Comparative analysis between mono-Si and OPV photovoltaic devices: accelerated aging experiments applied to LCA and LCOE

Abstract

Nowadays, the electrical energy matrix diversification as well as the intensification of the use of renewable sources of energy makes the study of photovoltaics (PV) very relevant. In this work, an emerging technology is compared with a benchmark one, namely, organic photovoltaics (OPV) devices and monocrystalline silicon (mono-Si) devices. The comparison includes environmental aspects, done through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology and costs characteristics, analyzed using the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). In both calculations, the amount of energy generated by a PV module is very important, and it depends on the device efficiency and degradation through time, hence tests of electrical performance with accelerated aging were held. For LCA, the impact categories analyzed were Global Warming Potential (GWP), Cumulative Energy Demand (CED), Human Toxicity Total, Ecotoxicity total and Metal Depletion Potential (MDP). Besides that, Energy Payback Time was calculated. Experimental data from the accelerated aging tests are used to estimate the amount of energy that would be produced by modules of each technology and makes it possible to calculate values of Life Cycle Impact Assessment having kWh as reference unit. For the LCOE, DC power plants of 3 kWp on rooftops were considered in a time horizon of ten years, one with OPV modules and the other with mono-Si ones. Again, the information of energy generated through time was used as input data. As a result, OPV had smaller values for CED, EPBT and GWP, but they were higher for MDP, Human Toxicity Total, Ecotoxicity total and it also had a higher LCOE, demonstrating to have a worst performance than mono-Si, in general