Life cycle assessment of solar photovoltaic–battery systems: A Canadian case study

• Cradle-to-grave LCA of residential PV-LFP systems in Canada. • 67.6 g CO 2 -eq/kWh under northern climatic conditions. • PV manufacturing dominates climate and energy impacts. • Battery materials drive mineral use and acidification. • Durability outweighs operational factors in impact sensitivity. Canada is pursuing a net-zero energy transition by developing low-carbon technologies adapted to its resource availability. Despite Canada’s relatively high latitudes, solar photovoltaic capacity continues to rise, particularly in southern regions with higher solar irradiance, such as Ottawa, Ontario. We perform a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment of a mono-crystalline residential photovoltaic system integrated with a lithium iron phosphate battery for household self-consumption. Results indicate 67.6 g CO2-eq/kWh for climate change (short-term), 35.9 CTUe/kWh for freshwater ecotoxicity, and 0.87 MJ deprived/kWh for fossil and nuclear energy use. Most impacts are attributed to the photovoltaic subsystem, except for mineral resource use (2.95 g deprived/kWh), which is mainly influenced by the battery subsystem. Using hotspot analysis, we find that these impacts are largely driven by energy-intensive mining and metal-processing activities. Our sensitivity analysis further reveals that material consumption and component lifetime have a greater influence on environmental impacts than operational parameters. Further decarbonization of such systems depends on cleaner manufacturing electricity, improved component durability, and the adoption of circular design principles. Our analysis provides much-needed decision-support for solar deployment in Canada and highlights the importance of evaluating environmental outcomes of renewable technologies under regionally specific climate conditions.