Climate change is a hot topic. Carbon emissions and rapidly increasing energy consumption are said to be the primary causes of rising temperatures and catastrophic weather patterns which affect everything from food supply to the spread of disease.
Ozone layer depletion is caused by the emission of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons into the atmosphere. Aerosols and refrigerants are the primary sources of these gases. Solar panels do not contain ozone-depleting chemicals.
Many believe solar energy is the solution to the problem of the rising energy demand. But is solar the solution or is it part of the problem?
In this article, we examine the impact of solar energy on climate change. How do solar panels affect the environment and do they contribute to global warming? If you’re concerned about how solar panels affect the planet then this article will help you ease some of those concerns.
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With a high conversion efficiency and foldable design, this solar panel is easy to transport and set up, making it perfect for outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and RV trips.
The US solar cell technology used in this panel ensures that you get the most efficient and reliable solar charging possible.
There is also a 60W option that is more affordable (Amazon Link)
Are Solar Panels Bad For The Atmosphere?
Solar panels do not have a detrimental effect on the atmosphere. Compared to fossil fuel-generated electricity, solar panels have a lesser impact on atmospheric temperature and air quality in terms of pollution or carbon emissions.
The world is hungry for energy. Since 2000, residential and industrial energy consumption has almost doubled. It’s a fair assumption to make that demand will continue to rise as populations grow and developing countries industrialize. Source
The supply of energy needs to rise to meet demand. There are two alternative routes to meeting demand. Either we burn more fossil fuels, or we find alternative energy sources to meet demand.
Fossil fuels, however, are said to be non-renewable. This means we have a finite supply of oil, gas, and coal. Some scientists even say we may run out of fossils as early as 2060. Source
While this is hard to verify and many dispute whether it’s possible, you can be sure that extracting fossil fuels will become more difficult and expensive as we have to dig deeper to find mineral deposits.
Fossil fuels also come with a heavy carbon price. Burning fossils to produce electricity is the second biggest source of carbon emissions. Transportation is the biggest source.
| SECTOR | GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS (%) |
|---|---|
| Transportation | 27 |
| Electric power | 25 |
| Industry | 24 |
| Commercial and residential | 13 |
| Agriculture | 11 |
In comparison, using solar panels to generate energy does not produce carbon emissions. In fact, solar in America reduces emissions by up to 100 million tons per year. The adoption of solar use can thus be argued to be good for the atmosphere.
Switching to solar would reduce the reliance on fossil fuel electricity which would, in turn, reduce the emission of greenhouse gases from electricity generation.
How Does Solar Energy Affect The Ozone Layer?
Ozone layer depletion is caused by the emission of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons into the atmosphere. Aerosols and refrigerants are the primary sources of these gases. Solar panels do not contain ozone-depleting chemicals.
The ozone layer is a mass of gases that absorb harmful UV radiation from the sun. Ozone absorbs 98% of UV light which damages plant and animal DNA. Chlorofluorocarbons reduce or thin out the ozone allowing more radiation to get through instead of being absorbed.
Solar panels do however contain a small amount of plastic. CFCs are used to manufacture some types of plastics so there is a small chance that solar panel manufacturing contributes to ozone depletion.
Are Solar Panel Fields Bad For The Environment?
Solar farms are large utility-scale energy producers that take up large land areas. Producing tens to hundreds of megawatts of energy, there are several reasons why they are bad for the environment. The chief reasons are that they take up an enormous amount of space and they alter the local ecosystems.
Bhadla Solar Park is the largest solar farm in the world, with a capacity of 2,245MW. But what impact do Bhadla and other solar plants have?
Land demand
Solar plants need a lot of land to provide space for solar panels. Bhadla has over 10 million solar panels spread out over 14,000 acres of land.
Natural habitats
Owing to their sheer size, solar power plants alter ecosystems. Everything from birds, insects, and plant life is disrupted by the presence of up to millions of solar panels.
Solar plants have been linked to higher bird mortality. This happens when birds mistake solar panels for a water body and crash into them. Plant life is not spared either as the land used for solar farms is graded to make way for solar panels.
Another way in which solar plants harm the local ecosystem is they raise temperatures. Solar panels are designed to absorb more and reflect less light. Sand has a greater reflectance than solar panels. Covering a large land area with solar panels increases the amount of solar energy absorbed. This raises temperatures and is known as the “urban heat island” effect. Source
Solar panel manufacturing
Aside from solar farms, the manufacturing of solar panels is bad for the environment. Fossil fuel-generated energy is used to produce solar cells in an energy-intense process. Not only does making a solar panel require a lot of energy, but it also produces an enormous amount of toxic waste.
Mining, purifying, and fabricating a silicon solar cell is a dirty process that unfortunately creates hazardous toxic waste.
Solar panel recycling
There is also the question of what happens to the solar panel when it reaches its end of life. Currently, there is very little legislation or policy guiding the disposal of waste created by decommissioned solar panels.
This creates a situation where solar waste is discarded along with standard electronic waste despite the presence of hazardous materials like lead in a solar panel.
Can Solar Panels Create Global Warming?
Solar panels can help reduce global warming. The chief cause of global warming is greenhouse gas emissions which trap heat. Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like solar offsets greenhouse gas emissions.
Global warming is the increase in global annual temperatures. As the planet gets warmer this leads to erratic weather patterns that can have catastrophic effects on food production and water supply.
Solar panels can help reduce the reliance on fossil fuel-generated electricity which is one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gases.
