A prospective ecological risk assessment of high-efficiency III-V/silicon tandem solar cells.
C F Blanco, J T K Quik, M Hof, A Fuortes, P Behrens, S Cucurachi, W J G M Peijnenburg, F Dimroth, M G Vijver
Author Information
C F Blanco: Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. c.f.blanco@cml.leidenuniv.nl. ORCID
J T K Quik: National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands. ORCID
M Hof: National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
A Fuortes: National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
P Behrens: Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. c.f.blanco@cml.leidenuniv.nl.
S Cucurachi: Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. c.f.blanco@cml.leidenuniv.nl.
W J G M Peijnenburg: Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. c.f.blanco@cml.leidenuniv.nl. ORCID
F Dimroth: Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, Heidenhofstr. 2, 79110 Freiburg, Germany.
M G Vijver: Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. c.f.blanco@cml.leidenuniv.nl. ORCID
III-V/Silicon tandem solar cells offer one of the most promising avenues for high-efficiency, high-stability photovoltaics. However, a key concern is the potential environmental release of group III-V elements, especially arsenic. To inform long-term policies on the energy transition and energy security, we develop and implement a framework that fully integrates future PV demand scenarios with dynamic stock, emission, and fate models in a probabilistic ecological risk assessment. We examine three geographical scales: local (including a floating utility-scale PV and waste treatment), regional (city-wide), and continental (Europe). Our probabilistic assessment considers a wide range of possible values for over one hundred uncertain technical, environmental, and regulatory parameters. We find that III-V/SiliconPV integration in energy grids at all scales presents low-to-negligible risks to soil and freshwater organisms. Risks are further abated if recycling of III-V materials is considered at the panels' end-of-life.
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