Life Cycle Analysis of Solar Photovoltaic and Coal-based Electricity Generation: Case Study Refers to Sri Lanka's Domestic Energy Consumption

The study compares the environmental impact of coal-fired electricity generation and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for generating domestic-level electricity demand for Sri Lankan households. In Sri Lanka, the average roof size and power consumption of detachable houses were estimated to be 20-50m
²
and 130kWh per month, respectively. The installation costs of on-grid, off-grid, and hybrid solar PV systems were then compared to determine the best system to install. Based on the country's economic situation and power outage trends, an offgrid solar PV system was chosen as the best solar system for domestic-level applications in Sri Lanka. Following that, a lifecycle assessment (LCA) was performed to compare the environmental impacts of using off-grid solar PV and coalpowered thermal power systems to generate 310kWh per month for 20 years. The LCA results revealed that the rooftop-installed solar PV system was the most environmentally friendly electricity generation method in Sri Lanka for domestic-level applications. The authors emphasized the significance of potential changes to the Sri Lankan National Energy Policy by implementing the NetZero vision at the local household level.