In order to assess environmental impact throughout the full life cycle of the monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic system
a life cycle assessment (LCA) method was used to analyze and evaluate the energy consumption and carbon emissions of the production
transportation
operation and recycling stages of the 1 kW monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic system. The results show that the whole life cycle energy consumption of the 1 kW monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic system installed in Kunming is 992.08 kWh
with carbon emissions of 2033.24 kg. The energy payback period and carbon payback period are 0.90 and 16.96 years
respectively
both of which are shorter than the system’s operational lifespan. Energy consumption and carbon emissions are primarily concentrated in the production stage
with the production of solar-grade polysilicon having the largest share
followed by the production of balance-of-system components and monocrystalline silicon wafers. Improving the production technologies for solar-grade polysilicon
balance-of-system components
and monocrystalline silicon wafers
as well as enhancing the recycling efficiency of discarded photovoltaic systems
is key to reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. Additionally
transportation distance and installation location can impact the energy payback period and carbon payback period.
YU Z Q, MA W H, XIE K Q, et al.Life cycle assessment of grid-connected power generation from metallurgical route multi-crystalline silicon photovoltaic system in China[J]. Applied energy, 2017, 185: 68-81.
ISO 14040 environmental management life cycle assessment general principles and framework[S].
何洋. 太阳能级多晶硅的生命周期评价[D]. 成都: 西南交通大学, 2013.
FAN M Y, YU Z Q, MA W H, et al.Life cycle assessment of crystalline silicon wafers for photovoltaic power generation[J]. Silicon, 2021, 13(9): 3177-3189.
FRISCHKNECHT R, STOLZ P, KREBS L, et al.Environmental life cycle assessment of residential[R]. USA: International Energy Agency, 2020: 36.
WANG T Y, HSIAO J C, DU C H.Recycling of materials from silicon base solar cell module[C]//2012 38th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference. Austin, TX, USA, 2012: 2355-2358.