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COMPARATIVE ANALYSES OF ECO TOXICITY OF PV TECHNOLOGIES, AND ITS MITIGATION

2026-06-01T00:00:00Z

Title: COMPARATIVE ANALYSES OF ECO TOXICITY OF PV TECHNOLOGIES, AND ITS MITIGATION Authors: GHOSH, SWATILEKHA; Singh, Santosh Kumar (SUPERVISOR); Yadav, Vinod Kumar (CO-SUPERVISOR) Abstract: The global solar photovoltaic (PV) installed capacity has been increasing exponentially since the beginning of the current millennium and has now surpassed 1,866 GW. It is further projected to exceed 4,500–5,000 GW by 2050 if it continues to grow at the same pace. Though capacity addition at this exponential rate will help meet the ever-growing energy demand, it may bring along several environmental concerns that have not received adequate attention from researchers and policymakers so far. The output of solar PV systems is sensitive to environmental conditions, and past research shows that it fluctuates widely with wind speed, wind direction, the chemical composition of available dust, dust particle size, relative humidity, and irradiance intensity. To maintain the output of PV installations at the intended or design levels, they require frequent cleaning with fresh water, a scarce resource in many parts of the world. Apart from power output, environmental factors also affect PV reliability, and partial shading conditions (PSC) are among the most significant. PSC may be created by non-uniform dust deposition on the module, inconsistent cleaning of the module glass, bird droppings, leaves, and shading from nearby trees, electric towers, and modules in adjacent rows at low sun altitude. Under PSC, the shaded cells become non-productive or under-productive, depending on the intensity of the shade. In such situations, the affected cells become a load on the productive or generating PV cells. This implies that the cell under PSC starts consuming or dissipating energy rather than generating it, and the temperature of the affected cells begins to rise. The literature indicates that cell temperatures can reach up to 400 °C under PSC. Apart from reducing the PV system's efficiency and power output at elevated temperatures, this also affects its reliability. The high temperature gradient within the module can cause the top glass to crack in extreme cases. Under such scenarios, atmospheric oxygen enters the module through cracks. It causes the Ethylene/Vinyl Acetate (EVA), which is used as a sealant in the modules, to catch fire. The phenomenon discussed in the paragraph above is one of the dominant early failure modes of PV modules and, together with the end-of-life (EoL) waste volume, contributes to the cumulative volume of PV waste. EoL PV waste management has not received sufficient attention from researchers yet, as EoL PV waste generation has a vii temporal offset of 25-30 years (i.e., the expected life of PV modules). Although the history of PV application for power generation dates back about seven decades, the installed capacity began to grow exponentially only at the beginning of the 21st century. And hence, presently, EoL PV waste generation and its management remain a crisis in the making; however, the world has reached a stage where it is imperative to recognize the issue it is heading to face in the near future. The PV waste volume was 1000 times less than the global electronic waste generated in 2014; however, the total PV waste may reach 8 million tons by 2030 and 78 million tons by 2050 under an early-failure scenario. The infrastructure required to handle even the existing E-waste volume is insufficient in developing countries, and 90% of this volume is disposed of in unscientific ways, as PV recycling technology is yet to reach commercial viability. The additional volume of PV waste will overburden the infrastructure, which is even inadequate to handle the existing e-waste volume, if the rate of PV waste generation is not restricted. Hence, it is imperative to investigate the effects of various environmental factors on PV reliability and to devise methods to mitigate early failures. The silver lining is that, according to an estimate from the International Renewable Energy Agency, these figures could drop by 78% in 2030 and by 30% in 2050 if early failures are averted or mitigated. To address the above problem, the present research work critically analyzes the renewable energy growth trend over the last two decades and identifies various technical and environmental challenges arising from policy biases in related policies. Further, the ecological footprints of the two most widely used technologies, i.e., crystalline silicon (c-Si) and cadmium telluride (CdTe), are analyzed holistically over the entire life cycle, and the environmental impact of c-Si is found to be greater than that of CdTe, contrary to common perception. Hence, a policy change is recommended to incentivize the production and use of CdTe PV modules. Lastly, the c-Si PV modules are further evaluated for the effectiveness of the hotspot prevention mechanism under partial-shading conditions, and the lacunae in the existing commercial PV module design are identified. Based on the findings of the above research, suitable policy changes are solicited to make PV energy environmentally sustainable and thereby keep the shade of this energy technology truly green.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF BIOFUELS IN INDIA: AN LCA APPROACH

