The Pollution of Photovoltaics

I have previously explained that there is “clean” renewable energy and “dirty” renewable energy. Clean renewable energy produces little pollution and almost no emissions and includes wind turbines, solar thermal panels (that produce heat) and dirty renewable energy includes energy produced from wood burning. The distinction is important because the point of renewable energy is to produce fewer emissions and less pollution. Originally I had classified photovoltaic panels as “clean” but the latest news suggests that photovoltaic panels, which produce electricity, are really a very dirty form of energy.