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April 20, 2026Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells2 citationsOpen Access

GHG intensity of electricity mixes in 2024: Assessing the impact of photovoltaic generation in the European Union

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PMPamela MolinaMKMuhammad Zeeshan KhanNTNikhil Torruri

Key Points

  • The research aims to update country-specific GHG intensities of electricity consumption mixes in the EU for 2024, focusing on the effects of photovoltaic generation.
  • Generated GHG intensity factors for EU electricity consumption mixes using updated 2024 data.
  • Integrated photovoltaic generation at medium voltage to fill gaps in LCA databases.
  • Analyzed renewable electricity shares from ENTSO-E data and the ecoinvent database.
  • Conducted a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the impact of voltage-level allocation on GHG intensities.
  • Observed GHG intensity reductions of 12% to 52% in 19 out of 22 EU countries compared to 2021.
  • France's GHG intensity recorded at 51 g CO2-eq/kWh, while Poland had 847 g CO2-eq/kWh.
  • Notable reductions linked to countries with over 10 TWh/a of solar generation in 2024.
  • Voltage allocation assumptions influenced medium-voltage GHG intensities by up to 5%, particularly in Germany.

Abstract

This study generates updated country-specific greenhouse gas (GHG) intensities of medium-voltage electricity consumption mixes for EU nations in 2024. Building on the ecoinvent database as a baseline, the photovoltaic generation at medium voltage was adapted to account for all renewable sources at this level. The updated renewable shares for modeling the electricity mixes were derived from the ENTSO-E data of 2024 curated by Fraunhofer ISE in the Energy-Charts. This update is particularly relevant given solar power's rapid growth to 10% of total EU electricity generation in 2024, while renewables overall reached 46%, becoming the EU's largest electricity source. Results show substantial variation in national GHG intensities, ranging from 51 g CO 2 -eq/kWh in France to 847 g CO 2 -eq/kWh in Poland. Compared to 2021 baseline values, 19 of 22 countries demonstrated GHG emission reductions between 12% and 52%. The model update significantly influenced the GHG intensity reductions, particularly in countries where solar electricity generation exceeded 10 TWh/a in 2024 and represented more than 5% of the electricity mix, including Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, and Greece. A sensitivity analysis for Germany indicates that voltage-level allocation assumptions influence medium-voltage GHG intensities by up to 5%, whereas high-voltage intensities remain largely unaffected. These updated GHG intensities reflect the rapidly evolving European electricity landscape and can support more accurate life cycle assessments, particularly for products manufactured in medium-to small-scale industries using medium voltage electricity. • A model was developed to update country-specific GHG intensity factors for EU electricity consumption mixes in 2024. • Photovoltaic generation was incorporated at medium voltage, addressing a systematic gap in existing LCA databases. • GHG intensity reductions of 12–52% were observed in 19 of 22 EU countries compared to the 2021 ecoinvent baseline. • Reductions were driven by both updated 2024 generation data and methodological improvements. • Sensitivity analysis for Germany demonstrated that voltage-level allocation affects medium-voltage intensities by up to 5%.

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Cite This Study

Molina et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69e5c27e03c2939914028b4dhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114364
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