Assessment of the Influence of the Life Cycle of Solar Power Plant Materials and Components on Ecosystem Quality

Currently, silicon is the most often utilized material for photovoltaic cell manufacturing, as it has the potential to convert solar energy directly into electricity. The silicon used in photovoltaic solutions must be highly pure. Large amounts of power, raw materials, and fossil fuels are consumed in the production process. Post-consumer treatment of polymers, materials, and components also requires energy and matter. These processes have a significant influence on the environment. As a result, the primary purpose of this article is to evaluate the influence of a photovoltaic power plant's material and component life cycle on ecosystem quality. The research focuses on an actual photovoltaic power plant with a capacity of 2 MW located in northern Poland. According to the findings, photovoltaic modules are the part that has the most negative environmental impact, since their manufacturing requires a substantial amount of materials and energy (primarily from conventional sources). Post-consumer management, in the form of recycling after use, would provide major environmental advantages and reduce detrimental environmental consequences throughout the course of the solar power plant's full life cycle.