Hopefully, it will encourage whi

2021/05/21

Hopefully, it will encourage whingers to whine about something unimportant, such as their favourite Pokemon not getting enough respect or how people laugh at them when they insist yellow is a flavour1. Fabricating the panels requires caustic chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid, and the process uses water as well as electricity, the production of which emits greenhouse gases. This summer, adventure is never far away with Nat Geo Premium with Disney+. After Ive done that, Ill point out how we can recycle far more of the material use by wind and solar power generation than fossil fuels. Why do you need to switch from solar to grid? if I take the estimates for batteries above and compare them to gas in a graph, I get this: While these are only estimates, I think its clear using batteries to store renewable energy will result in far fewer emissions, less material use, and mining than even efficient natural gas generation. At the moment baseload demand in Queensland usually occurs at around 3:30 am, but sometimes occurs during the day. But a new analysis finds that even accounting for all the energy and waste involved, PV power would cut air pollutionincluding the greenhouse gases that cause climate changeby nearly 90 percent if it replaced fossil fuels. Open cut spoil dumps often spontaneously ignite, producing all sorts of nasties, which are not measured. In the case of Australia, a large percentage of the land area is effectively untouched & unoccupied, so if it produces any net emissions at all, the amount is no different than it has been for eons. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'ecowut_com-banner-1','ezslot_3',106,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-ecowut_com-banner-1-0')}; Moreover, most types of solar panels consist of components made from crystalline silicon. The protective backing and back-sheets around solar panels are also made from plastic polymers which are derived a non-renewable fossil fuel (petroleum). I am happy to go through any figures in the article with you so you can be certain they are at least reasonably correct. And even the most energy-intensive to producemonocrystalline silicate cells with the highest energy conversion efficiency of 14 percentemit just 55 grams (1.9 ounces) of globe warming pollution per kilowatt-houra fraction of the near one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of greenhouse gases emitted by a coal-fired power plant per kilowatt-hour. Here in Queensland we are having long periods of overcast weather which requires me switching from solar to grid power from time to time. And, as Fthenakis and colleagues argued in a recent article in Scientific American, if storage technologies such as compressed air improve, then PV could provide the majority of electricity needs in the U.S. "With storage," Fthenakis says, "it is feasible to go to 100 percent. The Big Apple has a rich and storied maritime history. Most of a wind turbine can currently be profitably recycled, apart from its blades, which are fibreglass or carbon fibre, and its concrete foundations. "It is a very complicated problem. But this may be countered by Australian homes not lasting as long as they do in Europe, which may shorten the average system lifespan here. Why Are renewable resources becoming more popular? to produce energy in a particular form. The numbers available on the environmental impact of solar panel manufacturing in China are "quite different from those in the U.S. or in Europe," said Fengqi You, assistant professor of engineering at Northwestern University and a co-author of the May study. Underground coal mines typically produce waste weighing about 50% of the coal produced, open-cut mines often 2x. Plant Based Food? This ignores the material in the equipment required to extract raw materials, manufacture solar hardware, ship it to Australia and install it on roofs. With a 30% efficient gas generator, it would require 224 grams. Environmental engineer Vasilis Fthenakis, a senior scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y., and his colleagues examined the four most common types of PV cells: multicrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon, ribbon silicon and thin-film. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Nearly every step in the manufacturing of solar panels requires fossil fuels. This entire process does not use fossil fuels at any point. If they're made in China, they may have a long carbon trail to work off. This kind of error can really only be made by people trying to mislead or deceive people or who are regrettably nuttier than a squirrels lunch. None of the figures Ive given above considers how recycling can reduce emissions, mining, and processing of resources. Chinese manufacturer Trina scored best, followed by California-based SunPower. When sunlight hits this junction, the photon can knock an electron free and leaves behind a hole. Scientists continued to work and build on Ohls discovery, and in 1954, Bell Labs unveiled the first modern solar cell.

Lifecycle emissions from an open cycle gas turbine with 30% efficiency would be around 720 grams per kilowatt-hour. Please be respectful of copyright. These include: The upfront cost of installing a solar system can be somewhat expensive. At the moment, solar panels themselves, after theyve been stripped of their frames arent profitable to recycle. If you are in the solar industry - try to get to the truth, not the sale.5. Tigers have nearly tripled in Nepal, but at what cost? Because winds lifecycle emissions are lower than solars, it may appear much better for cutting emissions. The lifespan of a solar panel depends on several factors, but on average, you should expect your solar panel to last for at least 25 years or even more. But materials used to make solar and wind generating capacity are more complex and may require considerably more mining in total per gram of finished material. Venice's plan to save the city may also destroy its fragile lagoons, How one photographer and his farm survived Portugals wildfires, Life, both big and small, returns to NYCs 500 miles of coastline, How the 'wickedest city on Earth' was sunk by an earthquake. Its straightforward to determine direct emissions from a natural gas power station. Born and raised in Silicon Valley, he remembers when Apple's headquarters was mostly apricots. Fixed mounts keep the panels in place, but track mounts that follow the sun throughout the day are also available, although usually more expensive. Can it be saved? Wait until they hear about the 12 million tons of coal ash dumped every year, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-10/coal-ash-has-become-one-of-australias-biggest-waste-problems/10886866.

