I know I’ve read this in an article somewhere, but I can’t for the life of me find it again…
When a new solar panel is manufactured, the materials must first be mined, refined, assembled into components, transported to a factory, and combined to make the final product. This all requires energy, the vast majority of which comes from fossil fuels. How much CO2 (on average) does this process release into the atmosphere?
My real interest is in how much CO2 would be released if the the U.S. replaced all non-transportation energy supplies with solar power simultaneously, but the answer to my first question is a good start.
More Pages:
- Earth Science – PLEASE HELP?
- Solar Energy: I Need As Much Information About Solar Energy Possible. Can You Give Me Some Information And Some Source Links (5/16/2011)
- Solar Producer: Is Solar Energy Really Green? ***A Must Read***? (5/19/2011)
- Solar Turbines: Are Solar Panels And Wind Turbines Really Manufactured From Oil? (5/17/2011)
- Solar Producer: Is Solar Really Green Energy? ***a Must Read***? (5/17/2011)
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From here http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/35489.pdf I get that 1 kW of panels needs 4000 – 6000 kWh of energy for its manufacture and distribution. The article suggests an energy payback time of 1-4 years, but the article is old, and contemporary panels are more efficient in their use of materials.
The equivalent in CO2 depends where that energy came from in the first place. If it was from a nuclear or hydroelectric plant, then the CO2 is nil. If it was from a coal-burning plant, figure 1.5 lbs. of CO2 per kWh