2026-10-01T00:00:00Z

Title: ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF BIOFUELS IN INDIA: AN LCA APPROACH Authors: PATEL, KULVENDRA; SINGH, S.K. (SUPERVISION) Abstract: The increasing global demand for energy, coupled with the environmental consequences of prolonged reliance on fossil fuels, has intensified the search for sustainable, renewable energy alternatives. Among these, biofuels have emerged as a promising solution due to their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance energy security, and support rural economies. In the Indian context, rapid industrialization, urbanization, and population growth have further increased energy demand, making the transition to cleaner fuels both an environmental necessity and a strategic priority. Bioethanol and biodiesel, as liquid biofuels compatible with existing infrastructure, have gained significant attention; however, their environmental sustainability varies considerably depending on feedstock selection, production processes, and regional conditions. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation from a life cycle perspective is essential to ensure that hidden burdens across the different stages of production and use do not offset their perceived environmental benefits. This research systematically evaluates the environmental sustainability of bioethanol and biodiesel production in India using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework. For bioethanol production, diverse feedstocks, including molasses, broken grains, agricultural residues (rice straw, corn stover, cassava straw), and municipal solid waste, are assessed. At the same time, biodiesel pathways include edible oil-based (rapeseed, palm oil, palm stearin), non-edible oil-based (jatropha), waste-derived (used cooking oil), and third-generation (microalgae) feedstocks. A cradle-to-gate approach is adopted to quantify impacts across multiple categories, such as global warming potential, resource depletion, water consumption, toxicity, and ecosystem damage, using ReCiPe 2016, IMPACT 2002+, and IMPACT World+ methods, complemented by cumulative energy demand analysis and Monte Carlo simulation to ensure statistical robustness and uncertainty characterization. The results demonstrate that environmental performance is strongly feedstock-dependent across both biofuel systems. In bioethanol production, global warming impacts range from 3.3 to 3.8 kg CO₂ eq, with significant contributions from ecotoxicity categories (up to 7.21 kg 1,4 DCB eq), largely driven by energy-intensive stages such as pre-treatment, enzymatic vii Environmental Sustainability of Biofuels in India: An LCA Approach hydrolysis, and distillation. First-generation pathways, such as molasses and grain, exhibit moderate impacts but are heavily influenced by electricity and steam consumption, whereas second-generation feedstocks, such as agricultural residues, demonstrate comparatively lower impacts and improved resource efficiency due to waste valorization. However, MSW-based bioethanol exhibits poor energy performance (NER = 0.48, NEV = −47.39 MJ, NRnEV = −23.63 MJ) despite its circular-economy advantages. In biodiesel systems, substantial variation is observed across feedstocks, with palm oil and microalgae exhibiting the highest environmental burdens (5.92 and 5.89 kg CO₂ eq, respectively), primarily due to intensive agricultural inputs and energy consumption during cultivation and processing. In contrast, waste derived biodiesel from used cooking oil demonstrates the lowest impacts and minimal fossil resource use (0.15 kg oil eq), indicating strong environmental and circularity benefits. Non-edible feedstocks such as jatropha have moderate impacts, whereas rapeseed biodiesel has relatively higher burdens due to fertilizer-intensive cultivation practices. These findings highlight that feedstock selection is a critical determinant of sustainability outcomes in biodiesel production. Energy analysis further reveals that most agricultural residue-based bioethanol systems are energy-positive, with NER values up to 4.19 and NEV values around 32–33 MJ, indicating favorable net energy gains and reduced dependence on fossil fuels. Similarly, biodiesel from UCO demonstrates superior energy efficiency (NER = 5.49) and a lower cumulative energy demand than conventional feedstocks. Across both biofuel systems, key environmental hotspots include electricity consumption, steam generation, fertilizer use, and chemical inputs, emphasizing the need for process optimization and integration of renewable energy sources. Uncertainty analysis indicates low to moderate variability across most impact categories, with coefficients of variation generally between 4% and 10%, confirming the robustness and reliability of the model outputs. The probabilistic distributions follow near-lognormal behavior with well-defined confidence intervals, although higher variability is observed in toxicity-related categories, reflecting sensitivity to input parameters and underlying assumptions. The comparative assessment highlights that second-generation and waste-derived biofuels consistently outperform first-generation systems in environmental and energy performance, whereas third-generation pathways, such as microalgae, require further viii Environmental Sustainability of Biofuels in India: An LCA Approach technological advancements to reduce their energy and nutrient intensity. From a policy perspective, the findings support the promotion of non-edible and waste-based feedstocks, improved process efficiency, and the integration of renewable energy within biofuel production systems. In conclusion, this study provides a comprehensive, quantitative evaluation of the sustainability of bioethanol and biodiesel in India, demonstrating that their environmental performance is shaped by a complex interplay of feedstock characteristics, production technologies, and energy inputs. The integration of LCA, energy analysis, and uncertainty assessment provides a robust decision-support framework for identifying critical hotspots and guiding the development of sustainable biofuel systems aligned with climate mitigation, resource efficiency, and circular-economy objectives.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF GRAP SCHEME IMPLEMENTATION AT CONSTRUCTION SITES IN DELHI NCR REGIONS

