Review of the Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Different Photovoltaic and Concentrating Solar Power Electricity Generation Systems

Raghava Kommalapati, Akhil Kadiyala, Md. Tarkik Shahriar and Ziaul Huque
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Raghava Kommalapati: Center for Energy & Environmental Sustainability, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA
Akhil Kadiyala: Center for Energy & Environmental Sustainability, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA
Md. Tarkik Shahriar: Center for Energy & Environmental Sustainability, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA
Ziaul Huque: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA

Energies, 2017, vol. 10, issue 3, 1-18

Abstract: This paper contains an extensive review of life cycle assessment (LCA) studies on greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from different material-based photovoltaic (PV) and working mechanism-based concentrating solar power (CSP) electricity generation systems. Statistical evaluation of the life cycle GHG emissions is conducted to assess the role of different PVs and CSPs in reducing GHG emissions. The widely-used parabolic trough and central receiver CSP electricity generation systems emitted approximately 50% more GHGs than the paraboloidal dish, solar chimney, and solar pond CSP electricity generation systems. The cadmium telluride PVs and solar pond CSPs contributed to minimum life cycle GHGs. Thin-film PVs are also suitable for wider implementation, due to their lower Energy Pay-Back Time (EPBT) periods, in addition to lower GHG emission, in comparison with c-Si PVs.

Keywords: life cycle assessment; greenhouse gas emissions; solar energy; photovoltaics; concentrating solar power; electricity generation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (21)

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