The Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) of Photovoltaic Modules - Lessons Learned from the Environmental Footprint Pilot Phase on the Way to a Single Market for Green Products in the European Union

Garvin Heath, Andreas Wade, Philippe Stolz, Rolf Frischknecht, Parikhit Sinha

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Scopus Citations

Abstract

Shaping and channeling the transformation of the global energy system require an understanding of the life cycle environmental impacts of available technology options. With photovoltaic electricity generation expected to be the largest, least cost, and most relevant source of energy globally by mid-century, the environmental and resource implications of this technology should be made accessible to a variety of societal, political, and scientific stakeholders. The Product Environmental Footprint Guide provides a methodology for assessing the environmental impacts of PV technologies based on life cycle assessment. The establishment of an inclusive multi-stakeholder process with multiple checkpoints, ensuring scientific soundness, societal and political acceptance and methodological quality, is portrayed in this paper and can serve as a model for driving a single market for green products in the EU.

Original languageAmerican English
Pages (from-to)553-564
Number of pages12
JournalProgress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications
Volume26
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

NREL Publication Number

  • NREL/JA-6A20-72244

Keywords

  • environmental footprint
  • LCA
  • PEF
  • PEFCR
  • photovoltaics
  • PV

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) of Photovoltaic Modules - Lessons Learned from the Environmental Footprint Pilot Phase on the Way to a Single Market for Green Products in the European Union'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this