Danger: Solar Panels Can Be Hazardous to Your Health
It’s easy to think that solar panels can do no wrong— after all, they will help lead us out of our energy crisis, right? Unfortunately, these shining beacons of hope produce toxic e-waste just like cell phones, TVs, and computers. A report released today by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition admonishes the solar industry to face its e-waste problem head on or risk “repeating the mistakes made by the microelectronics industry.”
The SVTC warns that solar panel production creates many of the same toxic byproducts as those found in semiconductor production, including silicon tetrachloride, dusts, and greenhouse gases like sulfur hexafluoride. These byproducts aren’t anything to scoff at— silicon tetrachloride, for example, makes land unsuitable for growing crops. And for each ton of polysilicon produced, four tons of silicon tetrachloride are generated.
There are steps that the solar industry can take to minimize toxic risks, however. The SVTC recommends that manufacturers test materials for toxicity before using them. Additionally, the group asks manufacturers to ramp up takeback programs.
But getting solar panel manufacturers to take back their products after 25 years (the average lifespan of silicon-based panels) could prove difficult, especially since other electronics manufacturers that make products with much shorter lifespans can’t get their takeback programs off the ground.
The only way manufacturers will aggressively pursue recycling and anti-toxicity campaigns is if we stop giving the solar industry a free pass and start demanding accountability.
Photo Credit: CC-licensed by flickr user David Boyle
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January 14th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Hi Ariel, love what you’re doing at CleanTechnica — you’re one of the first sites I read every morning. Just had to chime in and clarify this: the panels themselves aren’t toxic while used, it’s the manufacturing process of most solar panels that produces the vast majority of waste.
Honestly after reading the article on Venturebeat it just seems like a money-grab for more regulation. Which could be an OK thing, as long as it doesn’t make solar tech progress a bureaucratic mess and addresses the real problem: manufacturing and disposal standards.
Thanks and keep up the awesome work,
Korey
January 14th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Hi Korey,
Glad you enjoy the site! Sorry if I wasn’t clear about the manufacturing bit – I just tweaked the post to fix that.
Ariel
January 17th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Curious, what sort of pollutants are produced in the manufacturing process on flexible film photo cells? If someone could do an article on that, it would be great.
May 11th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Solar Fred per volume/ per kilowatt what is the most polluting energy source?
Answer: Solar Panels
This answer does not even take into account the hazardous by products that are produced when making solar panel. Also in this regard eventually since the cost of solar panels needs to come down they will be made outside the US. in countries that careless about regulating the hazardous by products that solar panels produce. I don’t even think China makes any distinction from tetrachloride, sulfur hexafluoride, silicon tetrachloride, and polysilicon and regular waste. Do you think foreign countries will adopt our EPA standards? If so go ahead and take another hit buddy
December 20th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
I’ve heard that solar panels are highly recyclable – almost 95% of the silicon crystalline panel can be recycled. Also, if computur silicon was recycled more frequently, this would lower the cost of solar panels, since the higher cost of solar panels usually results for competition with the IT silicon industry.