Pollutants From Solar Panels

Solar panel manufacturing has some environmental impact while the power that solar panels generate is emission free it is important to note that there is some pollution associated with the manufacturing of solar panels.

Pollutants from solar panels.

Some solar panels contain harmful pollutants like sulfur hexafluoride which is more potent than carbon dioxide. Worse rainwater can wash many of these toxics out of the fragments of solar modules over time. Nguyen phd toxic chemicals in solar panels include cadmium telluride copper indium selenide cadmium gallium di selenide copper indium gallium di selenide hexafluoroethane lead and polyvinyl fluoride. According to cancer biologist david h.

A 2011 report showed that solar s carbon footprint averaged at roughly 85 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent co2e per gigawatt hour gwh while natural gas and coal came in at 499 co2e gwh and 888 co2e gwh respectively. Silicon tetrachloride a byproduct of producing crystalline silicon is also highly toxic. Most estimates of life cycle emissions for photovoltaic systems are between 0 07 and 0 18 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour. Approximately 90 of most pv modules are made up of glass.

Solar panels often contain lead cadmium and other toxic chemicals that cannot be removed without breaking apart the entire panel. Panels produced in china which relies heavily on coal for power have a larger carbon footprint than those produced in europe. Most estimates for concentrating solar power range from 0 08 to 0 2 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour. Solar energy systems power plants do not produce air pollution water pollution or greenhouse gases.

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. Solar panel manufacturers need electricity and thermal energy and carbon emissions from their generation can vary widely with location.