Do Solar Panels Require Oil To Make

In terms of reliable application coal and natural gas have the edge.

Do solar panels require oil to make. The ultimate way to compare solar energy to fossil fuels is by cost where solar has quickly caught up with its non renewable counterparts. In terms of environmental impact solar power is a much more optimal resource than fossil fuels. That can add up fast and a lot of solar plants are using fuels like coal to generate the energy they need for activities like melting silicon. And when it derives from fossil sources generally the electricity is produced from natural gas or coal.

The amount of steel required for wind and solar to replace fossil fuels exceeds the world s capability to produce it for decades. So take 1 5 barrels of oil for a 250 watt solar panel as a worst case. Like the gigantic 30 foot tall 50 ton trucks that mine the coal to load onto the railroad cars solar panels get built in factories. Do they take more energy to make.

So you could say with a lot of hand waving and generalisation that it takes about two thirds of a barrel of oil to make a pv panel. Solar panels have little metal edges around the panels. The only thing they need is a periodic light cleaning to make sure dirt leaves and other debris aren t obstructing the sun s rays. It contains some plastic components which are made out of oil.

Solar panels generally require very little maintenance in order to function. The silicon used to make the vast majority of today s photovoltaic cells is abundant but a silicon based solar cell requires a lot of energy input in its manufacturing process said. A solar panel requires energy to make a panel roughly equivalent to the amount of energy it outputs in the first two years of its life. Furthermore you have to think about the energy debt involved in acquiring raw materials and converting them into the parts used to make solar panels.

The only time you may need more extensive maintenance is during periods of heavy snowfall or if your panels energy output starts to. Pv solar panels operate during peak daytime load periods when oil coal and natural gas fired electricity is at its greatest demand and most expensive. None of this energy has to be created by burning oil or other fossil fuels. Solar energy is touted by some as the solution to the world s energy woes.

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