Environmental impact of monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules

IF 11.2 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL

Resources Conservation and Recycling Pub Date : 2025-05-09 DOI:10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108373

Xuerou Sheng , Leping Chen , Mengyue Liu , Xueliang Yuan , Qingsong Wang , Qiao Ma , Jian Zuo

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Abstract

Solar photovoltaics is crucial in the low carbon transformation of the global energy industry, while the mainstream types of photovoltaic modules have changed considerably. The most promising N-type TOPCon monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic module is examined through the life cycle environmental impact assessment, and focus is placed on optimizing the production process of industrial silicon, poly-silicon, silicon rod, silicon wafer, photovoltaic cell, and photovoltaic module. This study revealed that the environmental impact of N-type TOPCon monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules is lower than other types. The environmental impact mainly relates to freshwater desalination, fossil resource scarcity, and ozone formation. The key processes are the extraction of polycrystalline silicon, production of photovoltaic cells, and assembly process of photovoltaic modules, accounting for 29.08, 18.03 and 32.45 % respectively. The optimization of the electricity mix and the replacement of secondary aluminum will effectively reduce the environmental impact of photovoltaic module production by as much as 72.72 %.

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单晶硅光伏组件对环境的影响

太阳能光伏在全球能源产业的低碳转型中至关重要，而光伏组件的主流类型已经发生了较大的变化。通过对n型TOPCon单晶硅光伏组件进行全生命周期环境影响评价，重点对工业硅、多晶硅、硅棒、硅片、光伏电池、光伏组件的生产工艺进行优化。本研究发现，n型TOPCon单晶硅光伏组件对环境的影响低于其他类型。环境影响主要涉及淡水淡化、化石资源稀缺和臭氧形成。多晶硅提取工艺、光伏电池生产工艺和光伏组件组装工艺占比分别为29.08%、18.03%和32.45%。优化电力结构和替代二次铝将有效降低光伏组件生产对环境的影响，降幅高达72.72%。

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来源期刊

Resources Conservation and Recycling 环境科学-工程：环境

CiteScore

22.90

自引率

6.10%

发文量

625

审稿时长

23 days

期刊介绍： The journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling welcomes contributions from research, which consider sustainable management and conservation of resources. The journal prioritizes understanding the transformation processes crucial for transitioning toward more sustainable production and consumption systems. It highlights technological, economic, institutional, and policy aspects related to specific resource management practices such as conservation, recycling, and resource substitution, as well as broader strategies like improving resource productivity and restructuring production and consumption patterns. Contributions may address regional, national, or international scales and can range from individual resources or technologies to entire sectors or systems. Authors are encouraged to explore scientific and methodological issues alongside practical, environmental, and economic implications. However, manuscripts focusing solely on laboratory experiments without discussing their broader implications will not be considered for publication in the journal.