Authors: Abdul Waris Farid, Mohammad Naser Rasuli, Ghulam Hussain.R
Abstract: Energy production and technical efficiency are important aspects of energy systems, they should not be used to determine their sustainability of solar energy systems. The study combines environmental aspects of solar PV systems' life cycles with social aspects to explore their environmental and social sustainability impacts. Three different PV technologies—monocrystalline silicon, multicrystalline silicon, cadmium telluride—are analyzed, and the energy yield, module efficiency, greenhouse-gas emissions, energy payback time, and social aspects like employment, energy access, community benefits, and social acceptance are considered. An AHP-based framework is still maintained to highlight that on how the various sustainability dimensions can be incorporated into the PV assessment. The illustrative results show that PV technologies have various electrical and environmental features, and social outcomes are highly sensitive to project site settings and deployment environment, as well as community context. The paper emphasizes on the importance of integrated assessment for environmental and social sustainability in the planning of solar energy systems.
