 eq /m2
Freshwater ecotoxicity	1.71E − 01	1.68E − 01	1.19E − 01	1.02E − 01	8.64E − 02	7.86E − 02	kg 1.4-DB eq /m2
Photochemical oxidant formation	2.71E − 02	2.63E − 02	1.89E − 02	2.06E − 02	1.75E − 02	1.61E − 02	kg NMVOC /m2
Terrestrial ecotoxicity	1.45E − 03	1.39E − 03	9.91E − 04	1.03E − 03	8.75E − 04	8.01E − 04	kg 1.4-DB eq /m2
Marine ecotoxicity	1.61E − 01	1.58E − 01	1.12E − 01	9.75E − 02	8.22E − 02	7.48E − 02	kg 1.4-DB eq /m2
Climate Change	1.01E + 01	9.84E + 00	7.04E + 00	7.95E + 00	6.75E + 00	6.21E + 00	kg CO2 eq /m2
Particulate matter formation	1.31E − 02	1.26E − 02	9.06E − 03	1.05E − 02	8.93E − 03	8.22E − 03	kg PM10 eq /m2
Human toxicity	4.45E + 00	4.41E + 00	3.13E + 00	3.10E + 00	2.62E + 00	2.40E + 00	kg 1.4-DB eq /m2
Metal depletion	3.78E − 01	3.69E − 01	2.61E − 01	2.29E − 01	1.93E − 01	1.76E − 01	kg Fe eq /m2
Natural land transformation	1.43E − 03	1.39E − 03	9.97E − 04	1.12E − 03	9.45E − 04	8.66E − 04	m2 /m2
Urban land occupation	2.15E − 01	2.07E − 01	1.49E − 01	1.85E − 01	1.57E − 01	1.45E − 01	m2*a /m2
Water depletion	2.90E + 01	2.87E + 01	2.01E + 01	2.93E + 01	2.46E + 01	2.21E + 01	m3 / m2
Freshwater eutrophication	5.89E − 03	5.89E − 03	4.17E − 03	3.89E − 03	3.29E − 03	3.01E − 03	kg P eq /m2
Ozone depletion	1.35E − 06	1.31E − 06	9.39E − 07	1.01E − 06	8.61E − 07	7.93E − 07	kg CFC-11 eq /m2
Agricultural land occupation	1.63E + 01	1.57E + 01	1.13E + 01	1.44E + 01	1.23E + 01	1.14E + 01	m2*a /m2

Table 5.

Midpoint impact score results from analysis of daily grid resolution.

Daily grid resolution	WI	WII	WIII	EI	EII	EIII	Unit
Fossil depletion	2.67E + 00	2.56E + 00	1.87E + 00	2.01E + 00	1.70E + 00	1.52E + 00	kg oil eq /m2
Marine eutrophication	2.51E − 03	2.42E − 03	1.77E − 03	1.80E − 03	1.53E − 03	1.36E − 03	kg N eq /m2
Terrestrial acidification	4.01E − 02	3.81E − 02	2.80E − 02	3.27E − 02	2.79E − 02	2.48E − 02	kg SO2 eq /m2
Ionizing radiation	1.06E + 00	1.03E + 00	7.48E − 01	6.70E − 01	5.64E − 01	5.04E − 01	kg U235 eq /m2
Freshwater ecotoxicity	1.70E − 01	1.65E − 01	1.19E − 01	1.02E − 01	8.63E − 02	7.73E − 02	kg 1.4-DB eq /m2
Photochemical oxidant formation	2.73E − 02	2.59E − 02	1.90E − 02	2.21E − 02	1.88E − 02	1.67E − 02	kg NMVOC /m2
Terrestrial ecotoxicity	1.39E − 03	1.33E − 03	9.65E − 04	1.01E − 03	8.54E − 04	7.60E − 04	kg 1.4-DB eq /m2
Marine ecotoxicity	1.60E − 01	1.55E − 01	1.12E − 01	9.73E − 02	8.21E − 02	7.35E − 02	kg 1.4-DB eq /m2
Climate Change	1.02E + 01	9.76E + 00	7.15E + 00	7.96E + 00	6.77E + 00	6.03E + 00	kg CO2 eq /m2
Particulate matter formation	1.23E − 02	1.17E − 02	8.58E − 03	1.01E − 02	8.59E − 03	7.65E − 03	kg PM10 eq /m2
Human toxicity	4.49E + 00	4.37E + 00	3.19E + 00	3.10E + 00	2.62E + 00	2.34E + 00	kg 1.4-DB eq /m2
Metal depletion	3.77E − 01	3.62E − 01	2.62E − 01	2.34E − 01	1.96E − 01	1.76E − 01	kg Fe eq /m2
Natural land transformation	1.44E − 03	1.37E − 03	1.00E − 03	1.13E − 03	9.55E − 04	8.50E − 04	m2 /m2
Urban land occupation	2.17E − 01	2.05E − 01	1.51E − 01	1.84E − 01	1.58E − 01	1.40E − 01	m2*a /m2
Water depletion	3.05E + 01	2.94E + 01	2.12E + 01	2.94E + 01	2.47E + 01	2.20E + 01	m3 / m2
Freshwater eutrophication	5.99E − 03	5.87E − 03	4.28E − 03	3.91E − 03	3.31E − 03	2.96E − 03	kg P eq /m2
Ozone depletion	1.35E − 06	1.28E − 06	9.38E − 07	1.02E − 06	8.65E − 07	7.70E − 07	kg CFC-11 eq /m2
Agricultural land occupation	1.64E + 01	1.55E + 01	1.14E + 01	1.44E + 01	1.23E + 01	1.09E + 01	m2*a /m2

Table 6.

