Why are Solar Panels Good for the Environment?

Written-by

Janet Richardson

Reviewed-by

Richard Burdett-Gardiner

Updated on

Sep 29, 2024

Why are Solar Panels Good for the Environment?

Solar panels are the leading source of renewable energy for our homes and businesses in the UK, with an increasing number of people opting to have them installed. We are also seeing an increase in the number of solar farms being constructed, all of which is good news for our planet and the environment. However, it is important to understand why solar panels are good for the environment, as well as understanding the potential downside. 

Solar power isn’t called renewable energy for nothing. Indeed, we could argue that the potential energy generated by the sun is limitless. As a species, and indeed a planet, we rely on the sun’s rays every day. It heats the air, the seas, and the ground. Without it our planet would be a lifeless ball of rock. So, we know the sun is vital to our existence, but how good for the environment is our technology for capturing solar energy? Before we answer that question, we need to discuss the four main forms of solar power.

In the UK, there are four main variants of solar power. Although they all technically convert the sun’s rays into energy, they do it in their own way.

Passive solar
Everyone uses passive solar power and we do it every day.  Anything that uses the sun’s power is an example of passive solar. We’re talking, of course, about windows, greenhouses, poly-tunnels etc.  These simple lenses help harness the sun’s power and can provide extra warmth.

Concentrated solar
These systems use special mirrors to hyper-focus the sun’s rays to turn water into steam. The steam is then used as a heat source or in some systems it's used to power turbines and generate electricity.

Solar PV (Photo Voltaic)
When you think about solar panels in the UK, there’s a good chance solar PV will come to mind. These are the blue or black glassy panels you’ll find on roofs across the country.

Solar Thermal
Although not as popular in the UK as in sunnier climates. you can still find solar thermal systems in some locations. They’re more common where there are more hours of sunlight as they use direct sunlight to generate heat.

What’s the difference between solar PV (Photo Voltaic) and solar thermal?

Solar PV
Solar photo voltaic cells, or solar PV for short, collect and convert sunlight into electricity. There’s a whole circuit and these systems include complex electronics and parts, but in simple terms they make electricity from the sun.

Solar Thermal
These panels, by contrast, harness the heat generated by the sun. There are a few variations and while most heat homes and water, some, like concentrated solar, also generate electricity. These systems create electricity by using the sun's energy to generate steam and power turbines. 

The devil we know

To understand why solar panels are so good for the environment it helps to know why the status quo is so bad. At present, according to a YouGov report, renewable energy accounts for 47.3% of the UK’s energy. While that figure is encouraging, it means that over half the power we produce either comes from fossil fuel or nuclear power.  We could dedicate an entire article to the evils of both, but here are the basics.

Fossil fuel, the dangers of a dying industry

Fossil fuel takes its name from the source of its energy. To generate power, these systems burn the combustible material left behind when organic matter dies. These materials take the form of coal, oil, gas, and on a smaller scale peat. Converting these fuels to electricity means burning them and that’s not even the start of the problem. Sure, burning anything creates emissions and that means CO2, but before you can burn them, you must find them.  

There’s no easy way to reach these carbon-heavy fuels, most of which lie hundreds of feet under the ground or the sea. Mining, drilling, and most recently fracking are all controversial practices. They all damage the environment in one way or another. That said, it’s the byproducts of fossil fuels that cause the most harm.

As mentioned, burning coal or oil produces harmful CO2 emissions which is the largest contributor to global warming. However, the bad news doesn’t stop there. Other byproducts of fossil fuel include Benzene gas, formaldehyde, and other air-borne toxins hazardous to our health.  If you’d like to know more about the dangers of oil, coal, and gas-fired power then here’s an excellent resource from the NDRC.

The nuclear option

What about atomic energy, wasn’t it heralded as the fuel of the future? Well, it was back in the ‘50s, but remember back then folks thought smoking was harmless. In short, we’ve learned a lot about the dangers of atomic energy. Let’s just say, there are many reasons why we don’t all have our own nuclear fusion reactors at home.

