Environmental Impact Assessment and Mitigation Strategies for Photovoltaic Power Systems Across the Life Cycle
Keywords:
solar photovoltaic power station, environmental impacts, evaluation method, life cycle assessmentAbstract
Addressing the global energy crisis requires solutions like sustainable and renewable energy. Solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation, especially large-scale plants, has seen significant recent development. While offering clean electricity during operation, the construction, operation, and decommissioning of large PV power stations can have adverse environmental impacts, which are not yet fully understood. Furthermore, the environmental impacts during the manufacturing of PV modules themselves are substantial and cannot be overlooked. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the environmental impacts associated with PV power generation systems throughout their entire lifecycle. It examines impacts from the manufacturing of crystalline silicon PV modules, the construction and operation of solar power plants, and the disposal stage. The feasibility of recycling crystalline silicon PV modules is also discussed. The aim is to offer insights for environmental impact assessments and mitigation strategies related to PV power stations.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Jinyu Liu

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