Análise da pegada de carbono de energia solar fotovoltaica em Hospital Universitário

Abstract

This study performs the computational simulation of a solar photovoltaic system for the Hospital Universitário Lauro Wanderley, located in João Pessoa – PB, quantifies the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the system, and calculates the environmental payback and avoided emissions. The system simulation was carried out using the PVsyst software, considering the full use of the hospital’s roof area (13,155 m²). The inventory included photovoltaic modules, inverters, mounting structures, and cabling, based on data from the literature and international standards. For GHG quantification, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was applied using the SimaPro software with the Ecoinvent database and the IPCC 2021 GWP 100a environmental impact assessment method. The designed system presented total emissions of 4,626,541 kg CO₂-eq, with a total energy production of 133,955.783 MWh (30-year lifetime), resulting in an emission factor of 0.035 kg CO₂-eq/kWh and an environmental payback of 6.82 years. When the recycling of steel and aluminum from the structure was included in the LCA (instead of disposal in a sanitary landfill), a reduction of 1,103,947 kg CO₂-eq in GHG emissions was obtained, corresponding to a 29% reduction in the total emissions of the system (from 4,626,541 to 3,305,614 kg CO₂-eq). This improvement also affected the payback period, which, when recalculated, was reduced to 5.19 years. The avoided emissions over the system’s lifetime amount to 20,361,279 kg CO₂-eq for the reference case. The implementation of the solar photovoltaic system significantly contributes to the reduction of the hospital’s GHG emissions, reinforcing the importance of LCA as a decision-support tool in low-carbon energy projects.