Energy Policy, Vol.107, 488-490, 2017
A simple lower bound on the EROI of photovoltaic electricity generation
Two conceptually and computationally simple techniques (one optimistic, the other pessimistic) are introduced to estimate the energy payback time of a photovoltaic array. Both yield values of the Energy Returned On energy Invested (EROI) in excess of approximately 5. Therefore solar photovoltaic electricity appears to be a stably sustainable source of renewable energy.
Keywords:Embodied energy;Energy return on energy invested EROI;Gross Domestic Product (GDP);Intermittency challenge