2025-05-01T00:00:00Z

Title: IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF GRAP SCHEME IMPLEMENTATION AT CONSTRUCTION SITES IN DELHI NCR REGIONS Authors: CHOWDHARY, SPARSH; Mishra, Rajeev Kumar (SUPERVISOR) Abstract: The high level of air pollution in Delhi city requires rigorous efforts for reducing hazardous levels of pollution. In this study the different Phases of GRAP were analyzed in 10 different construction sites. The different phases of GRAP implementation during the year 2024 and 2025 were analyzed for the study. The study revealed that the PM2.5 and PM10 concentration trend observed in sensor follows similar trend to the CAAQMS. The PM2.5 concentration in the study region ranged up to 600 µg/m³, and for PM10 it was up to 800 µg/m³. Construction site VIII is the lowest recorded concentration with a values < 200 µg/m³ for both the PM2.5 and PM10. The GRAP was implemented during different phases based on the concentration. The period before the GRAP and post GRAP was considered as the period with lower concentrations. GRAP IV and GRAP III period were of the highest concentration of PM values. The GRAP implementation at construction sites revealed that the emission sources reduced during GRAP IV and the concentration decreases gradually. The GRAP policy implementation revealed that the stringent GRAP phases were established during the period of 2024 to 2025 which have major impact on percentage changes. Reduction in concentration of particles were observed more for PM10 concentrations and in increase of concentration the PM2.5 were found to be more. Stringent implementation of mitigation measures leads to improve in air quality in a region. The study plays significant role in achieving various SDGs by reducing air pollution, improving public health, and contributing to sustainable urban and industrial practices.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF MULTILAYER MILK PACKAGING THROUGH CRADLE-TO-GRAVE LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT

2026-09-01T00:00:00Z

Title: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF MULTILAYER MILK PACKAGING THROUGH CRADLE-TO-GRAVE LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT Authors: KUMAR, ADARSH; GOUR, ANUNAY A. (SUPERVISOR) Abstract: Rapidly evolving lifestyles in developing countries have driven an increased demand for multilayer packaging used for packaged milk and beverages. This growth in consumption is driven by multiple factors. For example, demand often spikes to three to five times normal levels during festive seasons, surpassing local limited production. The need to transport surplus milk from high-production regions to other areas is supported by the packaging's superior barrier properties, which provide an extended shelf life. The manufacturing of multilayer packaging has created many environmental concerns due to its multiple layering manufacturing composition of LDPE, paperboard, and aluminum; due to its difficult recycling and disposal. This thesis utilizes material composition analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA) to assess environmental impact of manufacturing 10,000 units of 1-litre multilayer milk packs. The assessment follows a cradle-to-grave approach in line with the ISO standards, and it covers many impact categories including global warming potential, energy demand, total water consumption, and local/global resource depletion. The assessment was undertaken in the OpenLCA environment using impact assessment methods by ReCiPe 2016 v1.03, midpoint (H) sourced from the EcoInvent v3.12 database. To analyze the composition of materials used in Multi-Layer Packaging (MLP), experimental characterization was conducted on standard 1-litre capacity, brick-shaped cartons. Parameters such as moisture content, total surface area and precise material composition ratio were determined through empirical laboratory testing to establish the physical baseline for the LCA study. These physical properties are critical for defining the system boundaries of data collection and calculating the exact quantity of raw materials required. Which are paperboard, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and aluminum foil required for the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The quantification of these specific inputs and outputs of resources, helps the study to provide a precise model of the environmental burdens associated with the production of 10,000 units of packaged milk. This broad analysis encircles the entire product lifecycle, extending from the initial extraction of raw materials to final waste disposal.