Environmental assessment of grid connected photovoltaic plants with 2-axis tracking versus fixed modules systems

The use of two axes tracking systems has been widely implemented because of the higher rates in energy production that these systems can achieve. However, the reduction of the PV modules cost makes the economic advantage of these tracking systems not so evident and this has aroused the interest of analysing them from other points of view such as efficiency or energy performance and environmental impact.Most of the existing LCA studies related to Photovoltaic systems are focused in the comparison of the different technologies used for cell production; some reports include also the module assembly, but there is little information regarding the environmental impact caused by the complete solar photovoltaic plant.In this paper, a Life cycle analysis of two types of installations (with and without solar tracking) in different geographic locations is presented. The methodology, based on recognized international standards, provides the best framework for assessing the most relevant factors causing the environmental impacts and gives relevant information for further improvements. The results also allow the comparison of different solutions and the calculation of the Energy and Environmental Payback time of both configurations.

► We think that the main contributions of this paper are the following:
► Life cycle assessment of different configurations of a solar farm, with and without sun-tracking systems.
► Assessment of the environmental impact depending on the Energy mix avoided.
► Use of alternative eco-indicators for the assessment of solar photovoltaic energy production.
► Factors that influence the environmental impact of a PV plant during its life cycle. Sensitivity analysis.