Are Solar Panels Environmentally Friendly To Make

Workers install solar panels in california.

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. Additionally to produce solar panels manufacturers need to handle toxic chemicals. By installing solar panels tampa residents are taking the right step towards embracing an energy source that is not only a worthy alternative to its traditional counterparts but is eco friendly. However some toxic materials and chemicals are used to make the photovoltaic pv cells that convert sunlight into electricity.

As an environmentally conscious consumer you can make a positive impact by requesting information from installers concerning the manufacturers of their products. The silicon valley toxics coalition svtc which works to promote eco friendly practices in the high tech industry warned in a 2009 report that little attention is currently being paid to the potential. It s projected that solar panel waste could reach 78 million metric tons by 2050 without a way to recycle that waste it means. Disposal or recycling of solar panels in themselves expensive and resource intensive to produce is a problem we have not yet come to terms with and it s important for something billed as environmentally friendly.

Although solar energy is a clean alternative to fossil fuels making the panels themselves can have a negative environmental impact. By scott cramer although the use of solar panels is green many solar panel manufacturing processes are not. To create a solar panel caustic materials will emit greenhouse gases. As clean energy spreads more of the energy used for solar panel production will itself be generated from renewable sources reducing the lifecycle emissions of solar panels even more.

In one 2003 study researchers drew attention to the fact that cadmium is the benefactor of special environmental treatment which allows solar energy to be more economically efficient as far as that word quite applies to solar energy even in the current state of subsidization. But with solar growing in popularity thanks to falling prices and various tax incentives we could see a wave of e waste in the next 20 some odd years if the industry doesn t take action now. However solar panels are not emitting toxins into the atmosphere as they re generating electricity.