impacts of Monocrystalline solar energy on environment and economics

Solar Technologies and their Environmental Impact

Solar technologies provide a renewable and clean residential energy source. When compared to traditional energy sources, solar electricity has substantial environmental benefits. Despite their many advantages, the systems have a negative influence on the environment during their manufacture, operation, and disposal.

The environmental consequences are taken into account during the construction, connection, and demolition phases, especially in the case of central solar technology. Heavy metals utilized in solar energy, such as cadmium, accumulate in animals and plants. In order to get a competitive advantage, the system provides a long-serving source of energy and has cheaper installation cost which is economical to the user. Though some instances the energy source may be expensive like in embodied energy where the extra panels are needed and mounting rails. The source of energy is advantageous in environment conservation and economic aspect though it has some disadvantages in both cases.

Monocrystalline Solar Cells and Environmental Concerns

The monocrystalline solar cell is a source of high-efficiency energy that is eco-friendly. Compared to the conventional energy sources, it has no emission of greenhouse gases and other toxic gases (Edenhofer, Pichs, & Sokona, 2012). Through its provision of a clean and renewable source of energy for domestic purpose, it provides essential components of a sustainable future energy.

The Monocrystalline solar modules possess some negative environmental concerns during its entire life cycle. For instance, in some cases, thin-film solar products use metals such as cadmium telluride which is a heavy metal compound that can accumulate in both plants and animals. It has carcinogenic effects in both animals and humans. Though the results have no impact while the device is in use, it is dangerous when the product comes at the end of its life cycle. The disposal could be harmful since it has toxic waste or when not recycled.

Environmental and Safety Concerns in Large-Scale Installations

Furthermore, the system when required in large scale, it has adverse effects on the land use. In the installation process, natural ecosystem comes as an independent factor where land topography, landscape, the area enclosed by the project, biodiversity, and the distance from the fields of physical beauty or sensitive ecosystems must be in consideration. Landscape modification that results during the construction process such as earth movements has significant impacts on the ecosystem. In cultivable land, it is possible to diminish the soil production area. Besides, routine and accidental discharges of a pollutant from this systems is a significant problem. During the normal operation of the system, there is no emission of gaseous, liquid pollutants and radioactive substances.

Campbell and Green (2001) suggest that CIS and CdTe units used there are small amounts of poisonous matters produced which accompanies a possible risk. The small amount of these chemicals escapes to the environment by fire in an array. In the cases of safety in the surrounding which include people, the system has the hazard effects. The accidental release of fluids from the parabolic trough and central reservoir system can be of high health hazard. In central tower systems where the liquid sodium or molten salt is the primary heat transfer medium, the risk could be of substance. Central tower system has high concentration light that can damage the eyesight. During normal operation conditions, there should be no danger posed to the operator. Failure of the tracking system could lead to straying beams that possess a working threat on the site.

Economic Advantages of Monocrystalline Solar Power

The system of energy generation for domestic use has a significant economic advantage. According to Thomson (2015), the initial cost of the installation of the system is considerably low. The installation of the solar panels is typically more economical than the entire solar power system, which is economically advantageous to the user. The Monocrystalline has excellent longevity and the durability history since they were the first generation of solar technology and used over time. Due to its long time in the sector the, the installation, performance, and the technology issues are well understood. The longevity aspect which can last for more than 20 years has an economic advantage to the consumer.

The panels harvest more electricity per sqm of installed panels, which improves the cash flow as a result of reducing the electricity bills. Additionally, the solar energy reduces the amount of electricity required from the local power plants, which reduces the dependence on the fossil fuel, which is more expensive. Furthermore, the solar energy system increases both at domestic and national energy independency (Rasal, 2013). Through some government projects to improve the economic level of the people, the solar energy is used to accelerate rural electrification in some developing countries. Application of the Monocrystalline solar power for the commercial purposes results in the significant creation of job opportunities. The energy source provides diversification of energy sources and security for the energy supply at large.

Economic Disadvantages and Unemployment Concerns

The initial cost of making and installation may be costly. Making the panels from the single-cell silicon crystals is the most complex and expensive process. Efficient silicon feedstock is expensive, and the process of creating a single pure crystal consume much time and therefore costly (Taşçıoğlu, Taşkın & Vardar, 2016)). In the thin film, solar panels lower energy production. The improvement was adding more panels and mounting rails. As per Nadeau, (2011). Repairing and replacing the system parts or the entire system is costly. Widespread use of the solar as a source of energy provides temporary employment solution, more so when constructing a large plant for commercial purposes. It employs during the construction, but in the completion of the project, people who were working there remain jobless. Additionally, it gives other sources of energy high competition which make producers of different energy sources be unemployed or have a limited market for their products.

Conclusion

The monocrystalline solar panel is an eco-friendly option that produces clean and renewable energy compared to fossil fuel sources. However, it has some adverse effects such as the production of toxic waste products when not properly disposed of. Furthermore, heavy metals such as cadmium are dangerous to both animals and humans since they have carcinogenic effects. When constructing large plants for commercial purposes, it alters sensitive ecosystems. People choose this source of energy due to its economic advantages such as longevity and durability, which prevent daily spending on energy. Additionally, it provides diversification of energy sources and security, reduces the amount of energy required from local providers, and is used as a crucial tool in rural electrification in some developing countries. Despite the economic importance the system has, it has some shortcomings such as high cost of making, installation, and maintenance. Additionally, it can lead to unemployment due to the diversion of people’s interest from fossil fuels. The monocrystalline solar panel can be advantageous both from an economic perspective and in environmental conservation compared to fossil fuels.

Reference

Campbell, P., & Green, M. (2001). High-performance light trapping textures for monocrystalline

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Edenhofer, O., Pichs Madruga, R., & Sokona, Y. (2012). Renewable energy sources and climate

change mitigation. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Nadeau, N. (2011). The green revolution. Hobart, NY: Hatherleigh Press.

Rasal, S. (2013). Energy Efficient System for Solar panel. Saarbrucken: LAP LAMBERT

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Taşçıoğlu, A., Taşkın, O., & Vardar, A. (2016). A power case study for monocrystalline and

polycrystalline solar panels in Bursa city, Turkey. International Journal of Photoenergy,

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Thomson, G. (2015). Renewable energy. Callisto Reference.