This work aims at optimizing life cycle performance of a hybrid combined cooling heating and power (CCHP) system incorporating with solar energy and natural gas. A basic natural gas CCHP system containing power generation unit, heat recovery system, hybrid cooling system and storage tank, is integrated with solar photovoltaic (PV) and/or heat collector. LCA optimization methodology is proposed to optimize the configuration and variable load operation of the solar-assisted CCHP system to minimize the life cycle environmental impact. CCHP schemes in following electrical load (FEL) and following thermal load (FTL) strategies are optimized by different objectives respectively. Analysis and comparison are performed on life cycle environmental impacts caused by global warming potential, acidification potential and respiratory effect potential. The influences of main independent decision variables are discussed to discover the generic configuration rules for hybrid CCHP system. The results indicate that FTL strategy is superior to FEL strategy at taking the environmental compensation of surplus products from the hybrid CCHP system into consideration. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.