In the drive towards decarbonising energy supplies, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are a promising solution. However, how and where they’re made can greatly influence their sustainability credentials. A recent Swiss-Swedish study has introduced an innovative tool to help architects, engineers, and planners design PV systems that minimise environmental impact, offering a critical step forward in optimising green energy technology.
The Breakthrough: A Parametric Configurator for PV Systems
The research focuses on creating a high-resolution parametric embodied impact configurator for PV and building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems. This web-based tool allows users to design custom solar panels by choosing from different cell technologies, frame materials, and even the production location, all while evaluating the environmental impact in real-time. The configurator calculates 14 key environmental impact categories, from global warming potential to human toxicity and marine eutrophication.
This is a significant leap forward because it enables detailed, accurate assessments that take into account the entire life cycle of a solar panel, from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal. Crucially, it highlights how much a PV panel’s environmental footprint can vary depending on these choices.
Why It Matters
Solar energy is often regarded as a clean solution to the world’s energy needs, but the reality is that the production of solar panels, especially in energy-intensive processes, can have a significant environmental cost. For instance, panels manufactured in China may have nearly twice the carbon emissions of those produced in Europe, due to differences in energy sources and manufacturing methods.
With the configurator, users can identify the most environmentally friendly combinations of materials, production locations, and panel configurations. For example, the study found that switching from aluminium to timber mounting systems or using flexible thin-film panels instead of traditional crystalline silicon panels could greatly reduce the environmental impact. In fact, the global warming potential of a solar panel can vary between 10 and 380 kg of CO₂ equivalent per square metre depending on these factors.
Optimisation for Solar Panels’ Lifetime
This tool provides a powerful way to ensure that future solar installations are not only effective at generating energy but also environmentally sustainable throughout their lifecycle. As countries ramp up efforts to meet net-zero emissions targets, the configurator offers a practical solution for reducing the carbon footprint of one of the world’s fastest-growing renewable energy technologies.
By allowing for detailed assessments and offering a clearer picture of how different decisions impact sustainability, this configurator could change the way solar energy is implemented on a global scale, helping ensure that our transition to renewable energy is as green as possible.
Source
High-resolution parametric embodied impact configurator for PV and BIPV systems, Renewable Energy, 2024-12
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