Carbon Footprint of Silicon Photovoltaics Manufacturing in North America

There is an unprecedented number of announcements of new PV manufacturing facilities in the US and North America due to tariffs on PV module imports and tax credits to support US manufacturing. This work compares the life-cycle carbon and cumulative energy demand associated with manufacturing modules in North America compared to China and other ASEAN countries (Viet Nam, Thailand, and Malaysia). Specific data on material quality and location for silica sand production is used. The LCA is conducted using country average and regional data for manufacturing in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Scenarios are built considering capacity in various regions and existing partnerships between suppliers and module manufacturers. The lowest possible carbon footprint of PV modules is calculated for PV module production in 2024 for the US and compared with China and ASEAN countries' average production.