Embodied Energy and Cost Assessments of a Concentrating Photovoltaic Module

Daria Freier Raine,Roberto Ramirez-Iniguez,Firdaus Muhammad-Sukki,Tahseen Jafry,Carlos Gamio,Jorge Alfredo Ardila-Rey

doi:10.3390/su132413916

Abstract

This paper focuses on the embodied energy and cost assessments of a static concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) module in comparison to the flat photovoltaic (PV) module. The CPV module employs a specific concentrator design from the Genetically Optimised Circular Rotational Square Hyperboloid (GOCRSH) concentrators, labelled as GOCRSH_A. Firstly, it discussed previous research on life cycle analyses for PV and CPV modules. Next, it compared the energy embodied in the materials of the GOCRSH_A module to the energy embodied in the materials of a flat PV module of the same electrical output. Lastly, a comparison in terms of cost is presented between the analysed GOCRSH_A module and the flat PV module. It was found that the GOCRSH_A module showed a reduction in embodied energy of 17% which indicates a reduction in embodied carbon. In terms of cost, the costs for the GOCRSH_A module were calculated to be 1.71 times higher than the flat PV module of the same electrical output. It is concluded that a trade-off is required between the embodied energy and cost impacts in order to bring this CPV technology into the market.

Highlights

During the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2015, 195 of the member states agreed that climate change will be the main threat to humanity for years to come [1].Our heavy reliance on fossil fuels for energy generation and our excessive energy consumption in the Global North are the core of this problem
This paper aims at assessing the embodied energy and cost impacts of a static concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) module relative to a flat photovoltaic (PV) module
The sustainability analysis of the GOCRSH_A includes the calculation of the embodied energy in materials of the module from the stage of raw material extraction up to the stage of CPV module dispatch, the energy required for transportation, use and after-life is not included

Summary

Introduction

During the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2015, 195 of the member states agreed that climate change will be the main threat to humanity for years to come [1].Our heavy reliance on fossil fuels for energy generation and our excessive energy consumption in the Global North are the core of this problem. In order to keep global warming within 1.5 ◦ C above pre-industrial levels, the highlights of the outstanding Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s 2018 report [2,3] show that whilst remaining fossil fuels must be left underground, it is crucial to reduce global energy consumption This does apply to industrialised countries and to countries that are at an earlier stage of development. Whilst the impact of climate change is universal, people living in poverty are more vulnerable to extreme weather conditions such as floods, landslides or draughts and these are expected to become more frequent and more severe with climate change [5] Those who have contributed the least to global warming are most severely affected by its consequences; this inequality is referred to as climate injustice [6,7]. Recognising and addressing this inequality enables us to achieve climate justice

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