Energy and carbon audit is a valuable environmental tool based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework and it is used in this study to evaluate the energy and carbon equivalent footprint of several PV technologies, throughout their life cycle steps, in a range of installation systems (façade, slanted, flat integrated or free standing) and mounting types (on roof and open ground installations). The research takes into consideration UK’s specific conditions such as electricity mix, transportation, insolation levels etc. and provides a holistic view of photovoltaic (PV) technologies in the country. Case studies of 1kWh and 500 kWh for on roof and open ground installations respectively are conducted. The Cadmium Teluride (CdTe) PV technology is the one that demonstrates the best environmental behaviour even from renewable technologies which rely on more advantageous natural energy sources in the UK. In terms of the environmental indicators, the slanted integrated mounted installation CdTe PV system in Plymouth has the most competitive values, GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions indicator of 23 gCO2eq/kWh, EPBT (energy payback time) of 14.8 months and GHG payback time of 16.8 months.
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Karaiskakis et al. (2013) studied this question.