According to a new study released by the federal government, toxic greenhouse gas emissions are on the rise as a result of solar panel manufacturing.
The greenhouse gas in question, Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), is one of the principal chemicals used to manufacture solar panels, and is 17,200 times more potent than C02. Over the past 25 years, emissions of this chemical have increased a whopping 1,057 percent, as opposed to C02 emissions rising a paltry 5 percent.
According to the Daily Caller, “NF3 emissions have rapidly increased in Asia as well due to its rapidly growing solar panel market, and researchers think that many nations are under-reporting their NF3 emissions by roughly a factor of 4.5.”
In an interview with Seeker on Monday, Dr. Michael Prather, a climate scientist at the University of California, Irvine said, “by itself, NF3 is not going to create a climate problem. But everything adds up. Everyone should be paying attention to the pieces that all add up.”
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change concluded NF3 is the second most potent greenhouse gas in the world, and has an incredibly adverse effect on the environment. The chemical is a minor irritant to mucous membranes and eyes, and can lead to methemoglobinemia, which reduces the ability of red blood cells to release oxygen to tissues.
While the chemical is also used in the manufacturing of some other electronic equipment, researchers are still highly concerned about its effect on the climate, especially because solar panel manufacturing often does not reduce net C02 emissions.
A study by Nature found solar panels have actually released more C02 than they have saved, although researchers are confident that modern technology will reverse this trend in the next few years.
“Solar power has a number of inherent issues, namely that it’s unreliable and expensive,” Chris Warren, a spokesperson for the pro-industry Institute for Energy Research, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. ” If your goal is to reduce CO2, then adding more solar power can actually hurt your cause. Not to mention it makes electricity more expensive for consumers.”