The biggest danger posed by atomic energy is the potential for disaster.  Most folks alive can remember one catastrophic nuclear accident, and if you’re my age then you might be able to name two or three.  We may never know the full extent of the problems caused by incidents like those at Chernobyl or Fukushima, but our children might.

The other issue with nuclear power is the waste. Spent nuclear fuel is radioactive, hazardous, and has a shelf-life of thousands of years. Storing this waste requires specially lined concrete bunkers and we generate more of it every day. If you want to read more about the dangers, and the upsides of nuclear power here’s an excellent resource from Earth.org.

The case for solar

So, now we know how high the bar is, let’s see if solar power can clear it. There are other renewable energies, wind and hydroelectric to name a couple, but today we're talking about solar. if you'd like to learn more about the other forms of renewable energy then check out our guide here. Before we get into the pros and cons of solar power it’s worth looking at the state of the industry.

The solar boom

In the UK, solar panels are the leading source of renewable energy for our homes and businesses. Every year, more and more of us are opting for solar systems in our homes.
Alongside this, the rise in the number of solar farms under construction is nothing short of meteoric. The upshot of this is good news for our planet and the environment. However, although we all know solar energy is good for the planet, it’s important we understand why. It’s also essential we discus and tackle areas where the solar industry can do more to protect the environment.

The disadvantages of solar for the environment

It would be irresponsible of us not to mention the flip side of the equation. The truth is, despite the many environmental advantages of solar systems, they come with the following drawbacks too:

The high cost of production

The manufacturing process for solar panels is not a perfect science. At present, creating the most efficient panels is a difficult process and generates a lot of waste, much of it toxic.

Solar is invasive

Solar panels take up a lot of roof space and solar farms are vast structures that occupy entire fields. Unlike wind farms, these facilities can’t coexist with farmers and other agricultural users. To compensate, some authorities try to minimise the negative impact of solar farms by building them on brownfield sites. Some organisations have even tried floating solar panels on reservoirs.

Solar is thirsty

Solar power often needs a lot of water. At present, manufacturing solar PV panels is a thirsty process. In addition, solar thermal systems need water to operate. Concentrating solar thermal plants also require large reserves of water for their cooling systems. Unfortunately, many of the areas in the world with the highest potential for solar efficiency are in the driest climates. This hurdle is difficult to overcome, and the efforts needed to improve the infrastructure often negate the benefits of having solar in the first place.

Solar is dirty

The disappointing fact is manufacturing solar panels leaves behind some nasty pollution. Often these byproducts are also hazardous. Producing Monocrystalline solar cells, for example, generates a lot of silicon waste. We tend to forget that solar systems require a lot of energy and resources to make. Also, thin film solar cells contain toxic materials that can cause environmental harm. That said, solar cell production and research are improving all the time.

The simple truth is that if we can hold the manufacturers to account, their best practices will improve.

Lessening the negative impact of solar panels

It’s important to remember how good solar panels are for the planet in general. Solar is an excellent and effective way of producing energy for your home or business.  Solar power is clean and reduces our carbon footprint by a huge amount. While the manufacturing process and other aspects are not there yet, the brighter light we shine on this fact, the better it will get. The few downsides shouldn’t stop us from making the change and investing in solar ourselves.

Every solar panel purchased helps drive research and development further. There are aspects that need improving and we’ll get there. Meanwhile, here are some of the key things we can improve:

• Better efficiency for panels in general.
• Higher efficiency and lower costs for solar batteries for evening use.
• Better regulation for the manufacturing process and governed emission rates.
• Finding alternatives for water-heavy cooling systems.  

We can reach these goals with further research and development. So, it’s important to continue investing in solar panels and supporting the process towards better solar technology. With the help of the public and consumers, we will have greener, more efficient, and more powerful solar energy.

Alas, not every renewable energy project gets the love it deserves. According to a recent Guardian article, two thirds of renewable energy projects fail to make it past the planning stage. With stats like that, it’s clear we have a long way to go, but remember how far we’ve come in such a short time.

If you’d like to learn more about how solar power can help lower your carbon footprint and provide clean green energy for your home, then reach out to us today.