The International Energy Agency PV Power Systems Programme (IEA PVPS) has released its Task 12 Life Cycle Inventories of Photovoltaic Systems 2026 report, delivering the most extensive update of publicly available lifecycle inventory data for solar PV technologies in more than ten years.
The report provides a critical resource for researchers policymakers and industry stakeholders by offering transparent and high quality datasets to assess the environmental performance of current photovoltaic systems.
Lifecycle inventories underpin lifecycle assessments by capturing material and energy flows as well as emissions linked to PV system production. Accurate and current data is essential for credible environmental evaluation technology comparison and identifying opportunities to improve the sustainability of solar power.
The 2026 report updates the previous 2020 edition and introduces new datasets across key PV technologies and system components. For monocrystalline silicon it includes updated datasets for TOPCon and PERC supply chains based on 83 factory level lifecycle assessments from the French PV tender process between 2022 and 2025. These datasets represent approximately 29% of global polysilicon capacity 16% of wafer production 7% of cell output and 9% of module manufacturing capacity.
For cadmium telluride the report features updated manufacturing footprints sourced from the dominant global producer representing more than 90% of the CdTe module market.
The report also expands coverage of balance of system components providing updated inventory data for inverters mounting structures and cabling across residential commercial and utility scale reference PV systems.
In addition it integrates updated country specific PV electricity mixes along with end of life recycling data based on commercial operations in the US and Europe enabling improved assessment of environmental performance over time.
A key strength of the report lies in its rigorous data quality process. The monocrystalline silicon datasets underwent a multi stage verification process including compliance with tender documentation requirements independent technical review formal attestation expert aggregation and anonymisation followed by final validation by international Task 12 specialists.
The report also introduces simulation based bottom up lifecycle inventories for monocrystalline silicon manufacturing. These datasets complement measured industry data and cover the full production chain from polysilicon to module level including infrastructure inputs and circularity considerations supporting forward looking analysis and process optimisation across the solar sector.
Link to the full report HERE
Author: Bryan Groenendaal






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