Life Cycle Assessment : of Solelia Greentech’s Photovoltaic BasedCharging Station for Electric Vehicles

Abstract: The Swedish company Solelia Greentech AB has developed a charging station forelectric vehicles based on photovoltaic electricity. This report aims to examine theenvironmental impacts of the charging station in terms of greenhouse gas emissionsand energy flows. This has been done by performing a life cycle assessment. Theresults were further investigated through a sensitivity analysis considering recyclingand production site. From these results, the charging station’s greenhouse gas andenergy payback times have been calculated.The report concludes that the charging station has an energy payback time of 3.5years. The greenhouse gas payback time varies from 4 to 117 years depending onassumptions about the electricity in the national electricity grid, which the electricityproduced by the charging station is calculated to substitute. The total energy infusionto the system is 9.4 MWh and the greenhouse gas emissions per delivered kWh fromone charging station during its lifetime are calculated to 0.078 kg CO2eq.