Midpoint impact score results from analysis of monthly grid resolution.

Monthly grid resolution	WI	WII	WIII	EI	EII	EIII	Unit
Fossil depletion	2.76E + 00	2.62E + 00	1.91E + 00	2.04E + 00	1.73E + 00	1.55E + 00	kg oil eq /m2
Marine eutrophication	2.66E − 03	2.52E − 03	1.84E − 03	1.86E − 03	1.58E − 03	1.40E − 03	kg N eq /m2
Terrestrial acidification	3.97E − 02	3.77E − 02	2.76E − 02	3.25E − 02	2.77E − 02	2.47E − 02	kg SO2 eq /m2
Ionizing radiation	1.17E + 00	1.11E + 00	8.08E − 01	7.17E − 01	6.01E − 01	5.37E − 01	kg U235 eq /m2
Freshwater ecotoxicity	1.84E − 01	1.74E − 01	1.27E − 01	1.07E − 01	9.03E − 02	8.06E − 02	kg 1.4-DB eq /m2
Photochemical oxidant formation	2.70E − 02	2.57E − 02	1.88E − 02	2.20E − 02	1.87E − 02	1.67E − 02	kg NMVOC /m2
Terrestrial ecotoxicity	1.39E − 03	1.33E − 03	9.66E − 04	1.00E − 03	8.50E − 04	7.57E − 04	kg 1.4-DB eq /m2
Marine ecotoxicity	1.72E − 01	1.64E − 01	1.19E − 01	1.02E − 01	8.58E − 02	7.66E − 02	kg 1.4-DB eq /m2
Climate Change	1.05E + 01	9.94E + 00	7.27E + 00	8.08E + 00	6.88E + 00	6.13E + 00	kg CO2 eq /m2
Particulate matter formation	1.22E − 02	1.16E − 02	8.49E − 03	1.01E − 02	8.57E − 03	7.63E − 03	kg PM10 eq /m2
Human toxicity	4.89E + 00	4.63E + 00	3.38E + 00	3.25E + 00	2.75E + 00	2.46E + 00	kg 1.4-DB eq /m2
Metal depletion	3.92E − 01	3.73E − 01	2.71E − 01	2.37E − 01	1.99E − 01	1.78E − 01	kg Fe eq /m2
Natural land transformation	1.45E − 03	1.38E − 03	1.00E − 03	1.13E − 03	9.57E − 04	8.52E − 04	m2 /m2
Urban land occupation	2.11E − 01	2.00E − 01	1.47E − 01	1.82E − 01	1.56E − 01	1.38E − 01	m2*a /m2
Water depletion	3.13E + 01	2.99E + 01	2.15E + 01	3.01E + 01	2.53E + 01	2.25E + 01	m3 / m2
Freshwater eutrophication	6.70E − 03	6.35E − 03	4.64E − 03	4.21E − 03	3.55E − 03	3.17E − 03	kg P eq /m2
Ozone depletion	1.35E − 06	1.28E − 06	9.39E − 07	1.02E − 06	8.65E − 07	7.70E − 07	kg CFC-11 eq /m2
Agricultural land occupation	1.58E + 01	1.50E + 01	1.10E + 01	1.41E + 01	1.21E + 01	1.07E + 01	m2*a /m2

Table 7.

Midpoint impact score results from analysis of reference grid.

