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Advances in Energy Research Volume 8, Number 1, March 2022 , pages 1-19 DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/eri.2022.8.1.001 |
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Environmental assessment of a BIPV system |
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Demetrios N. Papadopoulos, Constantinos N. Antonopoulos and Vagelis G. Papadakis
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| Abstract | ||
| The application of Photovoltaic (PV) power in the building sector, is expanding as part of the ongoing energy transition into renewables. The article addresses the question of sustainability of energy generated from PVs through an environmental assessment of a building-integrated PV system (BIPV) connected to the grid through net metering. Employing retrospective life cycle analysis (LCA), with the CCaLC2 software and ecoinvent data, the article shows that the carrying structure and other balance of system (BOS) components are responsible for a three times higher energy payback time than the literature average. However, total environmental impact can be lowered through reuse or reinstallation of PVs on the same building structure after the 30-year interval. Further ways to improve environmental efficiency include identifying the most polluting materials for each LCA parameter. The results of this study are of interest to researchers and producers of PVs and organizations investing and promoting decentralized power production through PVs. | ||
| Key Words | ||
| building-integrated photovoltaic systems; life cycle analysis; CO2 emissions; EPBT; sustainability | ||
| Address | ||
| Demetrios N. Papadopoulos, Constantinos N. Antonopoulos and Vagelis G. Papadakis: Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering,University of Patras, Seferi Str 2, 30100, Agrinio, Greece | ||
