Evaluating social sustainability in European photovoltaic module supply chains through social life cycle assessment
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Shahvi, Shervin
Tsalidis, Georgios Archimidis
Nika, Eliza
Gazbour, Nouha
Katsou, Evina
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Purpose
The rapid acceleration of the energy transition in Europe, driven by policies favouring renewable sources, has led to a substantial increase in the deployment and installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules. While the technical dimensions of PV technologies have been extensively studied, the social perspectives of the PV module supply chain require further scientific examination. This paper aims to assess the social dimensions of PV technology deployment.
Methods
This paper employs Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) to examine two distinct PV module supply chains in the European Union (EU): Module A, produced entirely in China, and Module B, mainly manufactured within the EU. The inventory data utilized for the quantitative risk hotspots assessment, was sourced from the International Energy Agency (IEA) reference documentation. The foundation of the site-specific assessment is semi-structed questionnaires and series of interviews targeted experts of the field and manufacturing sites, respectively. The methodological framework integrates quantitative and qualitative social assessment. Hotspots analysis was conducted using generic data from the Product Social Impact Life Cycle Assessment (PSILCA) database. Furthermore, a site-specific assessment utilizing the Social LCA Type I approach (reference scale: 1–4), structured according to the UNEP 2020 guidelines, to identify and characterize social challenges. A key limitation of this study was the inability to collect primary site-specific data for Module A and the cell stage of Module B. Instead, sectoral data from PSILCA database were utilized due to restricted access to manufacturing representatives.
Results
Hotspots assessment reveals substantial negative social impacts in the supply chain of Module A, particularly in critical areas such as “bargaining rights”, “fair salary’’ and “public sector corruption’’. Site-specific assessment for Module B, on the other hand, shows minor social impacts for “community engagement improvements”, “wealth distribution” and “promoting social responsibilities”, aligning with the findings from hotspots assessments for this module.
Conclusion
Significant adverse social impacts within the supply chains of imported Chinese PV modules introduce considerable social-relevant concerns. Consequently, establishing a sustainable and resilient PV supply chain within the European Union (EU) requires diversifying sourcing, applying more recycling techniques and creating more job opportunities within all sectors. These strategies could support the sustainable economic growth of EU companies and mitigating reliance on third-country imports. Furthermore, fundamental improvement of social performance metrics such as enhancing labour practices and strengthening community engagement will not only improve the sector’s ethical reputation but also contribute to increased public acceptance.
The rapid acceleration of the energy transition in Europe, driven by policies favouring renewable sources, has led to a substantial increase in the deployment and installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules. While the technical dimensions of PV technologies have been extensively studied, the social perspectives of the PV module supply chain require further scientific examination. This paper aims to assess the social dimensions of PV technology deployment.
Methods
This paper employs Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) to examine two distinct PV module supply chains in the European Union (EU): Module A, produced entirely in China, and Module B, mainly manufactured within the EU. The inventory data utilized for the quantitative risk hotspots assessment, was sourced from the International Energy Agency (IEA) reference documentation. The foundation of the site-specific assessment is semi-structed questionnaires and series of interviews targeted experts of the field and manufacturing sites, respectively. The methodological framework integrates quantitative and qualitative social assessment. Hotspots analysis was conducted using generic data from the Product Social Impact Life Cycle Assessment (PSILCA) database. Furthermore, a site-specific assessment utilizing the Social LCA Type I approach (reference scale: 1–4), structured according to the UNEP 2020 guidelines, to identify and characterize social challenges. A key limitation of this study was the inability to collect primary site-specific data for Module A and the cell stage of Module B. Instead, sectoral data from PSILCA database were utilized due to restricted access to manufacturing representatives.
Results
Hotspots assessment reveals substantial negative social impacts in the supply chain of Module A, particularly in critical areas such as “bargaining rights”, “fair salary’’ and “public sector corruption’’. Site-specific assessment for Module B, on the other hand, shows minor social impacts for “community engagement improvements”, “wealth distribution” and “promoting social responsibilities”, aligning with the findings from hotspots assessments for this module.
Conclusion
Significant adverse social impacts within the supply chains of imported Chinese PV modules introduce considerable social-relevant concerns. Consequently, establishing a sustainable and resilient PV supply chain within the European Union (EU) requires diversifying sourcing, applying more recycling techniques and creating more job opportunities within all sectors. These strategies could support the sustainable economic growth of EU companies and mitigating reliance on third-country imports. Furthermore, fundamental improvement of social performance metrics such as enhancing labour practices and strengthening community engagement will not only improve the sector’s ethical reputation but also contribute to increased public acceptance.
Date Issued
2026-04-29
Date Acceptance
2026-04-07
Citation
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2026, 31 (5)
ISSN
0948-3349
Publisher
Springer
Journal / Book Title
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment
Volume
31
Issue
5
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2026 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
81
Date Publish Online
2026-04-29