Ground-mounted solar array in a field of wildflowers. Copyright iphotostock.com
If you think there are zero direct emissions from the production of electricity from PV solar modules, YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. There are however, indirect emissions associated with production, transport, installation and refresh / recycle are dependent on the technologies used in those processes. Most are associated with the use of fossil fuels and nuclear power to manufacture and move solar modules.
Three observations stand out David Biello’s article, “Dark Side of Solar Cells Brightens,” Scientific American, Feb. 2008.
- Indirect emissions are derived from the fossil fuels used to generate the electricity for PV manufacturing facilities.
- Heavy metals, such as cadmium, used to manufacture PV solar modules, can be recovered from mining wastes and coal ash.
- Overall toxic emissions are 90 to 300 times lower than those from coal power plants.