Chinese Solar Panel Pollution

On some hazy days particularly in winter china s skies are blanketed by white and gray clouds of air pollutants.

Chinese solar panel pollution.

Despite greening industry pollution grows as energy production explodes. China s ageing solar panels are going to be a big environmental problem the issue of how to dispose of hazardous waste from ageing panels casts a shadow over the drive towards renewable energy. Between 2008 and 2013 china s fledgling solar electric panel industry dropped world prices by 80 percent a stunning achievement in a fiercely competitive high tech market. They also contain lead cadmium and other toxic even carcinogenic chemicals that cannot be removed without breaking apart the entire panel.

Symbolic of an era of new energy the solar industry presents a bright and clean image to the world. China s pollution ridden air is blocking sun from solar panels solar panels 15 less productive due to pollution. Environmental scientists and solar industry leaders are raising the red flag about used solar panels which contain toxic heavy metals and are considered hazardous waste. Protests last month exposed pollution problems at a manufacturing site in zhejiang province which according to industry insiders are just the tip of the iceberg.

Pollution is a real problem in china. Solar panels generate 300 times more toxic waste per unit of energy than nuclear power plants. New research shows that such smog not only dims the daylight and makes the air hard to breathe but it reduces the amount of sunlight reaching china s solar panels. With recycling expensive.

So it should come as no surprise that the 13th five year plan includes drastic policy measures calling for a reduction of emissions from coal burning industries while showing support for wind solar and bio power.