ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Comparative Life-Cycle Assessment of Polycrystalline and
Monocrystalline Solar Photovoltaic Systems in the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia
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1
Mechanical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Saudi Arabia
2
Mechanical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals
Submission date: 2026-04-25
Final revision date: 2026-05-19
Acceptance date: 2026-08-24
Publication date: 2026-09-27
Journal of Undergraduate Research International 2026;2(3A):135-149
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ABSTRACT
Utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is rapidly expanding under Vision 2030, bringing
the total commissioned and under-construction capacity to over 4 GW. This study evaluated the life-cycle carbon emissions of
largescale crystalline-silicon PV systems in Saudi Arabia, comparing polycrystalline and monocrystalline panels in projects exceeding
200 MW. Representative plants included Sakaka (300 MW, Al Jouf), Sudair (1,500 MW, Riyadh Province), Jeddah (300
MW), and Shuaibah (2,060 MW), reflecting current international supply chains with upstream silicon production concentrated
in China and cell and module assembly occurring across Southeast Asian hubs. The life-cycle assessment (LCA) followed the
ISO 14040/14044 principles and International Energy Agency (IEA) PV Power Systems (PVPS) Task 12 guidelines, applying a
cradle-to-gate-plus-use boundary covering raw material extraction, wafer and cell processing, module assembly, balance-of-system
components, transportation, installation, and operation. Life-cycle-inventory data were obtained from the IEA PVPS Task 12
consensus inventory and cross-validated against recent peer-reviewed and National Renewable Energy Laboratory-maintained
utility-scale LCA literature. Energy yield was estimated using RETScreen Expert for NEOM, Riyadh, and Jeddah, representing
distinct climatic zones. The results indicate that monocrystalline systems exhibit marginally higher embodied emissions per unit
of installed capacity than those of polycrystalline systems, whereas the yield-normalized carbon intensity is comparable within
each location. Higher electricity generation at NEOM and Jeddah resulted in lower life-cycle greenhouse gas intensities, indicating
that the location effect is greater than the technology effect. These findings support evidence-based PV technology selection
and deployment for low-carbon electricity generation in Saudi Arabia.