i was told that by making a solar panel they cause more pollution than they will end up getting rid of. Is that true?
It depends on what type of pollution you are talking about. Some of the newer cells that don't use silicone are made with dangerous chemicals that are just dumped into the local water supply when made in China or other places with no real environmental controls. No matter how much carbon free energy the cells produce they will never clean up the mess people made when building them.
The amount of energy needed to extract the raw materials from the Earth exceeds the amount the finished PV panels produce.Processing the materals takes additional energy.After manufacturing they have to be transported.Photovoltaic panels only generate </2 volt per square inch in bright sunlight.They become less efficient when they get dirty.
Long ago, say, in the 960's, it was true that solar cells did not return the energy of their manufacture. In those days, cells were 4% efficient, and made with more material and a less efficient process. Unfortunately, the myth persists that this is still the case today from unaccredited sources. Kudos to Michael for the nrel link. That study was actually done over 0 years ago, and since then, technology has advanced even further. Manufacturers have been able to reduce the thickness of cells in general in the last decade, to use less crystalline silicon. Also manufacturers such as Suntech with their pluto process are now able to use a lower grade of silicon, that takes less energy to refine. The result is that the energy payback time is even shorter today than estimated in the linked paper.
Absolutely not. This is a myth. The energy payback of a solar panel far outweighs its cost. With current technology (which is vastly improving every year), the payback begins in about -4 years depending on climate. This means that after -4 years, the solar panel has generated the same amount of energy that was used in its entire creation up until the point that it was installed. The panel will then continue to generate power for another 20-25 years at 90-98% capacity if properly maintained. The U.S. Department of Energy has conducted extensive studies on the subject and the results (which i'm quoting) can be viewed on their PV Faq page...
A study by the US Department of Energy shows that, depending on your solar panels, the energy payback is to 4 years. Solar panels usually last 25 years, so solar manufacturing is very green. That said, if you buy American made panels, it saves more carbon from the transport costs. Something to consider in choosing your panels.Actually, most panel manufacturers will recycle the panels after you’re through in 25 years. If they don’t, don’t buy those panels. However, it’s hard to say whether people will actually recycle them because most panels are still being used today. So it’s up to you find out about the manufacturer’s panel recycling program. From what I understand, they will come to you and take them away at no charge.
