China Producing Solar Panels Affect On The Environment

It produces vast quantities of hazardous waste which are not being adequately dealt with.

China producing solar panels affect on the environment.

Most readers have likely seen exciting headlines claiming we could power the world s energy demands multiple times were we simply to cover the sahara desert with a solar farm the size of china. Et although china may be a cheaper place than europe for. The last few years have seen growing concern over what happens to solar panels at the end of. China s solar panel production comes at a dirty cost.

Workers install a solar panel in jiuquan gansu province. Additionally to produce solar panels manufacturers need to handle toxic chemicals. According to the us department of energy the lifespan of a solar panel will typically span 20 to 30 years depending on the environment where the panels are installed. With recycling expensive.

Fabricating the panels requires caustic chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid and the process uses water as well as electricity the production of which emits greenhouse gases. Solar panels have been heralded as the alternative to fossil fuels for decades. This number is reduced when you consider solar panels that live in areas that experience dust or snow storms regularly. When you use solar energy in your home you lower your overall greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide and you reduce your carbon footprint.

China faces this dilemma plus an even more significant issue. While solar panels are considered a form of clean renewable energy the manufacturing process does produce greenhouse gas emissions. Solar energy is terrible for the environment in a number of ways including the fact that large land areas must be devoted to it.