Life Cycle Inventories of Photovoltaic Systems: IEA PVPS Task 12: PV Sustainability

This report provides the most comprehensive update of publicly available life cycle inventory (LCI) data for photovoltaic (PV) systems in more than ten years. The report supports researchers, policymakers, industry and life cycle assessment (LCA) practitioners with transparent, high-quality datasets for evaluating the environmental performance of today's PV technologies. Life cycle inventories form the foundation of life cycle assessments by documenting the material and energy flows as well as emissions associated with the production of PV systems. Reliable and up-to-date LCI data are essential for producing credible environmental assessments, comparing technologies and identifying opportunities to further improve the sustainability of solar energy. The new report updates the previous IEA PVPS Task 12 LCI report published in 2020 and includes new datasets for TOPCon and PERC monocrystalline silicon PV supply chains, CdTe PV modules, balance-of-system components, residential, commercial, and utility-scale reference PV systems, and country-specific PV electricity mixes.