Environmenal Impact Of Making Solar Panels

Solar doesn t result in water pollution.

Environmenal impact of making solar panels.

Solar panels produce zero emissions once installed on your roof which means their environmental impact is negligible for most of their life. Even considering the manufacturing and processing stage of solar the emissions generated are 3x to 25x less than generating the same amount of energy from fossil fuels. Approximately 90 of most pv modules are made up of glass. But as critics are quick to point out that rosy picture isn t entirely true.

This might not be an issue in some places but in arid locations such as deserts it can become a major problem. The process starts with mining of quartz sand. However some toxic materials and chemicals are used to make the photovoltaic pv cells that convert sunlight into electricity. Solar energy systems power plants do not produce air pollution water pollution or greenhouse gases.

The reduced emissions from using solarenergy versus any fossil fuel especially coal make the technology extremely beneficial. Solar energy is associated with lower maintenance costs than non renewable energy sources. A water supply installed as part of a solar panel installation. Solar energy comes with its own environmental challenges regarding land use water consumption emissions and the use of hazardous materials.

Fabricating the panels requires caustic chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid and the process uses water as well as electricity the production of which emits greenhouse gases. However solar panels aren t zero emissions resources for their entire lifetime as they have to be manufactured in a factory first as well as recycled at the end of their useful life. An oxidized form of silicon non crystallized silica is the most common component of quartz sand. Solar panels often contain lead cadmium and other toxic chemicals that cannot be removed without breaking apart the entire panel.

Currently solar power represents only 1 8 percent of energy used in the united states so there is a great deal of room for improvement. While the extraction of various fossil fuels can affect groundwater marine habitats rivers and lakes sometimes in disastrous ways solar doesn t have this impact. New technologies are making solar equipment less cost intensive to keep running efficiently. The environmental impact of solar panel production the production process of manufacturing solar panels is energy intensive and polluting.

Water consumption can have even more environmental impacts.