What are the emissions that solar power gives off?

Question

What are the emissions that solar power gives off?

Answer 1

Solar energy is a pretty broad term, but I'll take a stab at answering this anyway.

Photoelectric power -- electricity generated by sunlight -- is emissions-free.

Solar heating -- using sunlight to heat water or warm an area -- can produce steam if the water is heated enough.  Water vapor is a greenhouse gas, btw, just not as potent as CO2 or methane.

All solar energy currently uses equipment that was manufactured by burning fossil fuels, however, so solar energy is not totally emissions-free yet.  Current photovoltaic cells are also quite inefficient compared to combustion, so they aren't cost effective yet when you consider the energy cost of making them.  When we can improve the efficiency of solar cells to the point where photoelectricity is cheaper than natural gas or coal, and when solar energy becomes sufficiently widespread that it is used to manufacture solar energy equipment, then solar power may truly be free of dangerous emissions.

Answer 2

explain.  what the heck are you talking about?

Answer 3

Solar power doesn't give of emissions.

However, during the production of solar panels, solar boilers etc, there could be emissions. How much and what kind differs for each kind of product and manufacturing process.

Answer 4

Heat.

Answer 5

Well, water vapor is a greenhouse gas, 35 to 70% of the greenhouse gases are water vapor, but solar thermal releases such a small amount of water vapor, its useless to even bring it up as an emission.  the main pollution in solar thermal is mapp gas to plumb copper.

Answer 6

None

Answer 7

it doesn't give off any.  None whatsoever.