How Green Are Those Solar Panels, Really?

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As the world seeks cleaner power, solar energy capacity has increased sixfold in the past five years. Yet manufacturing all those solar panels, a Tuesday report shows, can have environmental downsides. Fabricating the panels requires caustic chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid,...

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  • KenZ71
    KenZ71 Solar Expert Posts: 58 ✭✭
    #2
    Re: How Green Are Those Solar Panels, Really?

    Along that line I wonder, from a Green/ Carbon neutral viewpoint which is better: 1) cut trees to provide more sun to PV array? Or 2) leave the trees to absorb the CO2 & shade the house? Shade obviously reduces cooling expenses.
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: How Green Are Those Solar Panels, Really?
    KenZ71 wrote: »
    Along that line I wonder, from a Green/ Carbon neutral viewpoint which is better: 1) cut trees to provide more sun to PV array? Or 2) leave the trees to absorb the CO2 & shade the house? Shade obviously reduces cooling expenses.

    I'd go for 3) build in the shade and place array in the sun. It's what I did, and it worked out very nicely, I need to plant some trees around my new place for shade.
    Attachment not found.
    early morning overhead from google, of my old cabin, you can just make out the array, and the cabin is completely in the shade.

    Trees are carbon neutral, and renewable, burn the ones you cut for heat. It use to be common for people to have a 'wood lot' a small wooded area that was left wooded while clearing for the farm. From the wood lot they would harvest trees for heat. I think about a cord of wood is produced per acre of land in hard woods and near 2 in soft pine.
    Cap.JPG 59.7K
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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