| Abstract [eng] |
According to scientific literature, the importance of renewable energy sources will increase in the future. Solar energy systems are already the fastest growing type of power plants, and even higher growth rates are predicted in the future. The use of photovoltaics contributes to the mitigation of climate change and environmental pollution, however both the maintenance and the manufacture of PVs are significant for environmental efficiency. The paper examines the environmental impact of photovoltaic solar module production and reviews the causes. Processes of Silicon extraction and processing are the main factors influencing the environmental impact. It is mainly influenced by the production stages of polycrystalline Silicon wafers with high thermal and electrical needs. This is primarily due to the China energy system which is dominated by fossil fuels especially coal. Life cycling assessment performed using the SimaPro software to evaluate the environmental impact of PV Solid PRO P.60 production innovations. Counting the ILCD Midpoint+ method results for primary raw materials PV, the overall environmental impact is 13.07, 57% of which are based on Silicon wafers. The most significant influence are the human toxicity cancer and non-cancer risk categories. Implementing production innovations: using recycled Silicon and improving the process of diffusion of PV, the negative impact on the environment is reduced in all exposure categories. The overall result is 33% lower. PV production energy need and the impact on climate change are reduced double. Greenhouse gas emissions for 1 kWh of electricity and energy payback time have been calculated, as these indicators are commonly discussed in literature. Solutions have been proposed for further product development by eliminating encapsulants, coating of PERC and alternative use of Silicon. |
