Do Solar Panels Take Less Water Than Coal

For example every step in the production of solar photovoltaic pv power systems.

Do solar panels take less water than coal.

The overall greenhouse gas emissions involved in solar energy is still much lower than coal or natural gas. When solar panels do reach their end of their life today they face a few possible fates. The 550 mw desert sunlight solar farm for example is one of the largest solar power plants in the world with 8 8 million solar panels covering six square miles. Although this process still consumes some water it s only 1 or 2 percent of the water necessary for coal and natural gas energy production.

A 2011 report showed that solar s carbon footprint averaged at roughly 85 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent co 2 e per gigawatt hour gwh while natural gas and coal came in at 499 co 2 e gwh and 888 co 2 e gwh respectively. And that is with solar at its current efficiency. Solar panels are at least 20x better on the climate than coal kwh for kwh. The more efficient solar becomes the less space it needs to generate each kilowatt.

All modern technology including renewable energy depends on the non renewable resources that make it possible. Although solar energy is a clean alternative to fossil fuels making the panels themselves can have a negative environmental impact. This has made pv recycling a bit of a challenge in the us. First solar isn t the most water efficient form of energy generation according to those 2012 figures.

In japan india. I say at least because the most often cited report is by danish utility vattenfall from 1999. Workers install solar panels in california. There are two interesting side notes drawn from the river network s report worth mentioning.

Greenhouse gas emissions hazardous materials such as hydrochloric acid and acetone are also used in solar cell manufacturing. In comparison a similar coal power plant would use less than a square mile though further down the food chain land is used for mining as well. Wind handily beats out even solar pv at less than a gallon per megawatt hour. And we know that solar is getting more efficient over time.

So looked at energy generation over time the land footprint of coal is at least 20 bigger than that of solar. So let s get this straight.