The Climate Footprint of Clean Energy: A Cradle-to-Grave Life Cycle Assessment of a Photovoltaic System

The global transition to solar photovoltaics (PV) is essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals for climate action (SDG 13) and clean energy (SDG 7). However, the true environmental viability of PV technology hinges on its full lifecycle performance. This study conducts a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a complete utility-scale monocrystalline PV system, including Balance of System (BOS) components such as the 1-axis tracker, inverter, transformer, and associated electrical-mechanical hardware. The analysis, in the context for manufacturing with the West-India electricity grid mix, follows ISO 14040 standards with a functional unit of 1 m2 of the system operated for 30 years. The assessment reveals that across key impact categories, pre-operational stages overwhelmingly dominate the environmental profile. This investigation identifies two primary hotspots: the energy-intensive manufacturing of the PV module, and the material-intensive production of the BOS. The findings highlight that the environmental credentials of solar PV are very closely linked to the decarbonization of the manufacturing supply chain for all system components.