Life-Cycle Analysis of Crystalline-Si “Direct Wafer” and Tandem Perovskite PV Modules and Systems

An Updated Life Cycle Assessment of Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Systems Installed in the United States

“…However, it should be noted there appears to be a typo in the inventory from Müller et al (2021): the polysilicon input quantity seems as if it may be swapped with the ingot input quantity to the wafering process. This is also commented on briefly in Leccisi, Lorenz, and Fthenakis (2023). For this reason, our ingot inventory relies on the polysilicon input from Frischknecht et al (2020b) and the remainder of the inventory from Müller et al (2021).…”

“…The foreground processes considered in this LCA include silica sand, silicon metal, polysilicon, single-crystal ingots, wafers, PV cells, modules, single-axis trackers, inverters, transformers, and other balance-of-system (BOS) components, as well as installation, maintenance, and EOL stages as shown in Figure 2. Compilation of life cycle inventory data began with a literature review prioritizing PV LCAs published since 2018 (Frischknecht et al 2020b;Heidari and Anctil 2022;Lunardi et al 2018;Müller et al 2021;Méndez et al 2021;Danelli et al In Review;Leccisi, Lorenz, and Fthenakis 2023;Antonanzas, Arbeloa-Ibero, and Quinn 2019;Pu et al 2021). However, EOL LCAs drew from earlier publications (Stolz et al 2017;Ravikumar et al 2016;Latunussa et al 2016).…”

Advancements in Photovoltaic Cell Materials: Silicon, Organic, and Perovskite Solar Cells

“…The sustainability of photovoltaic technologies, including silicon, organic, and perovskite photovoltaics, has been analyzed using life cycle assessment methodologies. Urbina’s study [ 148 , 149 ] finds that solar electricity has lower impacts than fossil fuel electricity in various categories, emphasizing the need to consider potential risks arising from mineral scarcity in certain technologies. Another relevant aspect is the environmental impact of the materials that are used in modern solar panels, such as transparent conductive materials, encapsulation polymers, and antireflective coatings, as discussed by Dallaev et al [ 150 ].…”