Sustainable solar electricity This book provides a detailed life cycle assessment of photovoltaic technologies in order to analyse the environmental and socioeconomic impacts that a large deployment of solar photovoltaic systems will produce in the near future. Including both commercial and emerging technologies the book presents the energy and materials requirements to manufacture solar electricity power systems at the order of the TeraWatt scale deployment as is envisaged by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) for the near future. It discusses current manufacturing practices and how these may be adapted in the future including: reuse and recycling of components and materials; raw material supply chains to the manufacturing factories; and end of life procedures including recycling and landfilling of modules. The environmental and socioeconomic impacts of solar energy are analysed in detail providing recommendations for standardization and regulations in order to make photovoltaic technologies both current and emerging a really sustainable alternative for the supply of “greener” electricity. Part I: Introduction Scenarios for Solar Electricity at the TeraWatt Scale Photovoltaic Technologies Assessment of Sustainability Part II: Life Cycle Assessment of PV Modules: From Cradle to Gate Production of PV Modules The Limits of Raw Materials Energy Use in the Production Routes Impacts of PV Module Manufacture Part III: life Cycle Assessment of PV Systems: From Gate to Grave Use Phase and Lifetime of PV Technologies Recycling and End of Life of PV Technologies Balance of Systems and Storage Logistics of PV Systems in a Global Market Part IV: Beyond Life Cycle Assessment: Socioeconomics and Geopolitics of Solar Electricity Socioeconomic Impacts of Solar Electricity Overview of Standardization and Regulation for PV Technologies Solar Electricity and Globalization: Competing in the Electricity Market.