Are Solar Panels Environmentally Friendly To Make

Any type of energy comes with some cost to the environment though and solar and wind energy is no different.

Are solar panels environmentally friendly to make.

Using solar energy can have a positive indirect effect on the environment when solar energy replaces or reduces the use of other energy sources that have larger effects on the environment. Photograph by michael melford nat geo image collection how. Sunpower and solarworld are two top us based solar panel manufacturers and produce some of the greenest solar panels available to us customers. Although the use of solar panels is green many solar panel manufacturing processes are not.

Most people want to protect the planet which means more of us want to use renewable sources of energy like solar power. In the worst case solar panels have an energy payback time of 4 1 years and will generate 8 to 12 times as much energy in their lifetime than was needed to mine the raw materials manufacture and install them. Although solar energy is a clean alternative to fossil fuels making the panels themselves can have a negative environmental impact. Solar far outshines electricity produced from fossil fuel sources.

While solar panels are considered a form of clean renewable energy the manufacturing process does produce greenhouse gas emissions. Silicon tetra chloride in solar. Recycling solar panels is still new but more companies are doing it. What s more because photovoltaic pv panels generally have a long lifecycle up to 30 years the amount of waste generated by panels past their prime is relatively small especially when you consider the three to four year turnover of other electronic waste like computers.

Without efficiency and reasonable limits to energy use solar and wind power only benefit the environment so much. Let s dispel the myths and discuss the environmental impact of solar energy. To create a solar panel caustic materials will emit greenhouse gases. Solar panels often contain lead cadmium and other toxic chemicals that cannot be removed without breaking apart the entire panel.

Approximately 90 of most pv modules are made up of glass. Per kilowatt it offsets up to 830 pounds of nitrogen oxides 1 500 pounds of sulfur dioxide and 217 000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Bats and birds are killed every year by wind turbines. Solar panels can take up large chunks of desert previously used by a host of wildlife from pronghorns and tortoises to coyotes and rattlesnakes.

Solar is a renowned clean energy source but some claim it s not eco friendly. They follow specific standards for ensuring their products are environmentally friendly and are working to continuously mitigate their carbon footprint. Yes solar panels are environmentally friendly.