#50

Do I report what I’ve learned about solar PVs—
or live with it, privately?

by Katie Singer  

Years ago, I told an engineer that I want to cause minimal ecological harm. This man knew that I had my own car, refrigerator, washing machine, phone, Internet access and electricity available 24/7. He took a deep breath and explained to me that every manufactured item requires multiple processes from the extractive, energy-guzzling, water-guzzling, toxic waste-emitting global super-factory. He connected my material goods with ecological degradation—the degradation I want reduced.

I started living with questions: Do I aim to reduce ecological damage worldwide—or just my household’s toxic emissions? Do I prefer decreased energy bills—or healthier international ecosystems? Who defines “green,” “clean, “carbon-neutral,” “zero-emitting” and “sustainable?” Before mandating ways to live within my ecological means, what should I know about manufacturing, infrastructure and waste?

I started applying these questions to computers, Internet access, “renewable” energy systems and electric vehicles. While I’ve learned plenty, with our society’s embrace of all things tech—including, in this case, solar photovoltaics (PVs)—I wonder how we can use this information constructively. May these questions and resources move us all toward minimizing our ecological harm—including individuals and municipalities that have invested in solar PVs.

Manufacturing

Mass produced goods consume most of their lifetime energy use and generate most of their hazardous waste during manufacturing. For example, a laptop consumes 81% of its lifetime energy before its end-user turns it on for the first time.1 Assessments of any product’s ecological impacts should therefore include its manufacturing (design, mining, smelting, chemicals, energy use, water use, GHGs, toxic waste, transport of raw materials, assembly, final shipping)—and its operation and discard or recycling.

You know those white squares under a solar panel’s glass? They’re made from silicon—unavailable in nature in pure form. Manufacturing solar panels’ silicon requires a handful of energy-intensive, toxic waste-emitting processes.2 First, pure quartz gravel, pure carbon (i.e., Tar Sands’ petroleum coke) and wood are transported to a smelter kept at 3000° Fahrenheit (1649° Celsius) for years at a time. Since smelters can explode if delivery of electricity to them is interrupted, neither solar nor wind (which provide only intermittent power) can fuel a smelter.3 Typically, smelters and refineries are powered by natural gas, coal and/or nuclear power. To produce 20,000 tons of polysilicon, one smelter (of several refineries) consumes enough power as 300,000 homes.4

To increase solar panels’ durability, dirt-repellency and energy production, manufacturers coat panels with per and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFAs).5-9 Exposure to these “forever” chemicals (“forever” because we don’t know how to clear them from our bodies or soil) can harm human health. Do cracked solar panels leak PFAs?10,11 Should people avoid vegetables grown near solar PVs?

Transporting solar PVs’ raw materials to smelters and assembly plants—and final products to consumers—requires cargo ships that use highly polluting bunker fuel,12 GHG-emitting planes, trucks and trains. Imagine, also, manufacturing each of these great vehicles.

Operation 

In the U.S. on sunny days, solar PVs collect their best sunlight between about 11am and 3pm. On cloudy days, they produce 10-25% of sunny-day energy. Meanwhile, household electricity demands peak a few hours later, at dinnertime. Solar generators wanting electricity 24/7 therefore need backup power.

About 90% of rooftop solar generators rely on their utility’s fossil fuels, hydro or nuclear power for backup.13 The batteries that store off-grid solar systems’ energy come from mining lithium, cobalt and copper and from chemicals. The manufacturing processes harm nearby ecosystems and violate human rights. Plus, batteries cannot provide the kind of reliable power that coal and natural gas deliver. Outfitting the U.S. with 12 hours of battery storage would cost more than $2.5 trillion.14 Our expectations of electricity do not match up with what solar PVs can deliver.

When rooftop solar generators send power to the grid, they affect the utility’s available reserves of power. Utilities must maintain load balancing to keep delivery of electricity safe and reliable. Because of the electricity generated by solar PVs (that stay grid-connected, not off-grid with battery backup), utilities now ask e-vehicle owners to charge during the day—and consume solar-generated power—and keep the utility from power surges. They also may pay other utilities to take their reserves.15 In other words, we’ve added complexity to our power grid. We may not have added reliability. (Just look at all the blackouts.)

Then, all electrical equipment poses fire hazards. When utility-scale battery energy storage systems catch fire, nearby residents cannot open their windows, leave their homes or run ventilation systems until the EPA determines that toxins have cleared.16 On fields with dry vegetation, rodents chewing soy-based PVC can expose wires and cause arcing. When panels catch fire on a sunny day, firefighters cannot de-energize them.17 On a roof (with possibly flammable materials), solar panels increase electrical connections—and fire hazards.

