What are some environmental problems that was caused by solar energy?

Question

solar energy/....

Answer 1

It is true that solar electric panels consume energy in their manufacture, but it's been estimated that they pay back the energy cost of their manufacture and distribution in the first 4 years - possibly as little as 1 year for some thin-film technologies.  Panels are generally expected to last 20 to 25 years.

How much carbon dioxide is put into the atmosphere by panel manufacture depends on where the manufacturing energy came from.  If it was from a coal-fired plant, a lot.  If it was from nuclear or hydro, very little.

Some thin-film technologies rely on materials that would be toxic if they escaped into the environment, for example, Cadmium.  Not all thin-film technologies use toxic metals, though, and traditional silicon panels are made from an abundant, relatively benign substance.  It's no more hazardous than glass manufacturing.

Answer 2

poisonous chemicals used in manufacture leech into groundwater

mining operations to recover raw materials destroys vast areas of earth

transportation of raw materials consumes huge amounts of fuel

manufacture of solar panels consumes huge amounts of energy

implementation of solar panels on a large scale creates shadows in which plant life cannot exist

storage/disposal of defective solar panels allows poisonous chemicals to leech into groundwater

EDIT:

Another poster has raised the issue of solar panel color, which is black.

Such black panels covering a large enough area could conceivably _actually_ cause some anthropogenic global warming.

Answer 3

They are few and far between.

the manufacturing process of solar cells is probably the closest thing you can find to environmental problems.....this really isnt a big deal but most industrial processes like this one do have some kind of waste or excessive energy use....

Otherwise, the grids themselves are permitted under state and federal law as to not increase impervious surfaces or be in specific habitats that will harm the environment so the arrays themselves do not cause any harm...

If anythign the wires that connects the array to the grid might need to be underground thus desturbing the area temporarily.  

As you can see there isnt much problem ehre.

Answer 4

Manufacturing solar panels is probably the biggest flaw.  They aren't cheap (relatively speaking) and require large surfaces to opperate.  

I may be very wrong here, but I could see it becoming a problem if the entire earth was covered witht hem.  They are black!  They absorb a lot of heat with out reflecting it back out of atmosphere.  If the earth was black, I'm sure it would be a lot warmer than it is now.  I don't think there would ever be enough for that to be an issue though.

:)