Halide perovskites are poised as a game-changing new semiconductor system with diverse applications in optoelectronics. Industrial entities aim to commercialize perovskite technologies because of high performance, but also because this type of semiconductor can be processed from solution, a feature enabling low cost and fast production. Here we analyze the health and environmental impacts of eight solvents commonly used in perovskite processing. We consider first and higher order ramifications of each solvent on an industrial scale such as the solvent production, use/removal, emissions and potential end-of-life treatments. Further, we consider the energy of evaporation for each solvent, air emission, condensation and subsequent incineration, reuse or distillation for solvent recycling and apply a full end-of-life analysis. For human health impact, we use the 'USEtox' method, but also consider toxicity data beyond carcinogenic classifications. We find that dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) has the lowest total impact being the most environmentally friendly and least deleterious to human health of the solvents considered. The analysis of these solvents on human health and the environment provides guidance for sustainable development of this new technology.
The environmental performance of four different device assembly procedures based on hybrid halide perovskite solar cell (PSC) were assessed from cradle to grave using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. In addition, a new environmental indicator was defined to measure the time evolution of an impact category, specifically in this case, human toxicity cancer payback time. PSCs procedures accounted for the probably three more used basic recipes for laboratory perovskite deposition: 1) spin coating of stoichiometric precursor solution, 2) spin coating of precursor solution using lead chloride precursor and 3) the two step deposition method. Also, the two most widely used substrate configurations (planar and mesoporous substrate) were considered. LCA included three realistic scenarios for the end of life: 1) residual landfill, 2) reuse and residual landfill and 3) reuse and recycling. The remaining variable parameters to assemble the device were fixed in common for all four devices, which were the major responsible of the whole PSC impact. Lead of PSCs had no significant contribution in environmental impacts. Beyond shared procedure steps, impacts generated by the twostep method and the use of mesostructured type substrate were higher. End of life scenario with reuse and recycling improved the toxicity impact categories.
SummaryPhotovoltaic devices based on perovskite materials have a great potential to become an exceptional source of energy while preserving the environment. However, to enter the global market, they require further development to achieve the necessary performance requirements. The environmental performance of a pre-industrial process of production of a large-area carbon stack perovskite module is analyzed in this work through life cycle assessment (LCA). From the pre-industrial process an ideal process is simulated to establish a benchmark for pre-industrial and laboratory-scale processes. Perovskite is shown to be the most harmful layer of the carbon stack module because of the energy consumed in the preparation and annealing of the precursor solution, and not because of its Pb content. This work stresses the necessity of decreasing energy consumption during module preparation as the most effective way to reduce environmental impacts of perovskite solar cells.
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