Environmental Impact Of Solar Energy

By Author: Prashant Pathak
Total Articles: 23
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You must be similar to the solar energy & solar power industry. This is a booming sector as the sun has enormous potential to generate clean & green energy. It produces electricity in the greenest way. In this article, we shall discuss solar energy's environmental impact.

Why is Solar One of the Greenest Sources of Energy?

Solar heaters use sunlight to heat water & even for cooking, it is also used to make electricity with the help of photovoltaic panels.

Solar is a 100% green source of energy and it can be installed even at a small scale for example to power houses or just to light gardens. Solar panels are capable to generate electricity for households independently and on the large scale for industrial purposes as well.

Generation of Energy Through Solar:

Zero Carbon Footprint
Zero Pollution
Instantly replenishable
100% Eco-Friendly & Sustainable
Energy can be generated locally, and impact the environment globally

In the process of power generation, the resources used, and the byproducts produced are important as they further help us to calculate ...
... the impact of the resources used & the impact of the byproducts produced. This further helps us to decide the environmental impact.

Resources Used & Byproducts Produced in the Generation of Energy Through Solar

Sun’s heat is used to heat water & for cooking. It’s used to generate electricity with help of photovoltaic panels or concentrating solar thermal plants that generate electricity when sunlight hits the solar panel or CSP plant. Unlike fossil fuels, the sun can’t be over-exploited, and yet it has enormous potential.

While operating solar energy technologies & power plants there’s no air pollution or generation of greenhouse gasses. But there are some environmental issues related to the production of solar technologies that facilitate the production of energy from solar.

Manufacturing of PV or Solar Panels

This process uses materials like glass and metals; the manufacturing of solar energy technologies is an energy-intensive process and uses hazardous chemicals. These chemicals have to be handled mindfully to avoid release into the environment. As PV panels/ solar panels have a long life and if they are recycled like done in a lot of countries then this impact can be reduced.

Land Use

Larger scale solar thermal plants raise more concerns about land degradation & habitat loss.

This impact can be reduced by sitting on low-quality lands like brownfields, abandoned mining land, or existing transportation and transmission corridors.

But the small-scale arrays of solar panels, built on homes and commercial buildings have minimal land use and impact.

Water Use

There’s no use of water while the generation of electricity through solar panels. A little water is used in the manufacturing process.

Some water is required in large solar thermal plants, for cooling. The amount of water required depends on the design and dimensions of the plant. This could be reduced by dry-cooling technology.

Like other power generation technologies solar energy generation also has some consequences. But these consequences are comparatively less. They do not harm or interfere with the ecosystem and balance until they are large enough. The best thing about solar energy is it can be generated and used locally by individuals which reduce the harmful effects. When people/ commercial buildings install solar systems, they usually use the rooftop and it doesn’t require water for the cooling like in large solar arrays. Thus, solar energy is definitely a much greener option and has a sustainable impact on the environment.