Are Fossil Fuels Used To Make Solar Panels

Workers install solar panels in california.

Are fossil fuels used to make solar panels.

State guide solar panels in pa. Solar energy is touted by some as the solution to the world s energy woes but the process of making the various components requires fossil fuels both for power and for the components themselves. Although solar energy is a clean alternative to fossil fuels making the panels themselves can have a negative environmental impact. Outside the limitation that solar energy cannot be used 24 hours a day without a storage solution it is better than fossil fuels.

In terms of environmental impact solar power is a much more optimal resource than fossil fuels. The best way to compare solar energy with fossil fuels is to compare costs where solar energy has quickly reached its non renewable counterparts. Wind and solar facilities cannot be manufactured or used to generate electricity without fossil fuels. Federal state and local policies need to recognize that natural gas and crude oil are necessary for renewable energy sources to exist and support and encourage their domestic production not punish it.

Do they take more energy to make. Solar power captures the sun s energy by using photovoltaic cells and transparent photovoltaic glass to generate electricity. Even though solar power is a lot greener than fossil fuels it still has a carbon footprint 9 180 grams co2 per kilowatt hour although this is much lower than fossil fuel. Solar panels require a lot of manufacturing.

Like the gigantic 30 foot tall 50 ton trucks that mine the coal to load onto the railroad cars solar panels get built in factories. The ultimate way to compare solar energy to fossil fuels is by cost where solar has quickly caught up with its non renewable counterparts. Solar energy still has a long way to go before it becomes the most popular renewable resource on the planet not to mention the most popular energy resource but its growing popularity is undeniable. However the production of fossil fuels is a very dirty business says paul behrens.

Solar panels have little metal edges around the panels. Solar and wind power needs around 40 50 times more space than coal and 90 100 times more space than gas. In terms of reliable application coal and natural gas have the edge. And the efforts to harness that energy has very little impact on the environment unlike fossil fuels.