Environmental Impact & Toxic Waste
There is no doubt that whenever you develop land, it is going to disturb the natural habitat. What sort of toxic waste are we going to be dealing with especially when the panels need to be replaced and the old ones disposed of? Why can't solar companies focus their projects on areas that have already been disrupted like the rooftops of large buildings? Just because it is cheaper and easier for them to build on farmland doesn't mean they should be aloud to.
Industrial-Scale Solar Near Waterways-Wetlands Can Lead To Catastrophic Water - Ecological Disasters
Uncontrolled storm water runoff and erosion are well-documented byproducts of industrial-scale solar construction. This massive increase in watershed sedimentation impacts all downstream rivers and waterways. Water contamination doesn’t stop with the end of construction. Removal of all trees and deep-rooted plants, along with inadequate stormwater controls lead to runoff, erosion and water contamination issues. These power plants should not be sited on agricultural land, near wetlands and waterways and away from residents whose groundwater and environment could be damaged.
Citizens for Responsible Solar list 10 reasons why solar farms should not be taking up valuable farmland.
According to cancer biologist David H. Nguyen, PhD, toxic chemicals in solar panels include cadmium telluride, copper indium selenide, cadmium gallium (di)selenide, copper indium gallium (di)selenide, hexafluoroethane, lead, and polyvinyl fluoride. Silicon tetrachloride, a byproduct of producing crystalline silicon, is also highly toxic.
Undoubtedly, solar energy will be part of the solution in regards to the affects of climate change, but is siting solar energy installations on public lands, such as in the Mojave Desert, the best place to do so? UC Davis researchers are looking at the effects of human development in the Mojave Desert and where other locations may be to site solar energy other than undisturbed landscapes and agriculture fields.