Life Cycle Analysis of Thin-Film Photovoltaic Thermal Systems for Different Tropical Regions

V. Tirupati Rao, Y. Raja Sekhar (), Hari Mahesh, Anantha Krishnan Muraleedharan, Derik Charles, N. I. Aljuraide, Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud Ibrahim, Mahmoud Helal, Ahmed M. Galal, Rokayya Sami, Jong Wan Hu (), Seon Ki Hong and Anka Trajkovska Petkoska
Additional contact information
V. Tirupati Rao: School of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, India
Y. Raja Sekhar: Centre for Disaster Mitigation and Management (CDMM), Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, India
Hari Mahesh: School of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, India
Anantha Krishnan Muraleedharan: School of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, India
Derik Charles: School of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, India
N. I. Aljuraide: Department of Physics, Turabah Branch, Turabah University College, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud Ibrahim: Production Engineering and Mechanical Design Department, Faculty of Engineering, Minia University, Minia 61519, Egypt
Mahmoud Helal: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Ahmed M. Galal: Production Engineering and Mechanical Design Department, Faculty of Engineering, Mansoura University, P.O. Box 35516, Mansoura 35511, Egypt
Rokayya Sami: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Jong Wan Hu: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea
Seon Ki Hong: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea
Anka Trajkovska Petkoska: Faculty of Technology and Technical Sciences, St. Kliment Ohridski University-Bitola, Dimitar Vlahov, 1400 Veles, North Macedonia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 21, 1-14

Abstract: Different energy solutions are required to satisfy the energy demand of the world’s ever-growing population. Photovoltaic Thermal systems (PVT) could propose resolutions to tackle real-time issues regarding power generation. Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is performed to compare the environmental impact and measure the energy across different PVT modules consisting of a-Si, CdTe, and CIS thin-film solar cells. The authors performed LCA to calculate the energy payback time (EPBT) and life-cycle CO 2 emissions of residential rooftop and open-field PVT systems. The primary energy needed to produce thin-film PVT modules of 1 m 2 cell area was considered in the present life cycle analysis studies operated using water as the working fluid. The annual net electrical energy savings at various Indian weather conditions, such as New Delhi, Jodhpur, and Ladakh, have been calculated. For the thin-film PVT systems, the calculated values of annual energy yield for three locations with average solar radiation levels and peak sun hours in the range of 600–1000 W/m 2 and 6–8 h were reported. Results show that the CO 2 emissions for rooftop installation of CdTe and CIS are around 200 and 156 kg/annually, which is lower than the open field installation of the same, where CO 2 emissions were found to be 295 and 250 kg/year.

Keywords: life cycle analysis; photovoltaic/thermal systems; energy payback time (EPBT); CO 2 emissions; CO 2 mitigations; carbon credit earned (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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