Air pollution in China has gotten so bad, the sun can't reach solar panels that were installed to help reduce smog in the first place, according to a new study.
Can solar panels help reduce smog in China?
Air pollution in China has gotten so bad, the sun can't reach solar panels that were installed to help reduce smog in the first place, according to a new study. Generation of solar power in China has fallen 11% to 15% because of air pollution blocking the sun's rays, according to the study published last week in Nature Energy.
Does China have a downside to solar energy?
Nature 509, 563 ( 2014) Cite this article There is a downside to China having become the largest producer and consumer of solar energy ( J. A. Mathews and H. Tan Nature 508, 319; 2014 ). The rapidly expanding manufacture of solar photovoltaic products is risking serious environmental pollution.
Why are solar panels not being made in China?
A shortage of glass is causing production issues for new solar panels in China, which manufactures over 70 percent of the world's solar panels.
Are solar panels bad for the environment?
The production of polysilicon and silicon wafers for solar panels creates dangerous by-products, in particular silicon tetrachloride and hydrofluoric acid, which are being discharged into the environment after inadequate waste treatment (see go.nature.com/mhtayz; in Chinese).
China's solar panel manufacturers are resilient. Some of the largest have restarted operations, often with the help of banks and local governments, after collapsing a decade ago. Mr Zhao Feng, the founder of Sunzone, said he hoped that his company might also recover.
Are solar panels causing tariffs in China?
And the Department of Commerce has begun trade cases against imported solar panels that could lead to further tariffs. China's solar panel manufacturers are resilient. Some of the largest have restarted operations, often with the help of banks and local governments, after collapsing a decade ago.