Life Cycle Assessment of Solar Panels: Environmental Impacts from Production to Disposal

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Open Access

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Notice

nThis is an unedited manuscript accepted for publication and provided as an Article in Press for early access at the author’s request. The article will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and galley proof review before final publication. Please be aware that errors may be identified during production that could affect the content. All legal disclaimers of the journal apply.n

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Year : 2025 [if 2224 equals=””]26/09/2025 at 12:41 PM[/if 2224] | [if 1553 equals=””] Volume : 03 [else] Volume : 03[/if 1553] | [if 424 equals=”Regular Issue”]Issue : [/if 424][if 424 equals=”Special Issue”]Special Issue[/if 424] [if 424 equals=”Conference”][/if 424] 02 | Page : 33 38

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    Avitesh Vaishnavi Nayak, Tejwant Singh Brar,

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  1. Research Scholar, Senior Professor, Department of Architecture, Sushant University, Department of Architecture, Sushant University, Haryana, Haryana, India, India

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Abstract

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nLCA is a way to evaluate the full environmental impact of something—like a product, material, activity, or building—from start to finish. As solar energy adoption accelerates globally, understanding the full environmental implications of PV technology becomes crucial for informed decision-making and sustainable development. The study employs a cradle-to-grave approach, analyzing the environmental footprint of solar panels across multiple impact categories. These include global warming potential, energy payback time, water consumption, toxicity, and resource depletion. For this study, data has been taken from manufactures and experts of building construction. Results indicate that while solar panels significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions during their operational phase, the production and disposal stages present notable environmental challenges. The energy-intensive manufacturing process, particularly silicon purification and wafer production, contributes substantially to the overall carbon footprint. The paper concludes by highlighting the need for continued innovation in manufacturing processes, material efficiency, and recycling technologies to further enhance the environmental performance of solar panels. It also emphasizes the importance of developing robust policies and infrastructure for PV waste management to ensure the long-term sustainability of solar energy deployment.nn

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Keywords: Solar energy, PV panels, Environmental Impacts, Life cycle, Carbon footprint, innovation

n[if 424 equals=”Regular Issue”][This article belongs to International Journal of Environmental Planning and Development Architecture ]

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[/if 424][if 424 equals=”Special Issue”][This article belongs to Special Issue under section in International Journal of Environmental Planning and Development Architecture (ijepda)][/if 424][if 424 equals=”Conference”]This article belongs to Conference [/if 424]

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How to cite this article:
nAvitesh Vaishnavi Nayak, Tejwant Singh Brar. [if 2584 equals=”][226 wpautop=0 striphtml=1][else]Life Cycle Assessment of Solar Panels: Environmental Impacts from Production to Disposal[/if 2584]. International Journal of Environmental Planning and Development Architecture. 20/08/2025; 03(02):33-38.

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How to cite this URL:
nAvitesh Vaishnavi Nayak, Tejwant Singh Brar. [if 2584 equals=”][226 striphtml=1][else]Life Cycle Assessment of Solar Panels: Environmental Impacts from Production to Disposal[/if 2584]. International Journal of Environmental Planning and Development Architecture. 20/08/2025; 03(02):33-38. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/ijepda/article=20/08/2025/view=0

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[if 424 not_equal=””]Regular Issue[else]Published[/if 424] Subscription Review Article

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Volume 03
[if 424 equals=”Regular Issue”]Issue[/if 424][if 424 equals=”Special Issue”]Special Issue[/if 424] [if 424 equals=”Conference”][/if 424] 02
Received 31/07/2025
Accepted 08/08/2025
Published 20/08/2025
Retracted
Publication Time 20 Days

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