News about Solar, Wind and alternative green power technologies

There are numerous falsehoods and general half truths circulating about solar energy that can be damaging to what may be the future of our energy needs. These myths need to be busted before they can do any further damage or so we are not led down a cheery garden path when it comes to renewable energy and our environment. The myth that is most bothersome is one stating the production of photovoltaic cell panels can be damaging to the environment – are they, or are they not harming the environment?

Managing Toxicity

Over the past few years, much has been mentioned in the media discussing the hypothesis that production of photovoltaic [PV] solar panels is quite toxic to the environment. This conclusion is drawn due to the fact that some serious chemicals are utilized in the development of these PV panels. Certain ones have even being cited as toxic by the US environmental Protection Agency, which is responsible for employee safety when working with hazardous chemicals and holds this responsibility very highly. They regulate the disposal of chemicals used in the production process, making sure they are handled in a way that is not a safety concern or a loss to the environment.

The accusations and assertions have been carefully examined at the federal level by groups like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, who concluded that the producers of PVs have reduced the risk associated to the environment. By putting in place, tough scrutinizing procedures of the processes the manufacturing industries are doing a good job following the standards. At the same time, most PV producers are working in far more efficient manners, recycling and reusing from their own PV production processes.

The End Result

When we study the impact on the environment from renewable energy production, we need to assess not just the manufacturing procedures but also the end results to the environment over the long term life of any particular source of energy. Put side by side with traditional energy supplies, like coal and nuclear, the impact to the environment of photovoltaic equipment is rather nominal to nearly nonexistent. PV technologies come out triumphant in the end.

Toxic By Tradition

Traditional sources of power generate a variety of toxic waste and in differing amounts. Power facilities fire coal and other kinds of fossil fuels that contaminate our air supply in a big way and this occurs for the life of the power plant. Pains have been taken to lessen the damage done by burning these fuels but the problem persists. When fuels are burned for power the contaminants produced include carbon dioxide – big trouble for global climate change – sulfur dioxide – responsible for acid rain – particulates – these harm the lungs. There are metals like mercury, arsenic, lead that can lead to brain damage and birth deficiencies and nitrogen oxide that is responsible for smog.

Nuclear power facilities generate waste and no matter what we spend to eradicate this waste, billions upon billions of dollars, there is still no safe way of ridding the planet from this threatening leftover waste material.

Solar Power Means No Toxicity

In contrast, the photovoltaic solar panels do not utilize fossil fuel; there are no toxic emissions and no harmful waste that could wipe out whole regions and populations. PVs generate clean and eco-friendly power without major noise pollution or moving pieces and they do so for two or three decades. The energy required to make the PVs is recoverable in only several years, PV production costs are pretty much cancel out. Because the PV panels have a life span of operational efficiency of from twenty five to thirty years, they will be generating power long after they have paid for themselves.

No question that this is one myth that has been busted, as it is obvious from the facts that solar is by far the winner.