Fossil Fuel Used In Manufacturing Solar Panels

The metal train cars and the metal railroad tracks that are used to truck that coal by rail that runs across the country from wyoming to fuel the coal plant in pennsylvania all those things made of metal take energy to make.

Fossil fuel used in manufacturing solar panels.

Unlike energy from fossil fuels such as oil coal and gas the generation of electricity by so called photovoltaic pv panels does not release planet harming carbon dioxide. In comparison while making equipment for solar systems may involve fossil fuels once the solar system is in place and working there are no emissions. Fossil fuels are more energy dense than solar power. Although manufacturing solar panels utilize fossil fuels the overall gain is greater than using fossil fuels alone because less is needed and all other powering thereafter is done by capturing the sun s energy.

The cost of solar pv is now at 10 per kilowatt hour versus electricity from fossil fuels that typically is between 05 and 17 per kilowatt hour. Solar energy is a clean energy. Solar panels have little metal edges around the panels. Again when solar panels produce electricity they do not release greenhouse gases but the process of manufacturing transportation installation and disposing of solar panels does.

How is solar energy harnessed. However studies have shown that after about 3 years of use solar panels produce as much energy as was used throughout their production and installation process. To further refine the oil more machinery is needed. This polluting cycle is continuous yet fossil fuel abundance is not.

Even more importantly as long as the sun shines there is endless energy to harness. Anything made of metal takes lots of energy to make. But the process of making the various components requires fossil fuels both for power and for the components themselves some of which are based on petroleum.