Reference grid	WI	WII	WIII	EI	EII	EIII	Unit
Fossil depletion	4.80E + 00	4.57E + 00	3.32E + 00	3.76E + 00	3.17E + 00	2.83E + 00	kg oil eq /m2
Marine eutrophication	3.49E − 03	3.32E − 03	2.41E − 03	2.73E − 03	2.31E − 03	2.06E − 03	kg N eq /m2
Terrestrial acidification	6.05E − 02	5.76E − 02	4.18E − 02	4.74E − 02	4.00E − 02	3.56E − 02	kg SO2 eq /m2
Ionizing radiation	5.82E + 00	5.54E + 00	4.02E + 00	4.56E + 00	3.85E + 00	3.43E + 00	kg U235 eq /m2
Freshwater ecotoxicity	1.03E + 00	9.78E − 01	7.10E − 01	8.06E − 01	6.80E − 01	6.06E − 01	kg 1.4-DB eq /m2
Photochemical oxidant formation	3.50E − 02	3.33E − 02	2.42E − 02	2.74E − 02	2.31E − 02	2.06E − 02	kg NMVOC /m2
Terrestrial ecotoxicity	2.77E − 03	2.63E − 03	1.91E − 03	2.17E − 03	1.83E − 03	1.63E − 03	kg 1.4-DB eq /m2
Marine ecotoxicity	9.07E − 01	8.63E − 01	6.27E − 01	7.11E − 01	6.00E − 01	5.35E − 01	kg 1.4-DB eq /m2
Climate Change	1.89E + 01	1.80E + 01	1.31E + 01	1.48E + 01	1.25E + 01	1.11E + 01	kg CO2 eq /m2
Particulate matter formation	1.90E − 02	1.81E − 02	1.31E − 02	1.49E − 02	1.26E − 02	1.12E − 02	kg PM10 eq /m2
Human toxicity	7.20E + 00	6.85E + 00	4.97E + 00	5.64E + 00	4.76E + 00	4.24E + 00	kg 1.4-DB eq /m2
Metal depletion	8.57E − 01	8.16E − 01	5.92E − 01	6.72E − 01	5.67E − 01	5.05E − 01	kg Fe eq /m2
Natural land transformation	2.64E − 03	2.51E − 03	1.82E − 03	2.07E − 03	1.74E − 03	1.55E − 03	m2 /m2
Urban land occupation	2.38E − 01	2.26E − 01	1.64E − 01	1.87E − 01	1.57E − 01	1.40E − 01	m2*a /m2
Water depletion	2.10E + 02	2.00E + 02	1.45E + 02	1.64E + 02	1.39E + 02	1.24E + 02	m3 / m2
Freshwater eutrophication	8.00E − 03	7.61E − 03	5.53E − 03	6.27E − 03	5.29E − 03	4.71E − 03	kg P eq /m2
Ozone depletion	2.42E − 06	2.31E − 06	1.67E − 06	1.90E − 06	1.60E − 06	1.43E − 06	kg CFC-11 eq /m2
Agricultural land occupation	1.15E + 01	1.10E + 01	7.96E + 00	9.03E + 00	7.62E + 00	6.79E + 00	m2*a /m2

Table 8.

Average yearly midpoint scores pr. kWh for western Denmark, calculated from the hourly grid resolution. And compared to the scores from the other resolutions, as well as the reference grid.

Resolution comparisons	unit	Hourly	Daily	Monthly	Yearly	Reference
Fossil depletion	kg oil eq /kWh	5.40E − 02	100.03%	99.03%	108.99%	177.80%
Marine eutrophication	kg N eq /kWh	5.20E − 05	100.17%	99.47%	116.69%	134.07%
Terrestrial acidification	kg SO2 eq /kWh	7.76E − 04	99.91%	98.52%	91.31%	155.96%
Ionizing radiation	kg U235 eq /kWh	2.31E − 02	100.15%	99.60%	134.54%	503.59%
Freshwater ecotoxicity	kg 1.4-DB eq /kWh	3.61E − 03	100.68%	101.37%	115.85%	569.38%
Photochemical oxidant formation	kg NMVOC /kWh	5.29E − 04	99.91%	98.58%	92.49%	132.37%
Terrestrial ecotoxicity	kg 1.4-DB eq /kWh	2.74E − 05	100.39%	99.01%	84.71%	201.89%
Marine ecotoxicity	kg 1.4-DB eq /kWh	3.39E − 03	100.66%	101.26%	116.09%	535.26%
Climate Change	kg CO2 eq /kWh	2.05E − 01	100.07%	99.04%	109.37%	184.64%
Particulate matter formation	kg PM10 eq /kWh	2.56E − 04	93.35%	92.00%	94.05%	148.66%
Human toxicity	kg 1.4-DB eq /kWh	9.57E − 02	100.41%	100.12%	127.74%	150.48%
Metal depletion	kg Fe eq /kWh	7.76E − 03	100.35%	101.31%	98.29%	220.92%
Natural land transformation	m2 /kWh	2.86E − 05	99.76%	98.25%	97.71%	184.48%
Urban land occupation	m2*a /kWh	4.11E − 03	99.89%	98.55%	85.90%	115.75%
Water depletion	m3 /kWh	6.28E − 01	100.26%	98.47%	134.16%	668.88%
Freshwater eutrophication	kg P eq /kWh	1.31E − 04	100.41%	100.22%	138.93%	121.90%
Ozone depletion	kg CFC-11 eq /kWh	2.65E − 08	99.83%	98.46%	93.07%	182.88%
Agricultural land occupation	m2*a /kWh	3.07E − 01	99.75%	97.93%	80.96%	75.06%

With the grid compositions and source specific impact potentials known, the actual environmental impact pr. kWh for any given hour, day, and month can be determined. These results are later combined with the electricity consumption for the selected buildings, to calculate the environmental performance as accurately as possible.

Transparency document. Supplementary material

Supplementary material

Appendix A. Supplementary material

Supplementary material