CarbonFootprintAnalysisofFloatingPVsystems2024PVPSReportIEA-PVPST12-29:2024Task12PVSustainabilityActivitiesTask12PVSustainability–CarbonFootprintAnalysisofFloatingPVsystemscomparedtoGround-mountedPVsystemsWhatisIEAPVPSTCP?TheInternationalEnergyAgency(IEA),foundedin1974,isanautonomousbodywithintheframeworkoftheOrganizationforEconomicCooperationandDevelopment(OECD).TheTechnologyCollaborationProgramme(TCP)wascreatedwithabeliefthatthefutureofenergysecurityandsustainabilitystartswithglobalcollaboration.Theprogrammeismadeupof6.000expertsacrossgovernment,academia,andindustrydedicatedtoadvancingcommonresearchandtheapplicationofspecificenergytechnologies.TheIEAPhotovoltaicPowerSystemsProgramme(IEAPVPS)isoneoftheTCPswithintheIEAandwasestablishedin1993.Themissionoftheprogrammeisto“enhancetheinternationalcollaborativeeffortswhichfacilitatetheroleofphotovoltaicsolarenergyasacornerstoneinthetransitiontosustainableenergysystems.”Inordertoachievethis,theProgramme’sparticipantshaveundertakenavarietyofjointresearchprojectsinPVpowersystemsapplications.TheoverallprogrammeisheadedbyanExecutiveCommittee,comprisedofonedelegatefromeachcountryororganisationmember,whichdesignatesdistinct‘Tasks,’thatmayberesearchprojectsoractivityareas.The25IEAPVPSparticipatingcountriesareAustralia,Austria,Belgium,Canada,China,Denmark,Finland,France,Germany,Israel,Italy,Japan,Korea,Malaysia,Morocco,theNetherlands,Norway,Portugal,SouthAfrica,Spain,Sweden,Switzerland,Thailand,Turkey,andtheUnitedStatesofAmerica.TheEuropeanCommission,SolarPowerEurope,theSmartElectricPowerAlliance,theSolarEnergyIndustriesAssociation,theSolarEnergyResearchInstituteofSingaporeandEnercitySAarealsomembers.Visitusat:www.iea-pvps.orgWhatisIEAPVPSTask12?Task12aimsatfosteringinternationalcollaborationinsafetyandsustainabilitythatiscrucialforassuringPVgrowstolevelsmakingitamajorcontributiontotheneedsofthemembercountriesandtheworld.TheoverallobjectivesofTask12areto1.quantifytheenvironmentalprofileofPVincomparisontootherenergytechnologies,2.investigatecircularityoptionsforPVsystemsasdeploymentincreasesandoldersystemsaredecommissioned,and3.defineandaddressenvironmentalhealthandsafetyandothersustainabilityissuesthatareimportantformarketgrowth.Thefirstobjectiveofthistaskiswellservedbylifecycleassessments(LCAs)thatdescribetheenergy,material,andemissionflowsinallthestagesofthePVlifecycle.Thesecondobjectiveisaddressedthroughanalysisofstrategiesincludingrecyclingandothercirculareconomypathways.Forthethirdobjective,Task12developsmethodstoquantifyrisksandopportunitiesontopicsofstakeholderinterest.Task12isoperatedjointlybytheNationalRenewableEnergyLaboratory(NREL)andTotalEnergies.SupportfromtheU.S.DepartmentofEnergyandTotalEnergiesaregratefullyacknowledged.Furtherinformationontheactivitiesandresultsofthetaskcanbefoundat:https://iea-pvps.org/research-tasks/pvsustainability/.Authors➢MainContent:JoscoKester,JiLiu,AshishBinaniDISCLAIMERTheIEAPVPSTCPisorganisedundertheauspicesoftheInternationalEnergyAgency(IEA)butisfunctionallyandlegallyautonomous.Views,findingsandpublicationsoftheIEAPVPSTCPdonotnecessarilyrepresenttheviewsorpoliciesoftheIEASecretariatoritsindividualmembercountries.COVERPICTUREFloatingsolarinstallationsattheFieldlabonLakeOostvoorne,theNetherlands(Photocredit:TNO)ISBN978-3-907281-61-1.Title:CarbonFootprintAnalysisofFloatingPVsystemsINTER...