COMPARISON OF THE LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES MADE OF DIFFERENT SOLAR-CELLS TECHNOLOGIES

摘要

According to the recent demands in the photovoltaic (PV) sector and anticipating future needs, this paper analyzes and compares the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of four different technologies of PV panels: (monocrystalline, polycrystalline, amorphous silicon and CIS modules). The paper's scope also covers the calculation of the "Energy Pay Back Time" (EPBT) of each of them, which involves the calculation of their embodied energy as well as their energy production. Studying the embodied energy of each PV module enables to understand the influence of the different recycling processes in the EPBT and LCA of each technology. In the paper there are included the existing recycling and waste management processes for each type of module. This is expected to be an important need in the near future when the end-of-life of PV plants approaches.