Ahmad Jamekhorshid

Dye-sensitized solar cells are considered as an alternative to traditional silicon solar cells due to their unique properties. One of the important aspects in the development and use of these cells is their life cycle assessment (LCA), which can help to better understand the environmental impacts and potential of this technology compared to other renewable energy technologies. The main objective of this research is to accurately assess the environmental impacts of natural dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) compared to industrial samples. In this regard, this research investigated the environmental justification of manufacturing solar cells sensitized with natural dyes (such as pigments extracted from the native Jumbo plant) by examining the main parameters. The results showed that although natural dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) have environmental benefits and lower production costs, their lower efficiency compared to synthetic pigments (such as N719) can lead to higher material and energy consumption during production. However, the results showed that if the efficiency of natural pigments is increased to about 5%, their environmental performance can even surpass that of synthetic modules. The main factor affecting the environmental performance in both types of cells is their efficiency. This research also emphasizes that optimizing the chemical structures and improving the efficiency of these cells, especially by using indigenous natural pigments, is a sustainable solution to solve future energy problems and reduce environmental impacts.