Evaluating the sustainability of pv technologies and their cooling systems: a life cycle assessment review

Life cycle environmental consequences of photovoltaic systems, from raw material extraction to end-of-life (EoL) management, have attracted more interest in recent years. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a vital tool to analyze the sustainability of PV panels based on parameters such as energy payback time (EPBT), greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and cumulative energy demand (CED). Several studies have considered standalone PV technologies, while the environmental ramifications of integrating cooling systems have not been adequately investigated, even with their increasing relevance in enhancing PV efficiency and lifespan. This review fills the identified gap by systematically assessing the life cycle performance of the PV technologies considered here, alongside several cooling methods - air-based, liquid-based, phase change materials (PCM), radiative, and hybrid systems - for their combined performance, economic, and environmental trade-offs. Results show that Cadmium Telluride and Copper Indium Gallium Selenide technologies exhibit low energy payback times and global warming potential (GWP). Water-based cooling shows the lowest GWP, although water use remains a cause for concern. PCM cooling provides long-term energy savings but comes with recyclability issues. High-value EoL management with recycling would lower GWP. With these fragmented LCA findings, the review provides a common framework for assessing the PV cooling technologies and also provides a case of the need for consolidated datasets and harmonized methodologies. Future research needs to enhance the LCA databases relating to PV cooling systems and establish policy-driven steps to support circularity and sustainable pathways for PV technology.