Is photovoltaic energy payback a good idea?

Producing electricity with photovoltaics (PV) emits no pollution, pro-duces no greenhouse gases, and uses no finite fossil-fuel resources. The environmental benefits of PV are great. But just as we say that it takes money to make money, it also takes energy to save energy. The term “energy payback” captures this idea.

What is the energy payback time for thin film PV systems?

Knapp and Jester studied an actual manufacturing facility and found that, for single-crystal-silicon modules, the actual energy payback time is 3.3 years. This includes the energy to make the aluminum frame and the energy to purify and crystallize the silicon. What is the Energy Payback for Thin-Film PV Systems?

How long does a solar energy payback last?

Palz and Zibetta also calculated an energy payback of about 2 years for current multicrystalline-silicon PV. For single-crystal silicon, which Alsema did not calculate, Kato calculated a payback of 3 years when he did not charge for off-grade feedstock.

How does a PV module pay back?

Most of the energy that goes into manufacturing a PV module is in the form of electricity (kWh). Payback calculations are based on paying back this electricity with PV electricity produced by installed modules.

What is energy payback & why is it important?

The environmental benefits of PV are great. But just as we say that it takes money to make money, it also takes energy to save energy. The term “energy payback” captures this idea. How long does a PV system have to operate to recover the energy—and associated generation of pollution and CO2—that went into making the system, in the first place?

How long does a solar PV system take to pay back?

Energy payback estimates for both rooftop and ground-mounted PV systems are roughly the same, depending on the technology and type of framing used. Paybacks for multicrystalline modules are 4 years for systems using recent technology and 2 years for anticipated tech-nology.