DIELECTRIC FLUIDS

1900 EAST NORTH STREET

WAUKESHA, WI 53188 USA

DATE: March 12, 2008

TO: Whom it May Concern
SUBJECT: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

This note compares, in terms of greenhouse gas production, transformers using Envirotemp FR3 fluid and mineral oil.
We used the Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) software [1], available from the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, to obtain greenhouse gas data for Envirotemp FR3 fluid and mineral oil. BEES
uses a life-cycle assessment approach, analyzing raw material acquisition, manufacture, transportation, installation, use,
and recycling and waste management, to determine a products global warming potential (see attachment).
The cost of mineral oil, in terms of carbon emissions, is considerably greater than FR3 fluid about 8.2 lb/gal less
greenhouse gas emitted to produce FR3 fluid. Table 1 shows the BEES amounts of greenhouse gas generated from raw
materials through end of life for mineral oil and Envirotemp FR3 fluid. In their Use and End of Life calculations, the
BEES software makes some assumptions [2], such as reprocessing the oil in a transformer every five years, which may
not apply to distribution transformers. Table 2 shows the greenhouse gases generated without the Use and End of Life
evaluations. Table 3 gives an estimate of the greenhouse gas emissions from the production of other transformer
construction materials.
Table 1. Greenhouse gasesa attributed to transformer fluid for its complete life cycle.
Catagory
Raw materials
Manufacturing
Transportation
Use
End of Life
Total
a
b

grams per unitb

Mineral Oil
FR3 Fluid
1,048,184
544,363
122,478
154,124
30,825
1,899,973

-381,590
160,212
71,498
153,450
30,690
34,260

tons per 1000 gallons

Mineral Oil
FR3 Fluid
2.306
1.198
0.269
0.339
0.068
4.180

-0.839
0.352
0.157
0.338
0.068
0.075

carbon dioxide equivalents

In BEES 4.0e, one unit is a 1000 kVA transformer containing 500 gallons of fluid
a

Table 2. Greenhouse gases attributed to production of transformer fluid through transformer filling.
Catagory
Raw materials
Manufacturing
Transportation
Use
End of Life
Total
a
b

grams per unitb

Mineral Oil
FR3 Fluid

tons per 1000 gallons

Mineral Oil
FR3 Fluid

1,048,184
544,363
122,478

-381,590
160,212
71,498

2.306
1.198
0.269

-0.839
0.352
0.157

1,715,025

-149,880

3.773

-0.330

carbon dioxide equivalents

In BEES 4.0e, one unit is a 1000 kVA transformer containing 500 gallons of fluid

Table 3. Greenhouse gases attributed to production of transformer materials

Material
Aluminum
Steel

Copper
Paper
a

Tons of CO2a
per Ton of Material
12
13.9 15.5
1.36
2.7
2.3 2.7
7.1
2.02
0.5
2.34

Average

Reference
3,4
8
6
7
8
5
9
10
11

13.35

2.19
4.56
1.42

carbon dioxide equivalents

As an example, we can use the purchases of a reference customer to compare the global warming costs in terms of
generation of greenhouse gas for transformers using the two fluids. Table 4 shows the estimated raw material
requirements for the customers transformer purchases of $24.62 million in 2006. Material requirements for nonevaluated designs, TSL2, TSL4, and DOE efficiencies are given. Table 5 uses the data from Tables 2 and 3 to calculate
the tons of carbon emissions attributed to the materials in a transformer in Table 4. Note that paper is not included in
the calculations, as the reference customers usage was not easily available at this time.
Table 4. Raw materials based on a reference customerss 2006 purchases of M$24.62
Transformer
Design
Non-evaluated
TSL2
TSL4
DOE

Type

Fluid
Gallons

Aluminum
(tons)

Core

Steel (tons)
Tank
Total

mineral oil
FR3
mineral oil
FR3
mineral oil
FR3

577,805
603,485
525,803
549,172
473,800
494,858

485
500
585
603
741
764

2,055
2,034
2,274
2,250
2,445
2,420

1,428
1,443
1,448
1,463
1,468
1,483

3,483
3,476
3,722
3,713
3,913
3,903

mineral oil
FR3

460,607
481,079

781
806

2,488
2,463

1,473
1,488

3,961
3,951

Table 5. Greenhouse gases based on a reference customers 2006 purchases of M$24.62

