Techno-Enviro-Economic Feasibility of CdTe and Micromorph-Based Thin-Film PV Systems

In this paper, the techno-economic feasibility and environment impact of CdTe- and micromorph-based PV technologies has been assessed. The CdTe- and micromorph-based grid-connected PV systems have been simulated on PVsyst software including thermal, electrical, optical losses, and inverter losses. The yearly energy generation from the system is used to determine the discounted payback period and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) incorporating the yearly degradation rate of the system. The viability of CdTe- and micromorph-based system has been compared with conventional wafer-based multi-crystalline silicon PV technology. The impact of deployment of thin-film PV technologies on environment has been investigated. The embodied energy and CO2-equivalent emission of thin-film PV system have been determined. The carbon footprint, energy payback time (EPBT), energy return on investment (EROI), and CO2 mitigation of CdTe- and micromorph-based thin-film PV technologies have been evaluated for Indian conditions. A comparison of environmental impact of these technologies with multi-crystalline silicon PV technology has been presented.