More Pages:
- Solar Lights: What Would Be The Life Span Of Solar Panels In Space? (11/3/2011)
- Solar Energy: Does A Solar Electric (PV) System Consume More Energy To Manufacture Than It Will Produce In Its Lifetime? (8/15/2011)
- Solar Panel: Is A Solar Cell Net Energy Positive? (3/1/2012)
- Solar Energy: Solar Energy (thermal And Photo Voltaic) Differences Between The Conditions In North And South Europe? (9/4/2011)
- Solar Energy: Do Solar Panels In Space Produce More Energy Than Panels On Earth? (per Area) How Much More? (12/10/2011)
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Maybe because you mounted them in the basement?
It takes energy to refine the silicon or other raw materials for the panels, to manufacture the glass covering, the aluminum frame, wires, hardware, and to ship the panels to a location.
In the vast majority of cases, the solar panels will pay back their net energy, many times. For the case of crystalline silicon panels, the time to pay back the energy is estimated to be 4 years or less, and the panels last 25 years.
The exceptions would be places where having a standalone power source was more valuable than the energy cost of the panels. An example would be the Mars landers, or a tiny buoy meant to measure the level of the deep ocean over a period of a few years. It could also be true for a cabin that is in the far north, where solar panels won’t produce much, but are still better than trying to bring gasoline in to power a generator.