User:Redsoxs33/Solar energy

Article Draft

I will be utilizing resources to add the other side of solar, which are the negative pieces many people do not know about. Such has the life cycle into electronic waste and the issues in manufacturing. I will enjoy doing more research to find additional articles than the ones listed below.

The sources i included will be used to describe the distinction between thermal energy and solar panel energy. There also needs to be an update describing the modular use of solar panels.

Possible References

• Mulvaney, D. (2013). Opening the black box of solar energy technologies: Exploring tensions between innovation and environmental justice. Science as Culture, 22(2), 230-237. doi:10.1080/09505431.2013.786995
• https://doi.org/10.1080/09505431.2013.786995

• Mulvaney, D. (2014a, February 20). Are green jobs just jobs? Cadmium narratives in the life cycle of photovoltaics. Retrieved April 27, 2021, from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016718514000281

• Mulvaney, D. (2014b, November 13). Solar Energy Isn't Always as Green as You Think. Retrieved April 27, 2021, from https://spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/solar/solar-energy-isnt-always-as-green-as-you-think

• Trinasolar. (2019, November 14). The lifecycle of a solar panel. Retrieved April 27, 2021, from https://www.trinasolar.com/us/resources/blog/lifecycle-solar-panel#:~:text=With%20solar%20PV%20modules%20averaging,like%20many%20power%20electronic%20products.

https://search.lib.asu.edu/permalink/01ASU_INST/fdcm53/cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_1491058578

https://search.lib.asu.edu/permalink/01ASU_INST/fdcm53/cdi_pascalfrancis_primary_27960446

https://search.lib.asu.edu/permalink/01ASU_INST/fdcm53/cdi_gale_infotracacademiconefile_A521535824

Lead

Solar energy can be a cleaner energy; however, there are issues within the life cycle that have social and environmental impacts.

Manufacturing Process

Presidential campaigns move to produce more green jobs through the application and investment into the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The ARRA created a large investment into 'clean' energy with the purpose of developing an increase of 'green' jobs. Thin-film photovoltaics (CdTe and CIGS) were chosen as the industry for 'green' jobs because they are less expensive to manufacture than crystalline silicon-based solar cells.

The manufacturing process of PV includes numerous impacts to the environment, health and safety similar to the electronic industry. As the network of producing solar technology increases the production chain increasingly moves out of the United States. The utilization of contract manufacturing increase, which means the production of the solar cells are developed in one place, usually in a developing country, while the 'green' installation jobs are in the United States. While the job of the individual in the United States could be considered 'green', the job of the workers overseas is consistently far from being 'green'. Such as SunPower who's headquarters are in San Jose, but the majority of the manufacturing is done in the Philippines.

The production process of thin-film PV (CdTe and CIGS) demonstrates use of toxic materials. Cadmium is one of the metals utilized, and it is one of the most toxic heavy metals in the manufacturing industry. First Solar and Abound Solar, utilize the cheap production rates of thin-film in producing their solar facilities. However, the production rate of the Malaysian facilities for First Solar where so fast that Abound Solar was forced to declare bankruptcy.

In addition to the utilization of the toxic materials, manufacturing facilities are producing pollution and waste. For example, Solyndra produced large amounts of cadmium waste water that was transported several miles away to be left for hazardous waste disposal.

Aside from the toxic materials, solar production and application produces damaging effects to the environment. The solar power towers produce heat flux, which causes sever damage to feathers and skin of birds. Additionally, the application can cause detrimental changes to land and ecosystems, wildlife mortality, habitat fragmentation and loss, heavy water consumption, and more.

Disposal

As Cadmium, indium, selenium, nanoparticles, and other harmful elements are used in PV solar technology the disposal is similar to the outcomes of electronic waste. This intern presents possible risks for the workers and people disposing the product, as well as further question on the disposal process.

Photovoltaics Life Cycle

Photovoltaics as stated above have several benefits; however, with the analysis of the life cycle there are parts of its production that cause damaging effects . This is why it is pertinent to look at the full picture of solar energy production.

The production of solar energy begins with the manufacturing of the Photovoltaics and the issues that arise in this process . In order to fully understand the issues that occur the link to the New Deal, Green New Deal, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, ARRA, must be devised . As the Green New Deal and ARRA, created strains to produce a decrease in the cost of solar energy production . This inadvertently imposes new threats to the environmental, health, and safety as the push to thin PV and cheaper production occurs . Additionally, the implementation to thin PV results in several environmental impacts that are not distributed evenly amongst people .

Utility-scale solar power plants, such as this one, can produce fugitive dust issues. The vegetation in the area is lost, which allows the wind to pick of the dust fragments and produce air quality issues.

Environmental Impacts

Although, renewable energy is a positive alternative to depleting sources or detrimental energy sources such as fossil fuels, there are adverse environmental impacts to Utility-scale solar energy development. There are biodiversity impacts that happen when Utility-scale solar energy is installed and maintained. Dust cleaners, solar panel rust inhibitors, and clearing out space for installation all have long term adverse impacts on the biodiversity of an area. The most common method of cleaning and controlling the dust on panels or solar mirrors is through washing the panels and mirrors with water.

Due to a shift in renewable resource trends, the Western United States has experienced an expansion of the solar energy industry. This expansion results in a need for increased space cultivation beyond the preexisting spaces delegated to development. An increase to land use increases environmental impacts through both resources used and land allotment.

Social Impact

Photovoltaics is heavily reliant on human labor as it is a labor-intensive technology requiring more intensive work than coal or nuclear power. The introduction and expansion of solar energy is not equally being adopted across the United States, which leads to a growing gap between urbanizing areas and rural communities. In a study that was completed reviewing the solar presence in Georgia's urban communities, it was found that regions with a white majority population have a substantially higher number of installations than Black counties. Furthermore, the adoption of solar disproportionately benefits those who are already able to invest in new energy sources while simultaneously distributing costs to groups that do not benefit.

Social[edit]

Photovoltaics is heavily reliant on human labor as it is a labor-intensive technology requiring more intensive work than coal or nuclear power. Cadmium telluride used in CdTe thin-film solar cells is a genotoxin, carcinogen, and a mutagen that can lead to complications including infertility, kidney disease, birth defects, renal complications, and pulmonary fibrosis with prolonged exposure by manufacturing workers.

The introduction and expansion of solar energy is not equally being adopted across the United States, which leads to a growing gap between urbanizing areas and rural communities. In a study that was completed reviewing the solar presence in Georgia's urban communities, it was found that regions with a white majority population have a substantially higher number of installations than Black counties. Furthermore, the adoption of solar disproportionately benefits those who are already able to invest in new energy sources while simultaneously distributing costs to groups that do not benefit.

An expeditious privatization of solar utility-scale projects was the result of inter-agency coordination from the federal Bureau of Land Management, the Department of Energy, the California Energy Commission and the Department of Treasury Finance. The environmental resource review process was also accelerated, allowing for the development of public areas with permit acquisition.  This directly impacted the Colorado Native American Tribes' sacred ancestral regions which resulted in lawsuits. Claims of procedural injustice were made after the Colorado Native American Tribes stated that the federal Bureau of Land Management did not consult them in regards to cultural resource issues.

Environmental[edit]

Due to a shift in renewable resource trends, the Western United States has experienced an expansion of the solar energy industry. This expansion results in a need for increased space cultivation beyond the preexisting spaces delegated to development. An increase to land use increases environmental impacts through both resources used and land allotment. As of 2020, the United States has 40% of the world's operational solar energy. Endangered species such as Tiehm's buckwheat plant, are impacted by solar due to mining for lithium used for batteries in solar systems.