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Title:
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Life Cycle Assessment of Photovoltaics: update of ecoinvent data V2.0
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Author(s):
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Jungbluth, N.; Tuchschmid, M.; Wild - Scholten, M.J. de
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Published by:
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Publication date:
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ECN
Solar Energy
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1-9-2008
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ECN report number:
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Document type:
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ECN-O--08-025
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Other
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Number of pages:
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Full text:
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22
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Download PDF
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Abstract:
This paper describes the update and extension of the life cycle assessment (LCA) of photovoltaic (PV) power plants in the ecoinvent database v2.0. Sixteen different, grid-connected photovoltaic systems were studied for the situation in Switzerland in the year 2005. They are manufactured as panels or laminates, from silicon or thin-films, installed on façades, slanted or flat roofs, and have 3kWp capacity. Furthermore average photovoltaic production mix data have been investigated for more than 20 countries. The process data include the full process chain for panel and laminate production, mounting structure, 30 years operation and dismantling. The ecoinvent data v1.0 have been updated with information from new research projects and manufacturer data. The LCI for photovoltaic electricity shows that each production stage is important for certain elementary flows. A comparison of the cumulative energy demand with older Swiss studies highlights the developments for crystalline photovoltaics in the last 15 years. An evaluation of region specific energy pay-back times as well as mitigation potentials for nuclear waste and CO2 highlights the region specific differences for an assessment. The presented life cycle inventories for photovoltaic power plants are representative for newly constructed plants in Switzerland in the year 2005. The very detailed ecoinvent data v2.0 forms a good basis for assessments of the use of photovoltaics in this reference year.
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