Posted Saturday, October 15, 2016

Is There Such a Thing as a “Green” Solar Panel?

It’s pretty clear that solar power as a technology is itself considered to be ‘green’, a term that is loosely used to describe something that is good for the environment. There are green manufacturing methods, green materials, green sourcing practices, etc., but is there a solar panel that could be said to be ‘green’, given all that is needed to build it? We raise this question in light of a recent development in solar technology involving the use of a special material called halide perovskite, a remarkably efficient and very environmentally-friendly material.

What does it mean for a solar panel to be environmentally friendly? Well, one measure of a product’s ‘greenness’ is related to its composition of heavy metals like lead or mercury. If a product contains less lead, for example, it is easier to recycle, less likely to pollute its environment, and more sustainable to operate over the long term. There are even governmental regulations in the United States that require electrical components to be manufactured with a set maximum of lead content, in order to earn a special seal of approval for builders and construction professionals. It’s quite possible that these new, halide perovskite panels can be built using much less lead than their predecessors, in which case this could be a big leap forward in the solar power field. You can read more about this exciting new technology by clicking here.

At Urban Solar, we know that the projects we get involved in are part of a bigger, more Earth-conscious effort to live more sustainably and with less negative impact on the environment. We take pride in every solar power generation system installation we do, from the initial energy assessment all the way through to the project sign-off and commissioning. If you’re interested in learning about how you can do your part to help live a ‘greener’ life by using solar power on your building, contact us today for a free quote.