The assessment of the potential environmental impact of different photovoltaic (PV) generation technologies, and their comparison, is of primary importance for the energy sector, which aims to be sustainable both environmentally and economically. The tool chosen for evaluating environmental impacts is Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) according to ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. This methodology allows for the estimation of a range of indicators by considering the entire life cycle. This work helps address the current lack of comprehensive LCA information on photovoltaic systems; existing literature primarily focuses on LCA studies related to either individual components of the system or PV systems that do not use high-efficiency innovative technologies.

The report presents the results of an LCA analysis of a hypothetical 85 MW PV system equipped with bifacial heterojunction modules. Specifically, three possible configurations of the system were analyzed: i) modules mounted on a single-axis tracker; ii) modules installed on a fixed structure; iii) an agrivoltaic system that combines electricity production with agricultural cultivation. To assess the influence of incident solar radiation on the LCA study results, two possible sites for the system installation were considered: Piacenza and Catania. The aim is to compare the different configurations from an environmental perspective and identify, if possible, the optimal solution.

The comparison of the LCA results for the various PV system configurations revealed that the solution with PV modules installed on a single-axis solar tracker generates the lowest environmental impact across all studied indicators. The increased electricity production achieved with the tracker compensates for the higher consumption of raw materials and energy required for its construction compared to the fixed structure.

When comparing the same system configuration for the two geographical sites examined, it becomes clear, as expected, that the value of incident solar radiation plays a decisive role in estimating potential impacts.