Solar Panels Exposed: Is Your Health Seriously Being Damaged Because of Renewable Energy?
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As you probably know, the world is learning to harness the power of renewable energy to combat global warning. The solar industry is rapidly leading our clean energy revolution.
But consider this: You’ve seen solar panels installed on rooftops helping to save money on power bills and keep the environment safe. So if I told you solar panels are bad for your health would you believe me?
Quite simply, you probably haven’t heard the hushed up truth about the health hazards associated with solar panels. Before getting into the details you should know that installing solar panels on your roof top probably won’t kill you.
After all, it’s the dangerous chemicals and toxic materials used to manufacture solar panels and their disposal when being replaced, that are the major health concerns.
The Risks to Workers Manufacturing Solar Panels
Fact is, fifty different cancer-causing chemicals are used to manufacture solar panels. Examples of these chemicals, include cadmium and arsenic. Without doubt, workers in the solar industry making and disposing solar panels are at highest risk for health issues.
The Risks You Face When Solar Panels Reach the End of Their Lifecycle
Here’s the thing — solar panels will reach the end of their lifecycle (after 15 to 25 years) and pile up in your local garbage dump, along with toxins leaking from them. How safe will your health be then?
Not enough research is available yet to know for sure but it’s a fact that the air you breathe, water you drink, the preservatives and pesticides in the food you eat — just to name a few — are already loaded with toxins. Even your body’s natural metabolism produces toxins.
Toxins are making you sick. Want proof?
Even the World Health Organization reported in June 2006 that almost one quarter of all diseases are a direct result of exposure to toxins. Evidence is mounting daily that your health is being compromised by the toxins, pollution and chemicals growing in the environment around you. So you probably don’t want the solar industry to become another source of toxins polluting the planet and increasing your body’s toxic burden, do you?
What is the Solar Panel Industry and Government Doing About it?
Obviously, solar panels are not the only culprit poisoning your world with toxins but it’s one of the many you should be aware of. Awareness is the first small step that will help you and I demand the solar industry and governments be held accountable.
So, how can the solar industry be more responsible?
For starters, they should responsibly dispose of toxic waste resulting from the manufacturing process and end of solar panel life disposal.
Secondly, safely handle toxic materials while manufacturing solar panels through standard guidelines and procedures.
After all, what good is using nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) to manufacture thin cell photovoltaics (a type of solar panel) if there’s a chance it could escape into the atmosphere undermining the benefits solar energy is supposed to offer in the fight against global warming?
By the way research results from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography indicate NF3 gas has 17,000 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide and is rapidly increasing in the atmosphere (historically from the electronics industry but the young growing solar industry may be the next tyrant involved).
Before getting too far off topic let me suggest another way the solar industry can be responsible. My final suggestion is to conduct research into safer materials that could be used in manufacturing. To be fair, some manufacturers have acknowledged the health and environmental issues associated with solar panels and are taking steps to become more responsible.
Of course, these are not the only answers. More research and discussion are needed to provide better solutions. Hopefully, this will surface as solar panel health and environment issues come into public consciousness.
As you can see, modern day solar panels have heath issues associated with them. In an ideal world, the clean energy produced by solar panels would come from solar panels that are “cleanly manufactured,” contain “clean materials,” and are “cleanly disposed” of at the end of their lifecycle. Obviously, there is a lot of room for improvement which you can view as a good thing. After all, there’s no question that we desperately need to change to clean renewable power for the world’s source of energy both for the world you live in and your health.
Side note 1: The idea for this article came to me after reading about a report released mid January 2009 by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition called “Toward a Just and Sustainable Solar Energy Industry”. I will be posting a few other articles here that sprung to mind after looking over the report.
Side note 2: You’ll be glad to know that your body has the natural ability to eliminate toxins that would make you sick if they accumulated in your body. I’ve placed a little more information about this on the right sidebar of this webpage if you would like to read more.
Thanks for reading and I hope you will leave your comments below.
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Tags: cancer, Health, NF3, nitrogen triflouride, pollution, renewable energy, solar energy, solar industry, solar panels, toxic materials, toxic substances, toxins
January 27th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Didn’t realize this, but I’m not surprised, just disappointed…
January 28th, 2009 at 12:49 am
Thanks Anne for your comments. Hopefully, as awareness grows of this issue measures will be taken to correct it so we can truely utilize solar panels that are safe. I have seen several companies that have already implemented recycle programs. They will actually pick up solar panels at the end of their lifecycle so they are properly recycled.
February 12th, 2009 at 1:31 am
Thank you for taking the time to inform people. I do agree disappointing but with knowledge we can make a difference.
February 26th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
This is exact and just one of the reasons our company recommends alternative energy production as a last resort for home and building owners.
Design simplicity is the key. We are happy to consult with people seeking true sustainability versus a product or LEED sales pitch.
mstadnyk2@sasktel.net
May 28th, 2009 at 7:56 am
I knew about solar being potentially toxic in production.. I had hoped newer technologies were better though.. /sigh/
Do you know any specifics about recycling solar PV panels? & which companies (if any) take them back worldwide? & exactly what they do with them then?
