Economic-environmental comparison between flat plate and evacuated tube solar collectors

Abstract

This work employs the environmental methodology of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in compliance with ISO 14040 and uses software SimaPro® 7.3.2 to compare the environmental impact in process production of flat plate and evacuated tube solar collectors. In addition, an economic analysis was performed based on the acquisition budgets and the operation of such types of collectors. The results show that the manufacturing of flat plate solar collectors has larger environmental impact, and carcinogen is the major category which causes environmental impact in both types of collector as a result of the consumption and emission of arsenic and cadmium ions. Economically, the cost of acquisition of evacuated tube solar collectors is 104.04%. Therefore, the choice for a specific kind of collector depends on the desired advantages, and a complement is required for decision-making based on the availability of economic resources.