How Green Are Solar Panels Really

Are solar panels really free.

How green are solar panels really.

Even though solar power is a lot greener than fossil fuels it. The svtc said it s leading an effort to develop a first ever sustainability standard for solar panels similar to the u s. Any type of energy comes with some cost to the environment though and solar and wind energy is no different. With south africa s sunny weather wendy williams director of engel völkers southern africa says solar power provides an ideal source of energy that can be converted into electricity and with eskom s erratic power supply many homeowners are exploring the solar power system option although the initial set up costs are high it can save you thousands of rands in the long term.

If you ve been researching solar panel system you ve probably heard at least one company advertise free solar panels or seen ads that start with u s. Solar power is capital intensive and the main cost of owning a system comes upfront when buying the equipment the solar module will almost certainly represent the largest single component. But how environmentally sound really is solar and what are the environmental negatives if there more. The smartest way to ensure your solar panels work long term is to partner with a well respected solar installer who offers solid customer service.

Solar power captures the sun s energy by using photovoltaic cells and transparent photovoltaic glass to generate electricity. Solar panels can take up large chunks of desert previously used by a host of wildlife from pronghorns and tortoises to coyotes and rattlesnakes. However in terms of energy costs wind turbines do appear to be green with a carbon footprint of just 7 56 grams co2 per kilowatt hour. Enthusiasts for solar energy which is the use of sunlight to heat water and generate electricity stress its environmental credentials and suggest the widespread adoption of solar is an answer to some of humanity s greatest environmental challenges like climate change.

Solar panels are manufactured at 2 000 c a temperature so high it requires fossil fuel power they are also made using rare earth elements the supply of which has both capacity and political issues a new and global project is using artificial intelligence ai to rapidly create new designs with new materials that can make their manufacture greener and cheaper. Green building council s leadership in energy and environmental design or. 4 as america s largest dedicated residential solar storage and energy services company at sunrun we have guided hundreds of thousands of customers through every step of their solar journey. Bats and birds are killed every year by wind turbines.