Manufacturing solar cells produces less pollution than fossil fuels

Washington, Feb 26 : A new study by scientists has indicated that the manufacture of solar cells produces far fewer air pollutants than conventional fossil fuel technologies. his study, which is the first comprehensive study on the pollutants produced during the manufacture of solar cells, will appear in the March 15 issue of the ACS' (American Chemical Society) Environmental Science and Technology.

According to the study, though solar energy has been touted for years as a safer, cleaner alternative to burning fossil fuels to meet rising energy demands, environmentalists are increasingly concerned about the potential negative impact of solar cell (photovoltaic) technology.

That's because manufacture of photovoltaic cells requires potentially toxic metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium and produces carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming.

In a new study, researcher Vasilis M. Fthenakis and colleagues gathered air pollution emissions data from 13 solar cell manufacturers in Europe and the United States from 2004-2006.

The solar cells include four major commercial types: multicrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon, ribbon silicon, and thin-film cadmium telluride.

The researchers found that producing electricity from solar cells reduces air pollutants by about 90 percent in comparison to using conventional fossil fuel technologies.

ANI