Sustainable and Circular Materials for Photovoltaic Power Plants: A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of...

Sustainable and circular materials for renewable energy applications are essential for reducing the life-cycle burdens of photovoltaic (PV) power plants and improving the resource efficiency of low-carbon energy infrastructure. This study assesses the material-related environmental performance of an existing 2 MW mono-crystalline silicon (sc-Si) photovoltaic power plant in northern Poland and a prospective perovskite solar cell (PSC) module scenario modelled as an equivalent system with the same location, installed capacity, and annual electricity output. The functional unit was defined as 2000 MWh of electricity delivered annually. A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed in SimaPro 9.4.0 using the ReCiPe 2016 method, complemented by an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)-based greenhouse gas assessment. The inventory included photovoltaic modules, support structures, electrical installations, inverter stations, and transformers, with landfill and recycling-oriented material recovery considered as alternative post-consumer management strategies for materials after the end of the technical facility's life. The results show that material-intensive upstream production stages and key balance-of-system components are major contributors to life-cycle impacts, while recycling can reduce selected burdens through material recovery and avoided production of primary materials. These recycling benefits were modelled using material-specific recovery rates and avoided-production credits assigned only to recovered fractions assumed to meet secondary material quality requirements. Under the adopted modelling assumptions, the PSC module scenario indicates potential for lower life-cycle impacts than the sc-Si baseline. For the prospective perovskite module scenario, this potential benefit is conditional on intact encapsulation during operation and controlled collection, separation, and recovery of lead-containing fractions at the end of life. The study demonstrates that material composition, component design, and circular end-of-life management are decisive factors for improving the environmental performance of PV power plants.