Find yourself wondering: Does air pollution make solar panels less effective?
Several environmental issues directly affect the development and uses of solar energy. One major issue is how much air pollution affects the performance of solar panels. It’s possible to switch to solar panels for less energy efficiency due to the amount of pollution in the region.
Here are points to remember when you check for pollution damage and positive energy from solar installations.
Recent Air Pollution Study
A study published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters in June 2017 revealed that atmospheric particles can potentially reduce solar energy production.
If pollutants land on solar panels they can hinder performance in converting sunlight to solar cells. Areas where large amounts of dust create a bad environment for solar panels include China, India and the Arabian Peninsula. The study found that air pollution can reduce solar impact by as much as 25 percent.
The researchers sampled and analyzed grime from solar panels and found that 92 percent was dust while the rest comprised carbon and ion pollutants from human activity. Particles from human activity have more of a solar impact than natural dust.
Loss of Value from Solar Inefficiency
In certain parts of China where air pollution is heavy, human-made particles reduce solar energy’s output, which can translate into tens of billions of dollars in losses per year for large companies. China is the world’s leading producer of solar power, as it became the first nation to exceed 100 gigawatts of PV capacity in 2017. It is also the world’s biggest producer of solar panels. China has made a significant solar impact on the global economy for over a decade.
Losses from haze-driven attenuation in India are not as much, around $20 million annually. This haze can be driven by forest fires and unusual wind patterns, an in the case with Singapore. Meanwhile, in the United States losses from solar inefficiency due to pollution may be closer to $9 million or less, according to an MIT study.
Solar Power Advantage
Large solar panels are useful on large structures such as airports, stadiums and parking lots. Many tech companies are building data centers while manufacturing plants are building facilities driven by renewable energy. Solar energy pros are populating the landscape as communities are working together to focus on air and energy concerns. Eventually the cost for delivering solar energy will rival that of coal, which is China’s goal before 2030.
What Is Solar Doing to Reduce Emissions?
The study showed that certain types of solar cells are more affected by haze than others. The types most diminished by haze include gallium arsenide, cadmium telluride and perovskite cells.
While fossil fuel emissions still threaten to increase global warming of the oceans,
solar emissions are zero. Even though pollutants can reduce the output of solar energy, solar panels still contribute to cleaner air quality compared with burning fossil fuel or natural gas. State governments can help clean the environment by banning toxic chemicals and encouraging recycling.
Aiming for Positive Energy Solar Efficiency
When solar panels cannot be utilized as much in the winter, it’s important to pay attention to your energy bills, whether the energy originates from natural gas or other sources.
Investing in solar panels for less monthly expenses has helped many companies and residents keep energy bills under control. If you are looking to tackle environmental issues while cutting energy costs, you are positioning yourself more as part of the solution than the problem.
While solar emissions are not a problem, consumers of solar energy expect it to provide a visible return on investment. Except in the winter, solar energy is supposed to help people save money on electricity.
In the Long Run Solar Cleans the Environment
The multiple uses of solar energy can have a dramatic impact on cutting greenhouse gases the more it is implemented as an energy solution around the world. Not only does being eco-friendly spread positive energy, solar has the power to bring small communities together, eliminating the need for long power lines. Long power lines can start fires and kill wildlife, whereas small or large solar panels deliver energy in a safe and more economical way.
Solar energy pros are routinely redefining what is solar on a daily basis. The solar power advantage of the 21st century has mainly been based on utilities investing in panels to deliver cheaper and cleaner energy to customers. Even in a bad environment where the quality of air and energy are not favorable to the consumer, solar provides cleaner energy at a lower cost than using traditional energy sources.
People working toward a greener planet are spreading the word about how toxic chemicals are contributing to a bad environment. They warn about about how fossil fuel emissions lead to global warming and high energy bills. The solutions to a greener future are no longer a mystery and more a matter of educating society about recycling and conserving energy, especially if the utility draws from natural gas.
Conclusion
Despite the diminishing effects human-made pollutants may have on PV solar panels, solar technology is rapidly improving and is on pace to become the most economically efficient energy source in a matter of years. The positive energy solar movement has paved a path toward cleaner air regardless of how pollution affects solar productivity.