While monosilicon requires more energy to make, its is more efficient and this reduces the amount of other materials required. If orange can be a flavour, why not yellow? China generated under 5% of its electricity from nuclear in 2020 while Australias emissions per capita were 240% higher. Theyre made of two types of semiconductors: a positive (p-type) and a negative (n-type) silicon layers.

Im not sure how much material must be mined to create one kilowatt-hour of battery storage, but Ill lean on the safe side and say its ten times as much as my material estimate and use 200 kg per kilowatt-hour. But there is optimism that as the industry matures, solar companies will adopt stronger sustainability measures. Australia added 1.3 GW of new wind and 4.7GW of solar in 2021 The report gives the following lifecycle CO2 emissions in grams per kilowatt-hour generated for Europe: These figures are for polysilicon, which requires less energy to produce than the monosilicon panels that mostly go on Australian roofs. solar photovoltaic panels 3d clipart illustration royalty windmills reflecting power background windmill poster outlined collecting energy bursting mheld silhouetted horses That comes to 0.2 grams of material per kilowatt-hour. Inverters change the DC electricity from solar panels into usable AC electricity. If the space available is not big enough, you may have to downsize your solar system. The average efficiency of Australian coal power stations is roughly 33%. While metals in a scrapped fossil fuel power station can be recycled and a tiny portion of coal ash is used by the cement industry, almost all the material used to generate fossil fuel electricity goes up in smoke. Assuming it needs an inverter replacement in that time, that only adds around an extra 0.01 grams. A2016 study reportsthat the overall emissions produced decreased by 17 to 24 percent every time install capacity has doubled in the last 40 years. China dominates the world in terms of solar panel manufacturing and uses a lot of electricity in the process. A common whinger mistake/tactic is to compare resources required to build a solar farm with fossil fuel generation and then act as though thats some disaster, while ignoring that 99% of emissions and mining for coal come after the power station is complete. And. https://www.wsj.com/articles/behind-the-rise-of-u-s-solar-power-a-mountain-of-chinese-coal-11627734770. But rather than make things complex, Ill take a straightforward approach and only consider materials that are either refined after extraction or used as fuel. But as solar panel manufacturing becomes more efficient, its carbon footprint has been shrinking significantly. So always be sure to practice proper truth hygiene on the internet3. Besides, you have the option to choose between buying using a loan or leasing the solar system. But if the whingers truly care about the amount of mining and resources required to generate energy, they should be jumping for joy wind and solar power require far less per kilowatt-hour generated than fossil fuels. The efficiency of solar panels decreases with age and the panels may degrade because of temperature changes, increased humidity, and bad weather.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'ecowut_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_8',114,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-ecowut_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0')}; Solar energy might be the preferred source of renewable energy. As coal power station close, the generation profile for Queensland will change to look more like it currently does in WA, but with battery storage playing the role of gas because it now beats it on price.

