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Potential regulatory approaches on the environmental impacts of photovoltaics: Expected improvements and impacts on technological innovation
Author(s) -
Polverini Davide,
Dodd Nicholas,
Espinosa Nieves
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
progress in photovoltaics: research and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.286
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1099-159X
pISSN - 1062-7995
DOI - 10.1002/pip.3344
Subject(s) - ecodesign , procurement , european union , design for the environment , legislature , environmental economics , directive , photovoltaic system , business , product (mathematics) , work (physics) , life cycle assessment , industrial ecology , sustainable development , legislation , industrial organization , sustainability , production (economics) , product design , computer science , engineering , economics , marketing , manufacturing engineering , international trade , mathematics , law , macroeconomics , history , archaeology , geometry , political science , programming language , mechanical engineering , electrical engineering , ecology , biology
This work assesses the opportunities for technological development and innovation that may be imposed or created by environmental policy. Working within the legislative framework of European Union (EU) sustainable product policies, a study of the feasibility of four specific policy instruments (Ecodesign Directive, Energy Labelling, Green Public Procurement and the EU Ecolabel) to photovoltaic products (modules, inverters and systems) led to the identification of key performance metrics and design features. Starting from an analysis of the environmental hotspots of photovoltaic products throughout the whole life cycle (from raw material extraction to their end of life and disposal), a number of areas of attention for innovation are identified and a policy approach is proposed to tackle these aspects in regulatory terms by means, in particular, of requirements within the legal framework of the Ecodesign Directive.