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Directory:Solar Problems

A directory of problems relating to solar energy.

Problems

Pollution / Solar > Problems >
New Book: Solar Cells 23,000 Times Worse for Environment Than Carbon Dioxide - Green Illusions (June 2012, University of Nebraska Press) explains how the solar industry has grown to become one of the leading emitters of hexafluoroethane (C2F6), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). These three potent greenhouse gases, used by solar cell fabricators, make carbon dioxide (CO2) seem harmless. (TheDailyBell; June 5, 2012)

Solar > Problems / Wind > Farms > Downsides >
Renewable "Green" Energy Yields Very Poor Results - A 1 GW wind farm would require 500 windmills, each producing 2 MW -- assuming the farm operates at full capacity, which doesn't happen continually in reality. Since wind turbines must be spaced apart to maximize production, a 1 GW farm needs from 48,000 to 64,000 acres of land (75 to 100 square miles). In contrast, a 1 GW gas-fired plant needs about 10 to 15 acres. (MadIsle / Newsmax; January 30, 2012)

Pollution / Solar > Problems >
Solar Industry Responsible for Dumping 2.4 Million Tons of Lead on China and India - It turns out that some members of the solar panel manufacturing industry might actually be doing harm while advancing renewable energy by dumping millions of tons of lead into the environment in China and India. (TreeHugger; September 4, 2011)

Featured: Trends / Free Energy >
Iceland volcano suggests non-solar/wind alt energy solutions - The volcano Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland that has been grounding air travel and impacting the economy in much of Europe also is not good news for the solar and wind energy industry, but gives a strong vote for developing other free energy technologies. (PESN; April 19, 2010) (Comments)

Pollution / Recycling / Solar >
Solar’s Dirty Little Secret - "Green" solar panels can have their dirty side in terms of disposal and manufacturing. A report by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition ranks solar manufacturers on environmental health and safety, and urges solar companies to start investing in recycling efforts. (GreenTechMedia; March 23, 2010) (See Citizens at Risk, a 15-minute film about the dangerous electronics recyler industry in India.)

The Not-So-Sunny Side of Solar Panels - The semiconductor and electronics industry was long perceived as being a "green" industry and many of its more egregious impacts went unaddressed for years. The same precautionary approach should apply when regulating Photovoltaics, due to the toxic chemicals and materials involved in manufacturiing. (Voice of San Diego; Feb. 16, 2009)

Tokyo Electric Power Company Announces Brutally Small Solar Power Plant - How many 10 megawatt solar power plants does it take to replace a 1970s nuclear reactor? Answer: 25,000. (TreeHugger; Jan. 29, 2009)

Solar Panels Are Vanishing, Only to Reappear on the Internet - Solar power, with its promise of emissions-free renewable energy, boasts a growing number of fans. Some of them, it turns out, are thieves. (New York Times; Sept. 23, 2008)