#Solar panel production refers to the entire lifecycle of solar panels, from raw material extraction to #manufacturing processes and end-of-life considerations. #Environmental impact encompasses the effects on #ecosystems , #biodiversity, energy consumption, #waste management, and more. Life cycle assessment is a methodology used to evaluate the environmental impacts of a product throughout its entire lifecycle.
The production of solar panels requires the extraction of materials like #silicon, #silver , and #aluminum . The #mining and processing of these materials pose significant environmental consequences, including habitat destruction, soil #erosion , water #pollution , and #greenhouse gas #emissions .
Solar panel manufacturing involves multiple steps, including wafer production, cell fabrication, and module assembly. Each step requires #energy and emits greenhouse gases. Energy-intensive processes like wafer production contribute to the overall #carbon footprint of solar panel production.
As solar panels reach the end of their lifespan, proper waste management becomes crucial. The disposal of decommissioned panels can lead to environmental contamination and potential health risks. However, there are emerging solutions such as recycling and resource recovery to mitigate these challenges.
By addressing the challenges associated with raw material extraction, manufacturing processes, waste management, and #ecosystem impacts, we can work towards minimizing the negative consequences....
- the topic of the overall ecological burden of #renewables seems to be a key one in considering a realistic #emission-free #economy (unless it is just an alibi for pushing dirty processes to other countries). The article is quite short and it only opens the topic - it would be useful to know some hard data on this topic. May be from the sources the article refers to, or I'd be glad for other tips from someone.
https://green.org/2024/01/30/the-environmental-impact-of-solar-panel-production/
#ecology #greendeal #solarpunk