Life cycle analysis of photovoltaic systems: a review

There is a defined European Union (EU) strategy towards energy-saving measures, clean energy use, renewable energy sources introduction, and reduced CO2 emissions. National legislation framework and EU funding programs are in total compliance with EU energy and environmental policy. Thus the selection of the most environmentally friendly solutions is inevitable and a key parameter to the decision-making process. The revised EU target for 2030 demands at least 40% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels, at least 32% share for renewable energy and at least 32.5% improvement in energy efficiency. Within this framework, in this chapter, the environmental impact related to photovoltaic (PV) systems based on the life cycle thinking approach was examined. The PV technologies have been analyzed in detail and the life cycle analysis results from previous studies were grouped, described, and presented.