12PV Sustainability Activities

The objectives of Task 12 are to:

1. Quantify PV electricity’s environmental profile to enhance supply chain sustainability and enable comparisons with other energy technologies.
2. Enhance PV technology and materials circularity through novel analysis, legislative tracking, and technical standards development.
3. Investigate synergies between PV system deployment and its environmental and ecosystem impacts.
4. Identify and tackle both real and perceived social and socio-economic challenges to PV market growth.
5. Share analytical findings with technical experts, policymakers, and the public.

Task 12’s first objective focuses on employing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for detailing energy, material, and emission flows across PV life cycles, including human health assessments. The second objective involves advancing the circular economy for PV modules and system components through research and metric development. The third objective is met by evaluating the impact of PV projects on ecosystems, including both standard and integrated systems like agrivoltaics. The fourth objective promotes sustainable practices within the solar value chain and assesses environmental, social, and socio-economic impacts of PV technology. Lastly, the fifth objective engages a wide audience through publications, presentations, and media collaboration, disseminating information and fostering industry-wide sustainable actions.

Task 12 aims to facilitate a common understanding of PV Sustainability, with a focus on Environment Health and Safety (EH&S), among the various country-members and disseminate the Task’s outcomes and knowledge to stakeholders, energy and environmental policy decision makers, and the general public.

Task 12 is operated jointly by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and University of New South Wales (UNSW). Support from the United States’ Department of Energy (DOE)  and the Australian University of New South Wales (UNSW) are gratefully acknowledged.