Assessment of the life cycle of photovoltaic solar technologies for sustainable energy transitions: Implications for climate policy and low-carbon system integration

Abstract

The rapid expansion of photovoltaic (PV) deployment demands integrated environmental and economic evaluation of emerging technologies. This study compares crystalline silicon (c-Si), perovskite, and hybrid perovskite-silicon tandem PV systems using a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) combined with Techno-economic Analysis (TEA) to measure environmental impacts, resource efficiency, and cost performance. Environmental indicators include life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, total energy demand, water use, and overall impact, while economic performance is assessed through levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Sensitivity analysis explores the effects of energy payback time (EPBT), material efficiency, and perovskite stability. Results show manufacturing as the main hotspot, contributing most to life cycle emissions and energy consumption across all configurations. The hybrid tandem system shows the lowest total environmental impact (∼973 impact units) compared to C-Si (∼1378), achieving about a 29.4% reduction thanks to low-temperature perovskite processing, improved tandem efficiency, and lower energy (397 kWh) and water (607 L) use. Economically, circular economy practices like recycling and material recovery lower LCOE to $0.08/kWh, outperforming standalone technologies. Sensitivity analysis indicates that a 15% reduction in EPBT greatly boosts overall sustainability, while long-term perovskite stability remains a key uncertainty. These findings suggest that circular hybrid perovskite-silicon PV systems offer better combined environmental and economic benefits and serve as a promising path for fast, resource-efficient decarbonization of the electricity sector.