Transformer
Design

Fluid Type

Non-evaluated mineral oil

FR3
TSL2
mineral oil
FR3
TSL4
mineral oil
FR3
DOE
a

mineral oil
FR3

Tons of CO2a from

Fluid Aluminum Steel

Total CO2
FR3 - Mineral Oil
Tons Tons/M$
Tons/M$

2,180
-199
1,984
-181
1,788
-163

6,468
6,671
7,803
8,047
9,897
10,206

7,616
7,602
8,138
8,120
8,556
8,534

16,264
14,073
17,925
15,985
20,241
18,577

661
572
728
649
822
755

1,738
-159

10,428
10,754

8,662
8,640

20,828
19,235

846
781

-89.0
-78.8
-67.6
-64.7

carbon dioxide equivalents

Assuming conservative insulation thermal life extensions for DOE efficiency FR3 fluid-filled transformers of 1.33, 1.5,
and 2 times that of mineral oil-filled transformers, the advantage of FR3 fluid in terms of carbon emissions is significant
(Figure 1).

1000

CO2 Savings (tons/M$)

800

600

400

200

0
1

1.33

1.5

FR3 Fluid Thermal Life (mineral oil = 1)

Figure 1. Reduction in carbon emissions for FR3 fluid-filled DOE

efficiency transformer, assuming FR3 fluid/Kraft insulation thermal
life of 1, 1.33, 1.5, and 2 times mineral oil/Kraft thermal life, based on
the purchases of a reference customer.

References
[1] BEES, Version 4.0e, Building and Fire Research Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, August 2007,
http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/software/bees/
[2] B.C. Lippiatt, Technical Manual and Users Guide, BEES 4.0 Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability, Office
of Applied Economics, Building and Fire Research Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Technology
Administration, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, August 2007
[3] J. Harnisch, I.S. Wing, H.D. Jacoby, and R.G. Prinn, Primary Aluminum Production: Climate Policy, Emissions and Costs,
Report No. 44, Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, December
1998, http://web.mit.edu/globalchange/www/rpt44.html
[4] R. Huglen and H. Kvande, Global considerations of aluminum electrolysis on energy and the environment, Light Metals 1994,
373-380
[5] Sustainable Development Report, Kennecott Utah Copper, 2004,
http://www.kennecott.com/library/media/papers/pdf/sustainableDevelopment2004.pdf
[6] CO2 Monitoring in the Steel Industry, Energy Management, Technology and Research, Stahl-Zentrum, http://www.stahlonline.de/english/research_and_technology/power_and_environmental_technology/energy_management.asp
[7] T. Jamieson, Voluntary Agreements to Limit Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Energy Management of New Zealand, 1996,
http://www.ema.org.nz/publications/papers/jamieson1996.pdf
[8] Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Study Reveals No Conclusive Evidence That Aluminium-Intensive Vehicles Reduce
Greenhouse Gas Emissions, World Auto Steel, Automotive Group, International Iron and Steel Institute, 2006,
http://www.ulsab.org/article200610102006b.html
[9] Solid Waste Management and Greenhouse Gases: A Life-Cycle Assessment of Emissions and Sinks, 3rd Edition, US
Environmental Protection Agency, 2006, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/downloads/chapter2.pdf
[10] Draft Project Design Document, Paper Factory Stambolijski Joint Implementation Project, Biomass and Energy Efficiency
Project, TV SD Industrie Service GmbH, 2004,
http://www.netinform.de/KE/files/pdf/PFS%20JI%20PDD%20Final%20040930.pdf
[11] Life Cycle Inventory of Packaging Options for Shipment of Retail Mail-Order Soft Goods - Final Peer-Reviewed Report,
Frankling Associates for Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and U.S. EPA Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
Program, April, 2007, http://www.deq.state.or.us/lq/pubs/docs/sw/packaging/LifeCycle02.pdf