Renewable?
When Renewables Are Not Renewable
Sure the wind and sun are renewable, but the collectors we build are not
We term an energy source “renewable” when the energy provided is powered by the sun — wind and solar, or powered by gravitational forces — tidal. However, the energy collectors are not renewable.
Solar
Solar panels must be replaced every 30 to 40 years because solar panels degrade efficiency by about 1% per year. If we covered the entire state of Arizona with solar panels, they would produce enough electricity to power the world at our current level of demand — but they would have to be replaced every 30–40 years.
Presently one US company has a recycling program for their solar panels. The cost of recycling is $20 to $30 per panel. Taking the panels to the nearest landfill cost only $1 to $2 per panel. In addition to the devastating waste produced by solar panels, they are manufactured from finite materials found under the Earth — limited materials whose mining disrupts and poisons the ecosystem.
By 2050, the International Renewable Energy Agency projects that up to 78 million metric tons of solar panels will have reached the end of their life, and that the world will be generating about 6 million metric tons of new…
