Ex Ante Life Cycle Assessment and Economic Analysis of New Generation Technologies for Integrated Photovoltaics

This study integrates life cycle assessment and life cycle costing to evaluate the environmental and economic performance of three emerging photovoltaic technologies: dye-sensitized solar semifabricates (DSSMs), perovskite solar semifabricates (PSMs), and four-terminal DSSM/PSM tandem semifabricates. The cradle-to-gate analysis combines life cycle inventories based on primary laboratory and pilot-scale data with a scaling-up model linking experimental results to preindustrial and prospective industrial scenarios. Laboratory energy consumption is quantified using equipment operating times, nominal power ratings, and correction factors reflecting operating conditions. Normalization to the effective processed area enables direct comparison and scalability assessment. Results show that PSMs have the lowest environmental impacts and cost (2.66 × 101 kg CO2eq, 2.01 × 102 CTUe, 8.69 × 10−4 kg Sb eq, 5.90 × 102 Eur/kWp), mainly due to the absence of noble metals. DSSMs are penalized by Ag, Pt, and double fluorine-doped tin oxide glass, reaching 2.88 × 101 kg CO2eq, 5.27 × 102 CTUe, 5.44 × 10−3 kg Sb eq, and 3.61 × 103 Eur/kWp. Tandem semifabricates inherit hotspots from both subsystems but benefit from higher efficiency. At 1 kWp normalization, efficiency becomes the main differentiating factor: PSMs perform best, DSSMs worst, and tandems intermediately. The framework supports sustainable development of building-integrated photovoltaics.