June 1st, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Layla these are good questions that I don’t have the answers too. Hopefully someone can comment here if they know information on this.
I’ll try to research this for a future blog post.
Thanks for commenting.
Eric
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:09 am
Hi, good post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting.
June 5th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Hi Eric!
Yes, it would be great to hear more - & it would be awesome to see a future blog post on this..!!
June 6th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Domestic Solar Power…
Can point me to other similar posts on water solar panels? Really appreciate it. Thanks….
June 8th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
TopDog…
I am So Lucky That I found your blog and great articles. I will come to your blog often for finding new great articles from your blog.I am adding your rss feed in my reader Thank you…
July 4th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Thanks to your comment on my recipe blog I found this rather interesting post. Kudos to you for sharing your knowledge.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
We need to put this into perspective: the toxins produced by solar panels during manufacture and at end of life are far less than the toxins produced by other power generation systems when the whole-of-life cradle-to-grave model is analysed.
But that doesn’t mean that we should ignore the toxin problems with the manufacture of solar panels.
The good news is that the majority of the solar industry is not only aware of the issues, they’re doing something about it: the industry is vastly cleaner than it was even five years ago.
Most of the claims against solar is against the crystaline cells. There are some real horror stories about the manufacture of some of these cells - especially in China and with some of the older production techniques - but there are also some very concientious companies who are doing their utmost to keep the technology as clean as possible.
And the good news is that everyone is moving towards these cleaner techniques. Why? Because that is how higher efficiencies are being perfected with solar generation. If you aren’t using the latest manufacturing techniques, quite simply you cannot be cost effective with producing solar cells. This means that the environmental impacts of solar cells are being driven down year on year.
Amorphous panels have a much lower impact on the environment than crystaline panels, both during manufacture and with end of life handling. They’re much simpler to manufacture (although the spraying techniques used by some factories have raised concerns). Again, the industry is cleaning up its act.
Well done on writing this article. What you’ve written had to be said, but at the same time I wouldn’t want to put people off installing their own solar systems - just be aware of where they are buying them from and ensuring they ask the right questions.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:10 am
Michael (Solar Book)
Thanks for your comments. It’s a pleasure to have an expert and solar power author’s opinion on the Renewable Energy Geek Blog!
My only concern is countries like China that have poor manufacturing regulations. But yes solar is not something people should be scared of. I feel it should be embraced.
The point of this post was to raise awareness and help encourage manufactures to change / improve their practices. Its excellent to know they are trying.
Once again thanks for the excellent information you provided. I hope you’ll come back soon.
Sincerely,
Eric Bonnici
October 4th, 2009 at 2:55 am
I was looking for more information as regard to solar panel production is hazardrous. I have heard a lots of complaints from workers and some strange illness suffered by factory workers in FirstSolar in Kulim Hi-Tech Park of Malaysia. I just wonder why there is no action taken against the company. And the worse one is another solar panel factory is planned to build just next to the existing one. Can some one provide more info so that the local government can use this to take proper action. Without proffesional reports, the local government has no ground to do anything.
Some body up there, pls help.
November 14th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
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ktLai, very sorry to hear this!!
(haven’t read this comment before!)
Have you managed to find something and take action yet?
There has been problematic solar panel production in China too - at least they talked to Western media, not sure what else they did?
Have you tried contacting Greenpeace or chej http://www.chej.org/ or maybe this organisation could help? http://www.ban.org/
Do you have any environmental organisations in Malaysia or some near country? What about any health safety for workers inspectors or office?
Please tell what the situation is.. Maybe we can find something more to help..
November 14th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
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Maybe this article and some links in it could be helpful too?
It’s mostly about recycling solar panels though.. http://seekingalpha.com/article/114902-report-recycling-programs-could-curb-solar-panel-toxicity (Chinese story is described here too - does the factory in Malaysia use same or similar technology or different?)
There are several ways how to make solar panels and the ingredients and it seems some technologies are more toxic..
November 14th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
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And this is the excellent article about the Chinese problem: Solar Energy Firms Leave Waste Behind in China http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/08/AR2008030802595.html
They mention some very problematic chemicals - are the same used in Malaysia?
And everyone buying or selling solar panels, please check where and how they are made and if they can be recycled!
May 10th, 2010 at 12:22 am
Hi,
Thanks for the blog, but I was wondering if you know if there is any health issues with having all those solar panels on your roof, is it like living under a power generator? Thank you in advance.
June 7th, 2010 at 7:54 am
hi
good work
@ ktLai..can i kno where u got tht info on first solar illness on factory workers?
July 17th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Infact,my house is about 10km away from the factory,the expansion of manufarturing is under construction ,total land area occupied is appoximately 70ha. Buildings are built like cubes and there is window.Some nearby residents are trying to gather more illness info and I will get those through someone especially who can provide evidence or victims to provide illness symtoms for your kind verification.
July 30th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
I would like to know which companies have the least toxic solar panels. Anyone, anyone?