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Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology pp 1–18Cite as

Solar Cells: Energy Payback Times and Environmental Issues

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Glossary

AC:

Alternate current

a-Si:

Amorphous silicon

BOS:

Balance of system (includes all system parts except modules, i.e., inverters, transformers, wiring, mounting structure tracking if applicable, foundations)

CdS:

Cadmium sulfide

CdTe:

Cadmium telluride

CIGS:

Copper indium gallium diselenide

CIS:

Copper indium diselenide

c-Si:

Crystalline silicon

DC:

Direct current

DNI:

Direct normal irradiance

EPBT:

Energy payback time

ESP:

Electrostatic precipitators

FBR:

Fluidized bed reactor

GaAs:

Gallium arsenide

GHG:

Greenhouse gas

GWP:

Global warming potential

HCPV:

High-concentration PV

LCA:

Life cycle analysis (or assessment)

LCI:

Life cycle inventory

mc-Si:

Multi-crystalline silicon

mono-Si:

Monocrystalline silicon

PR:

Performance ratio

PV:

Photovoltaics

SiH4:

Silane

SiHCl3:

Trichlorosilane

SOx:

Sulfur oxide

TeO2:

Tellurium dioxide

UCTE:

Union for the Coordination of Transmission of Electricity

VTD:

Vapor transport deposition

Definition of the Subject

Assessments of the environmental...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Life Cycle Analysis, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    V. Fthenakis & E. Leccisi

  2. School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK

    M. Raugei

Authors
  1. V. Fthenakis
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  2. E. Leccisi
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  3. M. Raugei
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to V. Fthenakis .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ramtech Ltd., Larkspur, CA, USA

    Robert A. Meyers

Section Editor information

  1. European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy

    Arnulf Jäger-Waldau

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Fthenakis, V., Leccisi, E., Raugei, M. (2020). Solar Cells: Energy Payback Times and Environmental Issues. In: Meyers, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6_469-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6_469-3

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2493-6

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