Depletion Of Resources Used To Make Solar Panels

When assesing solar panels as a key energy resource it is important to weigh up any concerns.

Depletion of resources used to make solar panels.

With assumed life expectancies of 30 years and taking into account the fossil fuel based energy used in manufacture 87 to 97 of the energy that pv systems generate won t be plagued by pollution greenhouse gases and depletion of resources. 1 like recently a customer of ours raised the concern that he had heard. Even ten years ago this study said it takes about 2 years of energy generation to pay back the energy used to make the solar panel. Then it makes energy with no energy cost at all for the rest of its life.

Sawing silicon into discs for use creates silicon dust called kerf with up to 50 waste. From there the grade must be further purified into polysilicon the solar grade purity of which is 99 999 percent. So a solar panel will make many times more energy than it takes to make it. The silicon in solar panels is manufactured through a reduction process in which the silica is heated with a carbon material and the oxygen is removed leaving behind purer metallurgical grade silicon.

Some of the materials used to make solar panels can be hazardous to both our health and the environment. Some potential issues include. Solar panels will never generate enough power to offset the energy that was used to manufacture them in the first place. That energy that went into making the panels is called embodied energy.

Although not ideal toxic substances are sometimes used to help improve the efficiency and durability of solar energy systems.