End-of-life waste

End-of-life solar PV waste does not biodegrade.18 By 2050, we could acquire 78 million metric tons of solar panel waste.19,20 Besides PFAs, solar panels typically contain lead, polyvinyl fluoride, cadmium, cadmium telluride, copper indium gallium diselenide—and more. To prevent toxins from leaching into soil, panels should not be disposed of in regular landfills.21,22

Recycling solar panels—separating materials for re-use—is energy-consuming and expensive. When a utility-scale solar array stops generating profits, its corporation can replace its equipment or go bankrupt. If it goes bankrupt, its county might have to contend with hundreds of acres of hazardous waste. Before your county permits a utility-scale solar array, require the corporation to post a bond—in the event that it files for bankruptcy.

Other key issues

The United Nations’ Environmental Program’s reports that countries heavily invested in “green” technologies rank environmentally sustainable on the UN’s index.23 China, the Democratic Republic of Congo and India—where ores are mined and smelted, manufacturers make chemicals, e-waste is discarded—rank unsustainable because they generate CO2, toxic waste and worker hazards. Would production and consumption change if we calculated manufactured goods’ ecological impacts from cradle-to-grave?

During manufacturing and to clear dirt from installed panels, solar PVs guzzle water. To make way for a utility-scale solar array, corporations may cut down thousands of carbon-sequestering trees.24 Solar arrays disturb the land’s ability to absorb and store water, nourish microbial and plant life.

China controls 70% of the rare-earth market. Dependence on it creates geo-political conflicts.25 Demand for copper—used in solar panel wiring, cables and inverters—could exceed supply by 2025.26

New thinking

Consider that wildlife habitat loss, climate change and social injustice are consequences of overshoot and over-consumption—including production of “green” technologies. Without manufacturing more, new industrially-produced goods, how could we reduce ecological impacts?

Before you purchase a new device—or solar PV system—research the supply chain of one of its substances.27

Abide by the principle that no technology is safe or ecologically sound until licensed subject-matter experts certify safety and soundness from design-to-discard.

Define and monitor use of terms like “sustainable,” “renewable” and “green”—currently just marketing words. Enact laws like France’s 2022 decree prohibiting corporations from calling products “carbon neutral” without cradle-to-grave proof.28

Energy and waste are worldwide issues. To keep electricity available 24/7—including during (demanding) summer months, let’s ask, “What’s essential? What’s a luxury?” and study ways to reduce air conditioning needs (for example) by painting rooftops with reflective paint.

Dry clothes in the sun…rather than an electric dryer powered by solar PVs.

Start reducing energy use by 3% per month—and share what you learn.

Create a neighborhood forum for questions and discussions dedicated to living within our ecological means.

RESOURCES

For a hard-to-find image of solar panel waste, see this solar array decimated by a storm? in Puerto Rico:  https://stopthesethings.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/pueutrto-rico.jpg

Citizens for Responsible Solar: https://www.citizensforresponsiblesolar.org/

Documentaries: Jeff Gibbs and Michael Moore’s “Planet of the Humans;” Julia Barnes’ “Bright Green Lies;” and Jean-Louis Perez and Guillaume Pitron’s “The Price of Green Energy.”

For a Virginia commission’s conditions for a solar facility (with no battery storage), see their model ordinance at: https://tinyurl.com/5n7ucrn8

Jensen, Derrick, Lierre Keith and Max Wilbert, Bright Green Lies: How the Environmental Movement Lost Its Way and What We Can Do About It, Monkfish, 2021.

Kisela, Rachel, “California went big on rooftop solar. Now that’s a problem for landfills,” LA Times, July 14, 2022. https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-07-14/california-rooftop-solar-pv-panels-recycling-danger

https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2021/10/how-to-build-a-low-tech-solar-panel.html

Owen, David, The Conundrum: How Scientific Innovation, Increased Efficiency, and Good Intentions Can Make Our Energy and Climate Problems Worse, Riverhead, 2011.

Rehbein, Jose A., et al., “Renewable energy development threatens many globally important biodiversity areas,” Global Change Biology, 4 March, 2020.

Smith, Olivia, “The dark side of the sun: avoiding conflict over solar energy’s land and water demands,” New Security Beat, 10.2.18. https://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2018/10/dark-side-sun-avoiding-conflict-solar-energys-land-water-demands/

