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Solar Cells : Energy Payback Times and Environmental Issues

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Solar Energy

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Author Biosketch

Vasilis Fthenakis is a Senior Chemical Engineer, Senior Scientist, and the Head of the Photovoltaics Environmental Research Center at Brookhaven National Laboratory in a joint appointment with Columbia University where he is a Professor of Earth and Environmental Engineering and the Founder and Director of the Center for Life Cycle Analysis. He is the author of 250 publications, member of the Editorial Boards of Progress in Photovoltaics and the Journal of Loss Prevention. He is also a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, a Fellow of the International Energy Foundation, and member of several energy- and sustainability expert panels.

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Abbreviations

a-Si:

Amorphous silicon

AC:

Alternate current

BOS:

Balance of system (includes all system parts except modules, i.e., inverters, transformers, wiring, mounting structure tracking if applicable, foundations)

c-Si:

Crystalline silicon

CdS:

Cadmium sulfide

CdTe:

Cadmium telluride

CIGS:

Copper indium gallium diselenide

CIS:

Copper indium diselenide

DC:

Direct current

DNI:

Direct normal irradiance

EPBT:

Energy payback time

ESP:

Electrostatic precipitators

FBR:

Fluidized bed reactor

GaAs:

Gallium arsenide

GHG:

Greenhouse gas

GWP:

Global warming potential

HCPV:

High-concentration PV

LCA:

Life cycle analysis (or assessment)

LCI:

Life cycle inventory

mc-Si:

Multicrystalline silicon

mono-Si:

Monocrystalline silicon

PR:

Performance ratio

PV:

Photovoltaics

SiH4:

Silane

SiHCl3:

Trichlorosilane

SOx:

Sulfur oxide

TeO2:

Tellurium dioxide

UCTE:

Union for the Coordination of Transmission of Electricity

VTD:

Vapor transport deposition

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Acknowledgment

The author gratefully acknowledges multiyear support from the US DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, under contract DE-AC02-76CH000016 to Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Photovoltaic Environmental Research Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, 11973, USA

    Dr. Vasilis Fthenakis

  2. Center of Life Cycle Analysis, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Dr. Vasilis Fthenakis

Authors
  1. Dr. Vasilis Fthenakis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vasilis Fthenakis .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Plataforma Solar de Almeria Institute of Solar Research DLR – German Aerospace Centre, Cologne, Germany

    Christoph Richter

  2. Institute of Research and Development of Photovoltaic Energy, Chatou Cedex, France

    Daniel Lincot

  3. Solar Consulting Services, Colebrook, NH, USA

    Christian A. Gueymard

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Fthenakis, V. (2013). Solar Cells : Energy Payback Times and Environmental Issues . In: Richter, C., Lincot, D., Gueymard, C.A. (eds) Solar Energy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5806-7_469

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