TITLE:
Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of Solar Energy Systems: A Review Work
AUTHORS:
Lord Kwame Segbeawu, Philip Junior Yinbil, Robert Anechana
KEYWORDS:
LCSA, Renewable Energy, Environmental Life Cycle Assessment LCA, LCC, Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA), End-of-Life Management
JOURNAL NAME:
Computational Water, Energy, and Environmental Engineering,
Vol.15 No.4,
October
16,
2026
ABSTRACT: The rapid growth of solar energy systems worldwide is crucial for achieving climate goals. However, fully understanding their sustainability requires looking beyond their low emissions during operation. This publication provides a chance to review how the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) framework has been applied to solar photovoltaic energy systems and thermal technologies. It gathers findings from the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social. It focuses on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Costing (LCC), and Social LCA (S-LCA). The review outlines methodologies, key indicators, and impacts related to processes from raw material extraction to end-of-life management. The results highlight significant climate benefits, including low lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions and improved energy payback periods. However, environmental challenges still exist in manufacturing, the use of essential materials and waste generation. Regarding economic factors, costs have decreased due to technological improvements but they are still affected by balance-of-system components and decommissioning costs. On the social front, solar energy boosts job creation and expands energy access. Yet there are ongoing issues related to labor practices in supply chains and effects on local communities. Major challenges include inconsistent methods, a lack of data for S-LCA, and regional variations. This review reiterates the significance of incorporating multiple-approach evaluation to make analytic decisions, which finally have made an economic impact and sustainably promote solar energy transition in the 21st century.