Making Solar Panels in China Takes Lots of Dirty Energy
Manufacturing solar panels can be a dirty business, from the mining of raw materials to the chemical-laced process of purifying silicon to the assembly of silicon wafers.
Solar energy is a renewable source, of course, but it’s essential to examine the full supply chain to gauge its total environmental impact. One potential concern is the use, containment, and disposal of toxic chemicals. Another is the energy-efficiency of the manufacturing process and the source of the energy used.
Researchers at Northwestern University and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory recently examined the solar panel production process in different locations and published their findings in the July issue of the journal Solar Energy. “We estimated that a solar panel’s carbon footprint is about twice as high when made in China and used in Europe, compared to those locally made and used in Europe,” says Fengqi You, a co-author of the paper and an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern. “While it might be an economically attractive option to move solar panel manufacturing from Europe to China, it is actually less sustainable from the life cycle energy and environmental perspective.”
The primary differences, the researchers found, are the less stringent enforcement of environmental regulations in China coupled with the country’s more coal-dependent power sector. “It takes a lot of energy to extract and process solar-grade silicon,” says co-author Seth Darling. “And in China, that energy tends to come from dirtier and less efficient energy sources than it does in Europe.”
SolarWorld applauds Commerce decision on imports of subsidized Chinese solar
Preliminary duties range up to 35.21 percent to offset improper Chinese government support of export drive; anti-dumping duties to be announced July 25
Oorja enters the African Telecoms market with pilot project funding from USTDA
United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) announced today that it has selected Oorja Protonics for conducting a feasibility study involving Oorja's Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC) for powering telecommunication towers in South Africa.
Statement from First Wind regarding EPA Rules about Carbon Emissions
We applaud the EPA for giving individual states several good options for making crucial pollution reductions.
Intersolar 2014 - AEG Power Solutions Will Showcase Products & Solutions for On- and Off-Grid Systems at Intersolar Europe 2014
AEG PS will present its MW-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) for short-term energy storage, designed to facilitate the transition to new ways of generating and distributing electricity.
First Solar to Acquire Technology Provider skytron-energy from AEG Power Solutions
With Increased Focus on Integrated Power Solutions, First Solar Expands in Europe
U.S. Military Veterans Graduate from the First All-Veteran Solar Training Course Sponsored by The Veteran Advantage and Ambassador Energy College in Southern California
The first all-veteran group of eight graduated on May 16, 2014, after spending five days in classroom and hands-on solar photovoltaic training. On the final day, the veterans took the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners' NABCEP Entry Level test.
Intersolar 2014 - SolarEdge Unveils Expanded Product Offering and Smart Energy Management Solution at Intersolar Europe
SolarEdge Technologies, a global leader in power optimizers, PV inverters, and module-level monitoring services, is unveiling an expanded product portfolio. On display for the first time during Intersolar Europe in Munich, SolarEdge will showcase its smart energy management solution which reduces electricity costs by maximizing self-consumption.
Geothermal Can Play a Significant Role in State Carbon Reduction Plans
The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) urges states to take advantage of the carbon emission reduction available through expanding geothermal power portfolios.
India's first CSP R&D center aimed at LCOE to be discussed at INDIASOL 2014
Ener-T and Indian Oil Corporation will be sharing their insights into the technical innovations being planned at the CSP R&D center under development in Jodhpur at the INDIASOL 2014 conference.
Intersolar 2014 - Bornay to appear at Intersolar Europe, the world's largest trade fair for the solar industry
The company will go to Munich from June 4th to 6 th to introduce its new catalog
INTERSOLAR EUROPE CONFERENCE 2014 GETS UNDERWAY
International solar experts discuss topics affecting the future of the industry at the Intersolar Europe Conference
Intersolar 2014 - Trojan Battery Showcases Smart CarbonT Line of Advanced Lead Acid Batteries at Intersolar Europe Smart Carbon Designed to Improve Battery Performance in Partial State of Charge
Trojan Battery, Co. LLC, will showcase its new lines of deep-cycle batteries featuring Smart CarbonT technology which addresses the impact of partial state of charge (PSOC) on cycling batteries in renewable energy (RE), inverter backup and remote telecom applications. Smart Carbon is designed to enhance life and performance of Trojan batteries operating in PSOC.
UniEnergy Technologies Announces Commercial Availability of Uni.System™ Grid-Scale Energy Storage System
Advanced vanadium flow battery provides containerized multi-megawatt "all in one" solution
SEIA: States Can Count on Solar to Help Meet New Regulations
As part of President Obama's Climate Action Plan, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed new regulations under the Clean Air Act to reduce carbon emissions from existing power plants, the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the United States, by 30 percent by 2030.
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