Assessing the Potential Environmental Impact of Cu3AsS4 PV Systems

Cu3AsS4 solar cells have gained recent attention as a promising single-junction solar absorber. As arsenic is a constituent element of Cu3AsS4, there is concern over its potential life cycle impacts. In this work, we establish a basis for assessing the potential life cycle impacts of this technology by completing a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) as well as an evaluation of Cu3AsS4 solar cell leaching characteristics through a scaled toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP). We conclude that, within the system boundary, arsenic contributes minimally to the life cycle impacts compared to BOS components and product performance.