TY - JOUR
T1 - Greenhouse gas emissions associated with photovoltaic electricity from crystalline silicon modules under various energy supply options
AU - Reich, N.H.
AU - Alsema, E.A.
AU - van Sark, W.G.J.H.M.
AU - Turkenburg, W.C.
AU - Sinke, W.C.
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - The direct and indirect emissions associated with photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation are evaluated, focussing on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar module production. Electricity supply technologies used in the entire PV production chain are found to be most influential. Emissions associated with only the electricity-input in the production of PV vary as much as 0–200 g CO2-eq per kWh electricity generated by PV. This wide range results because of specific supply technologies one may assume to provide the electricity-input in PV production, i.e., whether coal-, gas-, wind-, or PV-power facilities in the “background” provide the electricity supply for powering the entire PV production chain. The heat input in the entire PV production chain, for which mainly the combustion of natural gas is assumed, adds another ∼16 CO2-eq/kWh. The GHG emissions directly attributed to c-Si PV technology alone constitute only ∼1–2 g CO2-eq/kWh. The difference in scale indicates the relevance of reporting “indirect” emissions due to energy input in PV production separately from “direct” emissions particular to PV technology. In this article, we also demonstrate the utilization of “direct” and “indirect” shares of emissions for the calculation of GHG emissions in simplified world electricity- and PV-market development scenarios. Results underscore very large GHG mitigation realized by solar PV toward increasingly significant PV market shares.
AB - The direct and indirect emissions associated with photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation are evaluated, focussing on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar module production. Electricity supply technologies used in the entire PV production chain are found to be most influential. Emissions associated with only the electricity-input in the production of PV vary as much as 0–200 g CO2-eq per kWh electricity generated by PV. This wide range results because of specific supply technologies one may assume to provide the electricity-input in PV production, i.e., whether coal-, gas-, wind-, or PV-power facilities in the “background” provide the electricity supply for powering the entire PV production chain. The heat input in the entire PV production chain, for which mainly the combustion of natural gas is assumed, adds another ∼16 CO2-eq/kWh. The GHG emissions directly attributed to c-Si PV technology alone constitute only ∼1–2 g CO2-eq/kWh. The difference in scale indicates the relevance of reporting “indirect” emissions due to energy input in PV production separately from “direct” emissions particular to PV technology. In this article, we also demonstrate the utilization of “direct” and “indirect” shares of emissions for the calculation of GHG emissions in simplified world electricity- and PV-market development scenarios. Results underscore very large GHG mitigation realized by solar PV toward increasingly significant PV market shares.
U2 - 10.1002/pip.1066
DO - 10.1002/pip.1066
M3 - Article
SN - 1062-7995
VL - 19
SP - 603
EP - 613
JO - Progress in photovoltaics
JF - Progress in photovoltaics
IS - 5
ER -