REFERENCES

  1. https://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/environment/your-phone-costs-energyeven-before-you-turn-it-on
  2. Troszak, Thomas, “Why Do We Burn Coal and Trees for Solar Panels?” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335083312_Why_do_we_burn_coal_and_trees_to_make_solar_panels
  3. Troszak, Thomas, “The hidden costs of solar photovoltaic power,” NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence, No. 16., Nov. 2021. https://www.enseccoe.org/data/public/uploads/2021/11/d1_energy-highlights-no.16.pdf
  4. Bruns, Adam, “Wacker Completes Dynamic Trio of Billion-Dollar Projects in Tennessee: ‘Project Bond’ cements the state’s clean energy leadership,” 2009, www.siteselection.com
  5. Rojello Fernandez, Seth, C. Kwiatkowski, T. Bruton, “Building a Better World: Eliminating Unnecessary PFAS in Building Materials,” Green Science Policy Institute, 2021. https://greensciencepolicy.org/docs/pfas-building-materials-2021.pdf
  6. AiT Technology. (2015). Transparent Encapsulating PVDF Front Sheet – AI Technology, Inc. AiT Technology.
    https://www.aitechnology.com/products/solar/transparent-pvdf-encapsulating-front-sheet/?s=
  7. Terreau, C., De, J., & Jenkins, S. (2014). Encapsulation of solar cells (USPTO Patent). Google Patents.
    https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/80/c1/43/c47454f302f6d6/US8847063.pdf
  8. Daikin. (2020a). Chemical Products UNIDYNE Repellents and Surface Modifiers Daikin America. Daikin America.
    https://daikin-america.com/surface-modification-technology/#zeff. Link.
  9. Daikin. (2020b). Renewable Green Energy Zero-Energy Fluoropolymers. Daikin America. https://daikin-america.com/renewable-energy/
  10. http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/DesertSunlight.html
  11. http://www.businessnorth.com/daily_briefing/storm-damages-minnesota-power-solar-power-plant/article_a7f34d54-75fb-11e6-89fe-53abb52280c3.html
  12. https://www.wired.com/story/container-ships-use-super-dirty-fuel-that-needs-to-change/
  13. https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=54939
  14. https://emp.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/3_tracking_the_sun_2022_summary_brief.pdf https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/07/27/141282/the-25-trillion-reason-we-cant-rely-on-batteries-to-clean-up-the-grid/
  15. Penn, Ivan, “California invested heavily in solar power. Now there’s so much that other states are sometimes paid to take it,” LA Times, June 22, 2017. https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-fi-electricity-solar/
  16. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-20/tesla-battery-fire-at-pg-e-facility-closes-california-road?leadSource=uverify%20wall
  17. Piantedosi, Matt and Tony Granato, “Solar PV Fire Safety Training,” U.S. Dept. of Energy SunShot Initiative Rooftop Solar Challenge II. https://www.cesa.org/wp-content/uploads/CESA-PV-Fire-Safety-Training-Slides.pdf
  18. Klinger, PhD, Julie Michelle, “Environmental Footprints of Rare Earth Mining Past and Present,” Center for the Sustainable Separation of Metals, Feb. 22, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGQeXrkCqM0
  19. https://www.irena.org/publications/2016/Jun/End-of-life-management-Solar-Photovoltaic-Panels
  20. Atasu, Atalay, et al., “The Dark Side of Solar Power,” Harvard Business Review, June 18, 2021. https://hbr.org/2021/06/the-dark-side-of-solar-power
  21. https://www.re-plus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/N253_9-14-1530.pdf
  22. Kisela, Rachel, “California went big on rooftop solar. Now that’s a problem for landfills, LA Times, July 14, 2022. https://darik.news/california/californias-growing-solar-panel-waste-poses-environmental-risk-due-to-lack-of-safe-disposal-options-affect-your-world-today/657021.html
  23. Jason Hickel, “The World’s Sustainable Development Goals Aren’t Sustainable,” Sept. 30, 2020. https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/09/30/the-worlds-sustainable-development-goals-arent-sustainable/ Global Material Flows and Resource Productivity: Assessment Report for the UNEP International Resource Panel, 2016. https://www.resourcepanel.org/reports/global-material-flows-and-resource-productivity-database-link
  24. https://www.citizensforresponsiblesolar.org/
  25. https://smallcaps.com.au/rare-earth-stocks-asx/ultimate-guide/ Cullinane, Danica, “Rare earth stocks on the ASX: The Ultimate Guide,” September 11, 2019.
  26. https://www.mining.com/the-looming-copper-crunch-and-why-recycling-cant-fix-it/
  27. https://katiesinger.substack.com/p/digital-enlightenment-an-invitation
  28. https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000045570611

Katie Singer writes about the energy, extractions, toxic waste and greenhouse gases involved in manufacturing computers, telecom infrastructure, electric vehicles and other electronic technologies. She believes that if she’s not aware that she’s part of the problem, then she can’t be part of the solution. She dreams that every smartphone user learns about the supply chain of one substance (of 1000+) in a smartphone. Her most recent book is An Electronic Silent Spring. She currently writes about nature, democracy and technology for Meer.com. Visit www.OurWeb.tech and www.ElectronicSilentSpring.com.