photovoltaics

Update 2020 of the life cycle inventories of photovoltaics

We provide up-to-date life cycle inventory data of electricity production with photovoltaic systems in Switzerland and worldwide. The latest update was published in December 2020 and documented in the IEA PVPS Task 12 report T12-19:2020.

Data have been collected directly from manufacturers and were provided by other research projects. The iife cycle inventories cover the supply chains of single- and multicrystalline, CdTe and CIS thin film panels. The LCIs cover residential and utility scale PV systems. Life cycle inventories of inverters were updated and life cycle inventories of end of life treatment were added.

Download the latest updates of photovoltaic inventory data (in Excel and in EcoSpold v1) and its report.

The project is financed by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (Bundesamt für Energie), BfE, CH.

downloads and references

Frischknecht R., Stolz P., Krebs L., de Wild-Scholten M., Sinha P. (2020) Life Cycle Inventories and Life Cycle Assessments of Photovoltaic Systems. International Energy Agency (IEA) PVPS Task 12, Report T12-19:2020

Frischknecht R., Stolz P., Krebs L., de Wild-Scholten M., Sinha P. (2020) Life Cycle Inventory data of Photovoltaic Systems, EcoSpoldv1 data files. International Energy Agency (IEA) PVPS Task 12, Data file to Report T12-19:2020

Frischknecht R., Krebs L. (2020) Factsheet: Ökobilanz Strom aus Photovoltaikanlagen 2020. treeze Ltd., Uster

Stolz P., Frischknecht R., Wambach K., Sinha P., Heath A. (2018) Life Cycle Assessment of Current Photovoltaic Module Recycling. International Energy Agency (IEA) PVPS Task 12, Report T12-13:2018

Stolz P., Frischknecht R., Heath G., Komoto K., Macknick J., Sinha P., Wade A. (2017) Water Footprint of European Rooftop Photovoltaic Electricity based on Regionalised Life Cycle Inventories. International Energy Agency (IEA) PVPS Task 12, Report T12-11:2017

Tschümperlin L., Stolz P., Frischknecht R. (2016) Life cycle assessment of low power solar inverters (2.5 to 20kW). treeze Ltd., Uster, CH, commissioned by Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE)

Frischknecht R. (2016) Umweltfussabdruck von Fotovoltaikstrom: Stand heute und zukünftige Entwicklung, Presentation 14. Nationale PV Tagung Bern, Februar 2016

Frischknecht R., Heath G., Raugei M., Sinha P., de Wild-Scholten M., Fthenakis V., Kim H. C., Alsema E., Held M. (2016) Methodology Guidelines on Life Cycle Assessment of Photovoltaic Electricity, 3rd edition. International Energy Agency (IEA) PVPS Task 12, Report T12-06:2016.

Frischknecht R., Itten R., Sinha P., de Wild-Scholten M., Zhang J. (2015) Life Cycle Inventories and Life Cycle Assessments of Photovoltaic Systems. International Energy Agency (IEA) PVPS Task 12, Report T12-04:2015.

Frischknecht R., Itten R., Wyss F. (2015) Life Cycle Assessment of Future Photovoltaic Electricity Production from Residential-scale Systems Operated in Europe. International Energy Agency (IEA) PVPS Task 12, Report T12-05:2015.

Frischknecht R. (2013) Umweltauswirkungen der Stromerzeugung in der Schweiz Ergebnisse aus Arbeiten zur Energiestrategie 2050 der Bundesrates, Presentation 11. Nationale PV Tagung Basel, Juni 2013

Frischknecht R., Stucki, M., Flury K., Itten R. (2013) Life cycle assessment of amorphous and micromorphous PV modules, 28th European PV Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, October 2013, Paris, France

Stucki M., Frischknecht R., Flury K. (2012) The Influence of Market Shifts and Technology Developments on the Environmental Impacts of Photovoltaic Electricity in Central Europe. 27th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, 24.-28. September 2012, Frankfurt, Germany

Frischknecht R., Stucki M., Flury K. (2012) Umweltdumping versus Technikexzellenz - Wie Marktveränderungen und Technologieentwicklung die Ökobilanz von Solarstrom beeinflussen. 10. Nationale Photovoltaik-Tagung 2012, 23. März 2012, TRAFO Baden, CH.

Stucki M., Frischknecht R., Flury K. (2012) Warum Solarstrom nicht klimaneutral aber trotzdem umweltfreundlich ist – aktuelle Ökobilanzen zu Fotovoltaik. 27. Symposium Photovoltaische Solarenergie, 29. Februar – 2. März 2012, Bad Staffelstein , Deutschland

Stucki M., Frischknecht R., Jungbluth N. (2011) Agrotreibstoffe versus Solarstrom: Ein Vergleich der Ökobilanzen alternativer Treibstoffe. In: VSE Bulletin, 2011(2), pp. 25ff

Stucki M., R. Frischknecht, (2010) Vermindert Fotovoltaik die Umweltintensität des Schweizer Stroms? Erkenntnisse aktueller Ökobilanzen zu Strom aus Solarzellen, in Bulletin SEV/VSE, 3/2010, Electrosuisse, Fehraltorf

Jungbluth N., Stucki M., Frischknecht R. (2010) Photovoltaics. In: Sachbilanzen von Energiesystemen: Grundlagen für den ökologischen Vergleich von Energiesystemen und den Einbezug von Energiesystemen in Ökobilanzen für die Schweiz, Vol. ecoinvent report No. 6-XII, v2.2+ pp. 171. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, CH, 2010.

Frischknecht R., M. Stucki (2008) IEA-PVPS Task 12: Swiss activities in 2008; Aktualisierung der Ökobilanz von CdTe-PV, in Programm Photovoltaik Ausgabe 2009, Bundesamt für Energie, Bern

Jungbluth N., Tuchschmid M., de Wild-Scholten M. J. (2008) Life Cycle Assessment for Photovoltaics: Update for ecoinvent data v2.0

Jungbluth N., Bauer C., Dones R., Frischknecht R. (2004) Life Cycle Assessment for Emerging Technologies: Case Studies for Photovoltaic and Wind Power. In Int J LCA Vol. 10 (1) dx.doi.org/10.1065/lca2004.11.181.3.