Comparative life-cycle analysis of photovoltaics based on nano-materials: A proposed framework

Life cycle analysis is especially important for characterizing novel forms of material in new energy-generation technologies that are intended to replace or improve the current infrastructure of energy production. We propose a comparative life-cycle analysis framework for investigating the effect of incorporating nanotechnology in the life cycle of new photovoltaics, focusing on the differences between the new technologies and the ones that they may replace. Within this framework, we investigate the following parameters: Methods of synthesizing nanoparticles, physicochemical specifications of the precursors, material-utilization rates, deposition rates, energy-conversion efficiencies, and lifetime expectancy of the final product. We introduce the application of this framework by comparing nanostructured cadmium telluride and silicon films with their nano- and amorphous-structured equivalents.