Single issue assessment VS full Life Cycle Assessment: the case of a monocrystalline PV pannel

The consequences of climate change and lack of sustainability of current energy models are debated at international level. The scientific community, to support the development of sustainable policies in this area, has for years invested in the development of so-called renewable energy sources and in assessing the impacts that this technologies generate along their lifecycle. In literature there are several studies on the application of these technologies based on the life cycle approach. However, research published to date are limited to submit only two indicators of environmental impact of these technologies: Carbon Footprint and the Energy Payback Time. Therefore a complete environmental assessment of these technologies is missing. This study, conducted in 2010, presents the results of a life cycle assessment of a mono-crystalline silicon solar panel of 1 kWp. The objective of this research was to conduct a complete environmental impacts assessment according to the standards ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 in order to verify the existence of any other significant impact categories beyond those already considered in literature. The study takes into account all the stages of the life cycle of the solar panel except from the transport from place of production to the installation site and end of life treatment. The results of the impact assessment are presented in different categories of assessment; the methods considered are the Eco-Indicator 99, the Cumulative Energy Demand and the IPCC 2007. The greater part of the data relative to the product were primary data; they were supplied by a manufacturer of photovoltaic panels of the northern Italy. The application of these methods of evaluation showed that there are other significant categories of impact (Respiratory Inorganics) than those commonly considered in literature. The results demonstrate that, to support the choices and decisions in the field of renewable energy, is not sufficient to limit the impact assessment to individual indicators but it is necessary to extend the evaluation to other impact categories and to conduct a full life cycle assessment