In Europe recent regulations mandate the reduction and proper disposal of hazardous electronic waste. Include resources consumed by fossil fuel power stations when theyre in operation. The solar cells collect the suns energy and turn it into direct current (DC) electricity. If its 50% efficient, it will release 356 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour. Far be it from me to level any insults of my own, despite the number of heroic assumptions included in your answer and your apparent inability to proofread, which casts serious doubt on your calculations and statements. This is far more damaging to health than solar and wind power, which require under half a gram of material per kilowatt-hour generated. But rough estimates can be made. One figure I have from Europe, where coal mining is heavily electrified, says extraction results in the equivalent of 120 grams of CO2 emissions. Then Ill give a rough estimate of the amount of materials they need and then an even rougher estimate of the amount of mining required. While better than coal, even a 50% efficient gas power station requires over 160 times as much material as solar and 670 times as much as wind. Todays solar systems are capable of storing enough electricity to power a home throughout the night. Ive already shown the drawbacks of fossil fuels compared to solar power: So all I need to do to show the combination of solar + wind + batteries is clearly superior to fossil fuels is show batteries result in less emissions and consume less resources than gas generation. Not all the black coal Australia burns has that high an energy content, while 35% of Australias coal generation is from Victorian brown coal and this only provides about 8.9 megajoules of thermal energy per kilogram. If one kilowatt-hour of battery capacity supplies a total of 3,000 kilowatt-hours of stored energy in its lifetime, that comes to 25 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour supplied. Horrific summer travels? : Does the follow-up work? Next, theres the inverter. Aside from the production process, solar systems may use fossil fuels indirectly through the transportation of materials and the onsite deployment of solar panels. Many manufacturers back their solar systems with a warranty of 25 years, meaning they expect the solar panels to last for at least this period. While the n-type silicon layer has extra electrons which can move around relatively freely, the p-type layer has electron vacancies referred to as holes. Solar power remains one of the cleanest and most sustainable types of renewable energy. How to see Stonehenge: Everything you need to know. Age-old secrets revealed from the first metropolises, New law in Spain could help families in their search for relatives, How we went from hunter-gatherers to monument builders, How multiple COVID-19 infections can harm the body, Inside the hunt for mysterious twilight asteroids, Debate deepens over Wuhan market's role in the pandemic, 'Lost' treasure trove of fossils rediscovered after 70 years, How a satellite found a tiny islandand made Canada a bit bigger, How you should dispose of unused or expired medications, Menorcas houses of the dead reveal these ancient secrets. Hopefully, this will soon change as processes improve. For 50% efficient gas generation, it would come to over 50 times as much for solar and 130 times as much for wind. If we put the estimates of lifecycle emissions into a graph, it looks like this: This makes the lifecycle emissions from coal generation 37 times higher than solar energy and 110 times higher than wind generation. But again, to be on the safe side, Ill use a round figure of 10 grams per kilowatt-hour. Theyre worth money. Fossil fuels are only used during the production of solar panels and not during the generation of electricity. The inverter will convert the electricity generated from Direct Current (DC) to Alternating Current (AC), making it usable in our homes and businesses. A new ranking of 37 solar manufacturers, the Solar Scorecard, shows that some companies are doing better than others. Ill assume stationary battery storage is over three times that at 20 kg per kilowatt-hour. While some of my estimates are rough, its still obvious when it comes to emissions, materials and mining, wind and solar power are far superior to Australian coal generation: While gas burned at 50% efficiency isnt as bad as coal, its still horrible compared to solar and wind: The results are so extreme I hope that even DaveMySpace can see it makes no sense to complain about the materials or mining required for solar and wind energy generation. Renewable generation grew by about 18% in 2021 The situation for tonnes of materials mined is roughly similar. If its included, it results in a huge increase in mining required. Much of a solar system can also be profitably recycled. Now I have said it. For this reason, the figure for both types of solar panels should be similar. Solar energy is far much cleaner than fossil fuels. Im not convinced that comparisons of emissions solely on a per capita basis is the most realistic approach. The actual amount will be greater than this due to diesel and other materials consumed by coal mining, but the figure for coal alone is more than large enough to make my point. As rooftop solar expands it will regularly occur during the day thanks to it reducing demand for grid electricity. Problem is aluminium is frozen electricity and cannot be driven from batteries and we are a major producer of aluminium, probably because we also subsidize the energy costs for Alcoa. Instead, solar power uses natural energy from the sun. A life cycle analysis proves that solar cells are cleaner than conventional fossil fuel power generation, It takes power to make powereven with a solar grand plan. In areas such as California, however, where grid energy is already fairly clean, the earn-back of panel manufacturing emissions might be measured in years. SunPower Vs. Sunnova: Which Is Better For You? Australia bucked that trend, with a 1% growth in electricity use largely supplied by additional renewable The energy benefits of solar photovoltaics will only improve as the technology continues to boost its efficiency at converting sunlight to electricity or proves to last longer than the 30 years anticipated by manufacturers. Solar systems work by absorbing radiant light from the sun before converting it to electrical energy. But theyre also destroying the marshes that keep the lagoon alive. There are also emissions from building the power station and gas infrastructure. But compared to using fossil fuels, the total benefit of solar power and wind is around the same. In fact, most of their dirty side derived from the indirect emissions of the coal-burning power plants or other fossil fuels used to generate the electricity for PV manufacturing facilities. The Weekend Australian Coal power surged to record in 2021: IEA Coal generated more power in 2021 than at any time in history.. "It's a new industry," said Davis. ", Because recycling is limited, Mulvaney said, those recoverable metals could go to waste: "Companies that are reporting on a quarterly basis, surviving on razor-thin marginsthey're not thinking 20, 30 years down the road, where the scarcity issue might actually enter the conversation.". U.S. solar capacity has risen significantly in recent years; an array of panels near Mojave, Calif. patrick t. fallon/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images, carbon-dioxide-belching, coal-burning plants in China. Put down your weapons.3. For 30% efficient gas generation, it would be over 80 and over 210 times respectively. Isnt it more expensive? High natural gas prices led to gas-to-coal switching Can Biomass Be Used in Homes and Businesses? You appear to be the one mixing up your concepts. Further reading: Is OpenSea Bad for The Environment? These four types of solar cells pay back the energy involved in their manufacture in one to three years, according to an earlier analysis by the same team. These tiles replace your entire roof with special panels without the need to downsize your solar system. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'ecowut_com-leader-2','ezslot_10',116,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-ecowut_com-leader-2-0')};If you are short on space, you should consider installing solar roof tiles. I always enjoy the posts from Solar Quotes for their informative and humorous content, but on behalf of DaveMySpace who doubtless can stand up for himself I do object to the gratuitous and repeated insults levelled at him for being a whinger. Brian Cooley is CNET's Editor at large, following the big trends in car tech, smart home , healthcare, the future of food, digital entertainment and more. This means, on average, around 717 grams of coal need to be burned to generate one kilowatt-hour of electricity in Australia.