Abstract This paper aims to examine the environmental performance of the multi-crystalline (multi-Si) photovoltaic installations by conducting a life cycle assessment (LCA) of a typical 1-Megawatt on-grid ground-mounted solar power station in China. An energy payback time calculation will be presented with some further suggestions. After a thorough study of the LCA of solar power station, the boundary of the goal is clearly presented, making it feasible to study the total input and the annual output of the system. Specifically speaking, the total energy input, including the energy input of the module manufacturing and the energy input of balance of system (BOS) is 19.5548 x10 6 MJ, while the annual energy output is calculated to be 8.328 x 10 6 MJ. Thus the energy payback time (EPBT) is 2.3 years, revealing the conclusion that the establishment of the solar power station would contribute to a clean usage for more than 27 years, given the assumption of a 30-year operation period. Therefore, the solar power station is much more environmental friendly compared to the traditional fossil fuel systems.