Programme 2025

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) will be one of the main aspects treated in the 2025 edition of the SUMMED-PV summer school. On Monday 8th September, Bitron Electronics, one of the SUMMED-PV project partners, and Ampere Transition will introduce the topic with relation to PV systems. The whole morning of Tuesday September 9th is dedicated to some hands-on lectures allowing the participant to work on the LCA of some PV systems’ components by means of one of the softwares that are mostly used. School professors will guide the students, divided in groups, to perform LCA on PV modules and electronics on Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th: the groups doing the best hands-on activity during the week will be awarded on the last day of the school, which will be Friday 12th.      

Confirmed Speakers

• N.Baggio and Y.Katsyuk (FUTURASUN) – “LCA and pv modules sustainability: technical and regulatory drivers for the next years”

This session will explore the life cycle assessment (LCA) of photovoltaic modules, focusing on their environmental impact, from production to disposal, including materials selection, energy efficiency, and end-of-life management. It will also examine the role of evolving regulations, such as the EU’s proposed Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, in shaping the future of PV technology and sustainability. Additionally, the session will address the commercial impact of certification costs, which manufacturers must amortize over time. These costs, associated with meeting stricter sustainability standards, could raise the final price of PV modules, potentially affecting their market competitiveness. Participants will gain insights into how LCA tools can guide sustainable design and policy decisions while navigating the challenges of certification and regulatory compliance.

• A.Delle Monache (AMPERE TRANSITION) – “Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Fundamentals and Applications”

  This lecture provides a comprehensive introduction to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), covering its fundamental principles, key methodologies, and regulatory framework. Participants will explore essential concepts along with the main applications of LCA in environmental assessment, such as EPD certification, eco-design, and digital product passports. The session will conclude with a case study showcasing the practical application of LCA in a plant that recovers precious metals from electronic scrap.

• S.Eijt (TU Delft) “Bridging the Gap –  Similarities in the R&D of Li-ion Batteries and Solar Cells“

  Examples of the development of new materials and devices in the fields of Li-ion batteries and of solar cells will be discussed and compared. The presentation will highlight the many similarities from a perspective of materials design (function and costs), characterization tools (lab-based and large-scale-facility-based) and the aid of computer simulations (including DFT and molecular dynamics).

• L.Imperiali (ETH Zurich) and F.Becker (FRONIUS) – “Environmental Compatibility – A New Key Performance Indicator of Multi-Objective Power Electronics Design”

Transitioning to a net-zero-CO₂, all-electric system necessitates a significant expansion of electric grid infrastructure and widespread adoption of power electronic converters and energy storage systems. Given the typical 20-year lifespan of these converters, many installed today will require replacement by 2050, aligning with the global net-zero-CO₂ target date. This timing poses substantial challenges, including potential depletion of critical raw materials and significant generation of electric waste. This presentation will introduce specific metrics to assess the environmental impact of power electronic converters, focusing on the principles of life cycle analysis (LCA) and explore the shift from today’s linear to a future circular economy. Emphasis will be placed on sustainable design approaches, such as including environmental compatibility as performance dimensions in the multi-objective optimization of converter systems, and addressing repairability, reusability, and recyclability of converters for applications like EV chargers and PV inverters. New concepts, such as solid-state transformers for high-power DC applications, will also be assessed regarding environmental compatibility. Building on previously discussed concepts, this presentation demonstrates how LCAs are now actively shaping the design and development of industrial power electronics. By applying LCA methodologies to real-world products such as solar inverters and welding systems, we gain valuable insights into material selection, energy consumption, and recyclability. This practical approach enables manufacturers to optimize resource efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and meet evolving sustainability requirements in the power electronics industry.

• V.Lughi (University of Trieste) – “The role of critical and strategic materials in current and future PV technologies”

• P.Manganiello (Hasselt University) – “PV module design for recycling”

• M.Marcucci (IREN) – “Urban mining: from ewaste to gold”

  Iren Group has developed and operates a plant in Arezzo (Italy) for the recycling of e-waste and, in particular, of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) through an innovative hydrometallurgical technology. The end products are gold, copper, palladium, and silver. The plant treatment capacity is 1300 kg/day of PCBs. The treatment process consists of the following steps: thermo-mechanical separation of the metal components from the boards, chemical selective extraction of the different metals from the metal components, refining of precious metals to high purity levels. Basic plant performance and cost analysis will be presented.

• O.Sacco (University of Salerno) – “Conductors and semiconductors for photovoltaic devices”

  Semiconductors, such as silicon, perovskites, cadmium telluride, and copper indium gallium selenide, are responsible for absorbing sunlight and generating charge carriers, with their bandgap properties influencing their efficiency in light absorption and energy conversion. On the other hand, conductive materials like metals (e.g., silver, aluminum, copper), and transparent conductive oxides (e.g., indium tin oxide), are essential for transporting the generated electrical current from the semiconductor to the external circuit. Transparent conductors, such as graphene and fluorine-doped tin oxide, are increasingly used for their high conductivity and light transmission, which are crucial for enhancing solar cell performance. The continuous improvement and innovation in both semiconductor and conductor materials are crucial for the future of solar energy, pushing the boundaries of efficiency, scalability, and adaptability in the solar industry.

• A.Sangwongwanich (Aalborg University) – “Reliability and sustainability of power electronics in PV systems”

Power electronics systems (e.g., PV inverter) are among the most fragile parts in PV systems that contribute to a majority of system downtime. With the demand to further reduce the cost of PV energy, the reliability of power electronics in PV systems needs to be improved to reduce the (unexpected) failure in field operation. This calls for a better design methodology as well as a proper control strategy. This talk aims to address the reliability challenge and solution for power electronics in PV applications. It will start with identifying key components and their stress parameters in the PV inverter. Then, an approach to analyze the reliability of power electronics in PV applications will be introduced and demonstrated with a practical example of microinverters from industry application.