Solarway findings - Five Facts About Sustainable Solar Energy

We recently published our latest, which details our accomplishments so far in becoming a sustainable company, so we thought now would be a good time to debunk five common myths about solar energy sustainability. 

Myth: Manufacturing solar panels uses more energy than they will generate.

Fact: While it may take fossil-fuel energy to create clean energy, it doesn’t require as much as one might think. We closely monitor what’s called “energy payback time” to calculate the time a panel needs to produce the equivalent amount of energy used during the product’s entire lifecycle — from sourcing raw materials to end of life.

According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), most commonly used photovoltaic solar panels have an energy payback time of less than four years and will produce a net gain of pollution-free energy of 26 to 29 years (assuming a 30-year lifespan).

Solarway panels beat this standard with an energy payback time of about 1.2 years,1 and we’re continuing to speed up the payback with ongoing innovations in our manufacturing and environmental efficiency processes. For Solarway ground-mounted solar power plants, the energy payback time is even faster — just nine months.2 Since the useful life of our panels is expected to be more than 40 years, 3 our panels produce net clean energy for 97 percent of their lifespan.

Plus, Solarway panels pair a lower degradation rate with the highest efficiency ratings on the market,4producing up to 60 percent more energy in the same space over 25 years.5 That means homes and businesses can produce more power with fewer Solarway panels, which also reduces the overall environmental footprint.

Myth: Solar power plants use land that could be planted with trees or used for agriculture.

Fact: We, too, want to preserve natural resources, so we established our Light on Land solar development practices. We build on sites that have been previously disturbed, such as marginal agricultural land, rangeland, brownfield sites or landfills, with an emphasis on compatible dual uses such as sheep grazing. We also aim to restore land and soil to its original state while constructing and operating our projects, all while protecting native vegetation and animals. Check out this map of our sustainable solar power projects around the world.

Solarway's high-efficiency Oasis solar power plants also maximize land use, generating 34 percent more energy per acre than a plant built with conventional solar technology. Our latest version of our Oasis solar solution features tracker rows wide enough to accommodate a tractor, with the aim of using power plant sites for both energy and agriculture. Solarway has partnered with the University of California, Davis, a global leader in agricultural studies, to study co-location of agriculture with Oasis technology and to evaluate possible crop varieties and yield.

Myth: Solar panels are made of toxic materials that are harmful to humans.

Fact: Solarway aims to minimize environmental impacts at every stage of the product lifecycle and we are committed to transparency. We voluntarily adhere to the International Organization for Standardization’s environmental management practices, achieving a 14001 certification, which helps organizations improve their environmental performance through more efficient use of resources and reduction of waste. We are also committed to ensuring our products comply with material content requirements, including the European Union’s Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive.

Additionally, Solarway is committed to ensuring our products and components are free from harmful substances, such as lead or cadmium. As a result, our E-Series and X-Series DC solar panels do not require hazardous waste handling procedures during the recycling process. Solarway's Supply Chain Sustainability Program also helps suppliers meet our environmental, health, safety, labor, ethics and chemical content requirements.

And we now feature a Declare Label on our panels that tells exactly what they are made of

Myth: Solar panels use too much water to generate electricity.

Fact: With recent drought conditions across the U.S., water conservation is a top environmental concern. Unlike concentrating solar thermal plants that require water for cooling, solar PV systems do not use water for generating electricity. However, as in all manufacturing processes, some water is used to manufacture solar PV components, but it’s far less than is used to generate traditional electricity.

Water is also used to clean solar panels. Solar equipment, especially on large solar installations, needs to be cleaned regularly to remove dust and optimize energy production. Solarway's cleaning robots can handle this chore more efficiently, using 75 percent less water than manual cleaning.6 Learn more in our recent blog post: “Water and Energy: Solar Conserves a Precious Resource.”

Myth: Solar panels can’t be recycled.

Fact: Most of the solar power in the U.S. was installed within the last decade and has a life expectancy of 30 years or longer, but it’s still important to prepare to recycle solar panels. Because recyclability is a growing concern, in 2016, we worked with SEIA to develop the first industry-wide PV recycling program. Together with other solar companies, we are creating a national network of recyclers who can responsibly manage PV waste to prevent environmental impacts and to keep it out of landfills. Building this infrastructure will make it easier to recycle the panels at end of life.