Comprehensive Life-Cycle Evaluation of Agrivoltaic Support Structures with Emphasis on Carbon Emissions and Material Performance

Agrivoltaic systems offer a promising dual-use strategy by enabling simultaneous agricultural production and photovoltaic electricity generation on the same land area. However, despite extensive research on agrivoltaic performance, microclimatic effects, and land-use efficiency, the environmental burdens associated with their structural support systems have remained largely unexplored. This study presents a comprehensive cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the steel support structures required for a one-hectare agrivoltaic installation. Structural modeling was conducted using SAP۲۰۰۰ to determine optimal IPE beam and column configurations under realistic loading scenarios. The total required length of each section was quantified and translated into steel mass, forming the basis of the Life Cycle Inventory. Results show that the structural framework generates ۲۱۹,۱۰۰.۵۶ kg CO۲-equivalent, with beams contributing approximately ۹۱.۳% of total emissions, while columns account for ۸.۷%.

Keywords:

Life cycle assessment , Agrivoltaic , IPE , Carbon emission