# Upfront Embodied Carbon of PV and Solar Hot Water Systems **URL:** \ **Category:** Materials\ **Tags:** solar, pv\ **Created:** [April 15, 2020, 4:10am UTC](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/t/upfront-embodied-carbon-of-pv-and-solar-hot-water-systems/1410 "2020-04-15T04:10:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jvoshage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea5d25/32.png) [@jvoshage](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/u/jvoshage)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 4:10am UTC](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/t/upfront-embodied-carbon-of-pv-and-solar-hot-water-systems/1410/1 "2020-04-15T04:10:32Z")
Hi, I am looking for information on embodied carbon for solar renewable energy systems to evaluate in context of the offset fossil fuels through those systems. For PV I have found some info here: > **[How Sustainable is PV solar power?](https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2015/04/how-sustainable-is-pv-solar-power.html)** > > It's generally assumed that it only takes a few years before solar panels have generated as much energy as it took to make them, resulting in very low greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional grid electricity. However, a more critical... > **[Solar PV Embodied Carbon](https://www.circularecology.com/solar-pv-embodied-carbon.html)** > > Embodied carbon is the carbon footprint to make a product Solar PV based electricity is undoubtedly lower carbon emissions than fossil fuel-based electricity  However, it is also known to have a... > **[Life-cycle assessment of China's multi-crystalline silicon photovoltaic...](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652615001079)** > > We performed a life-cycle environmental assessment of China's multi-crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules associated with international trade.… Does anybody have embodied carbon info on solar hot water system? Are there EPDs for those types of systems? Thanks, Jens ---
**Author:** ![BorisG](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.carbonleadershipforum.org/borisg/32/198_2.png) [@BorisG](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/u/BorisG)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 3:37pm UTC](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/t/upfront-embodied-carbon-of-pv-and-solar-hot-water-systems/1410/2 "2020-04-15T15:37:59Z")
There is some data for Solar Water Heaters in OneClickLCA: 0.0015 kg CO2e per Liter hot water produced 0.0203 kg Co2e per kWh hot water produced ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/carbonleadershipforum/original/1X/be89b6bbfd74e9cdbc31aa26dae73995d844f935.png) ---
**Author:** ![jvoshage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea5d25/32.png) [@jvoshage](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/u/jvoshage)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 6:44pm UTC](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/t/upfront-embodied-carbon-of-pv-and-solar-hot-water-systems/1410/3 "2020-04-15T18:44:37Z")
Thanks Boris ---
**Author:** ![jake.duncan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@jake.duncan](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/u/jake.duncan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2020, 3:12pm UTC](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/t/upfront-embodied-carbon-of-pv-and-solar-hot-water-systems/1410/4 "2020-04-16T15:12:43Z")
Hi Jens, I have been doing some similar thinking on the steel, concrete, and aluminum heavy transmission infrastructure needed to accommodate more renewables and electrification. See two reports on T&D lifecycle analysis and [one](https://wiresgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Electrification_BrattleReport_WIRES_FINAL_03062019.pdf) on the level of T investment needed. Can we offset some of that with lower embodied carbon EE in buildings? I think so. [Life cycle cost analysis of transmission and distribution systems.pdf](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/uploads/short-url/wSn6Oj5DiNz92FHJEbeqxwJ9Cm7.pdf) (407.6 KB) [Embodied carbon dioxide of network assets in a decarbonised electricity grid.pdf](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/uploads/short-url/vf5YX3n32TvtmiDWGayKyZHhAZ7.pdf) (1.3 MB) ---
**Author:** ![ksimonen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.carbonleadershipforum.org/ksimonen/32/97_2.png) [@ksimonen](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/u/ksimonen)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 10:23pm UTC](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/t/upfront-embodied-carbon-of-pv-and-solar-hot-water-systems/1410/5 "2020-04-20T22:23:47Z")
Just added tag to this as PV and Solar. Search for earlier posting on Solar to see a report on the topic. ---
**Author:** ![r.saint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@r.saint](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/u/r.saint)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 5:32pm UTC](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/t/upfront-embodied-carbon-of-pv-and-solar-hot-water-systems/1410/6 "2020-04-21T17:32:57Z")
Hello, I have some papers that might be helpful if you like? They mostly look at the LCA of solar water heaters. ---
**Author:** ![jvoshage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea5d25/32.png) [@jvoshage](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/u/jvoshage)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 1:37am UTC](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/t/upfront-embodied-carbon-of-pv-and-solar-hot-water-systems/1410/7 "2020-04-23T01:37:08Z")
Hi Ruth, I am very interested in LCA of solar hot water, it would be great if you could point out to me how I can access… Thank you, Jens ---
**Author:** ![r.saint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@r.saint](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/u/r.saint)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 10:04am UTC](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/t/upfront-embodied-carbon-of-pv-and-solar-hot-water-systems/1410/8 "2020-04-23T10:04:20Z")
Hopefully you can get the papers from these. The focus is mainly on domestic water heating but they’re not US studies. > **[Evaluating the Environmental Performance of Solar Energy Systems Through a...](https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/9/2539)** > > The paper presents a holistic evaluation of the energy and environmental profile of two renewable energy technologies: Photovoltaics (thin-film and crystalline) and solar thermal collectors (flat plate and vacuum tube). The selected renewable systems... [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2018.03.048](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2018.03.048) [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.12.150](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.12.150) - This one is very thorough [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.04.065](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.04.065) - On concentrating solar, so larger scale applications [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2015.03.021](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2015.03.021) [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2014.09.028](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2014.09.028) [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.06.035](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.06.035) Hope that helps 🙂 Ruth