PV technologies in emerging applications reduce greenhouse gas emissions

An interview with PhD candidate Olga Kanz

Question 1:

The most relevant outcome of my research is that integrating photovoltaic (PV) technology into vehicles and using PV to produce hydrogen can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For society, this means a cleaner, more sustainable future with less reliance on fossil fuels. For research, it demonstrates that the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology is effective for evaluating innovative PV applications.

Question 2:

The most significant findings are:

• Vehicle-Integrated PV (VIPV) can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 20% compared to grid-based charging in Germany.
• PV-powered hydrogen imports from Africa via pipeline and domestic production demonstrate similar level of greenhouse gas emissions.

The aspects that turned out to be most important to me were the substantial environmental benefits and the potential for widespread adoption of these technologies in reducing emissions in the transportation and energy sectors.

Question 3:

My motivation for this research project stemmed from the urgent need to find sustainable solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change in sectors beside electricity. The potential of PV technologies to transform the energy and transportation sectors inspired me to explore their applications.

Question 4:

The greatest obstacle I encountered was managing the complexity of life cycle assessments (LCA) for emerging technologies, which involved dealing with a wide range of variables and uncertainties. Ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the data was particularly challenging.

Question 5:

During my PhD research journey, I learned my limits of capacity for problem-solving and perseverance. I developed new skills in advanced data analysis, LCA modeling, and scientific communication.

Question 6:

After my PhD research, I plan to continue working in the field of sustainable energy at Forschungszentrum Jülich, focusing on Life-Cycle-Assessments.

Title of PhD thesis: Life Cycle Assessment of Photovoltaic Applications: Evaluation of the Global Warming Potential of Photovoltaic-Powered Hydrogen Supply and Vehicle-Integrated Photovoltaics. Supervisors: Prof. Angèle Reinders (TU/e), and Prof. U.G. Rau (Forschungszentrum Jülich).