Do Solar Panels Reduce Co2 Emissions

Specifically summer energy consumption is a major contributor to the average household s carbon footprint.

Do solar panels reduce co2 emissions.

Residential solar pv systemsare capable of meeting a household s electricity consumption entirely and result in 80 lower carbon emissions than fossil fuels. Every 1 kwh of electricity produced here in massachusetts accounts for 0 846 lbs of carbon. In general home energy use dips during the spring and fall rises slightly during winter and dramatically. To create a solar panel caustic materials will emit greenhouse gases.

One way to reduce carbon emissions is to mitigate fossil fuel electricity production by using renewable energy instead. By scott cramer although the use of solar panels is green many solar panel manufacturing processes are not. Let s do some math some of which we ve covered. Solar power ultimately has a carbon footprint as well.

While you won t realistically be able to eliminate your home s greenhouse gas emissions entirely solar power goes a long way in shrinking household waste. Many solar panels are made in china where dirty coal makes up much of the country s power supply. Yes it s true that making solar panels creates carbon dioxide but over the life of a solar installation it produces on average of 30x less co2 than coal power. For the average five kilowatt residential system that means a reduction of more than 15 000 pounds of co2 every year.

This has to be tempered against emission reductions. Turning you themostat down 3 degrees fahrenheit in the winter and up 3 degrees fahrenheit in the summer will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 1 050 pounds per year. Contrary to the claims of some critics today s research shows that the hidden emissions due to building wind turbines solar panels or nuclear plants are very low in comparison with the savings from avoiding fossil fuels.