Are Solar Panels Environmentally Friendly To Make

By scott cramer although the use of solar panels is green many solar panel manufacturing processes are not.

Are solar panels environmentally friendly to make.

Workers install solar panels in california. 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. 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. 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.

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. Environmental scientists and solar industry leaders are raising the red flag about used solar panels which contain toxic heavy metals and are considered hazardous waste. Although solar energy is a clean alternative to fossil fuels making the panels themselves can have a negative environmental impact. With recycling expensive.

As an environmentally conscious consumer you can make a positive impact by requesting information from installers concerning the manufacturers of their products. 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. While solar panels are considered a form of clean renewable energy the manufacturing process does produce greenhouse gas emissions. It s projected that solar panel waste could reach 78 million metric tons by 2050 without a way to recycle that waste it means.

However solar panels are not emitting toxins into the atmosphere as they re generating electricity. 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. 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.