Will the energy used to manufacture a solar panel counteract the environmental benefits of having solar?
While we know installing a solar PV system provides a home with substantial financial benefits and lowers your household carbon emissions, there are still pessimists out there who question the energy payback period and pollution associated with manufacturing solar panels.
In the early days of solar PV, solar panels were a lot less efficient, meaning the energy payback periods were longer, however, these days as technology has advanced the expected energy payback time for a solar panel has decreased to 1-4 years.
As a solar panel’s life expectancy is estimated at 25 years, it’s safe to say the environmental benefits over the solar panel’s lifespan will outweigh any pollution that occurs during the manufacturing process.
Based on recent reports by NREL and Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) the 1-4-year payback period can vary per type of panel, it’s efficiency and the geographical location that the solar PV system is installed.
“In Australia, the International Energy Agency calculated the energy payback period for a solar power system to be under two years. This means a solar power system takes less than two years to generate enough energy to break even on the amount of energy taken to manufacture it.†Cleantechnica
Eventually, the manufacturing of solar panels will be able to be done via renewable energy making the energy payback period irrelevant.
Discover even more benefits with solar power
Lowering your household carbon emissions is just one of the advantages of installing solar power at your home. On top of this you can;
- Reduce your electricity bills and have less reliance on energy retailers by generating your own FREE energy
- Increase your property value, making it more desirable in the real estate market
- Protect yourself from rising electricity rates and more!
Get closer to enjoying these benefits by receiving obligation free solar quotes from local installers and compare solar system prices to get the best deal.
