What effect does solar electricity have on the environment?

We are all familiar with the negative environmental impacts of burning fossil fuels to create energy. Whilst solar electricity itself is renewable and non-harming to the environment, the manufacturing and distribution process of the components of a solar system are not.

Manufacturing

Although only subtle, the processes and materials used in the manufacturing of solar cells have a negative impact on the environment through side effects such as pollution (carbon emissions from energy usage) and waste (Silicon Tetrachloride).

Transport

Transportation of materials such as panels and inverters will also contribute to the overall environmental impact of solar system before it is generating electricity, with fossil fuelled cargo ships and trucks transporting the items.

Location

While most residential systems are accommodated on roofs, larger scale commercial and utility installations require areas of land. Ideally these should be in locations sparse in flora and fauna, however in some instances this isn’t the case, requiring trees and shrubbery be removed and potentially impacting specific species and habitats.

That’s why for larger scale installations alternative solar power solutions such as concentrated PV,which require less space, could prove to be better option.

However, once installed and generating solar electricity, the negative impacts as a result of production and distribution of a solar power system, will be offset with the saving of CO2 emissions over its lifespan, still making it an excellent environmental choice.

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Tags: Solar electricity

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 10th, 2009 at 12:45 am and is filed under solar power. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.