Contribution for a better understanding of the technological sustainability in electrical energy production through photovoltaic cells

Abstract

Abstract. The conversion of solar energy into electricity reveals a huge importance in the production of "clean" energy , mainly when applied to decentralized production systems (micro-generation). However, there is the need to develop and optimize these processes in order to turn it more sustainable in economic and technological scoops. The main purpose of this work is to study the solar energy conversion into electricity through photovoltaic cells, characterizing the process efficiencies. This study intends to evaluate the energetic and exergetic efficiencies defining them as indicators in the formulation of a sustainability index. All the procedures are in a theoretical scope with an illustrative example in the end of this work.

Technological Sustainability or Sustainable Technology? A Multidimensional Vision of Sustainability in Manufacturing

“…The scientific literature shows that the concept of "technological sustainability" is often used as a synonym for "sustainability of technologies" emphasizing mainly their environmental dimension and, to a lesser extent, their social and economic one. Confirming this, it is clear that in the few studies published on "technological sustainability", scholars refer to sustainable technologies [41], components of economic sustainability [42], environmental sustainability [43], sustainability of technological processes [44], sustainability of (mobile learning) m-learning [45], exergy [46], personal access devices (PDAs) [47], capabilities to reduce ecological impact [48,49], components of sustainable development [50], technological competitiveness [51], degree of how technology affects other dimensions of sustainability [52], and intellectual infrastructure of technological development [53].…”