Is Solar Energy Sustainable? What You NEED to Know

Have you been trying to figure out an answer to the question, “Is solar energy sustainable”? If so, we have all the facts you’ll need to make an informed decision about this powerful renewable energy source.

Renewable energy is a hot topic right now, with the government pushing for decarbonisation to meet net-zero targets by 2050.

You might already support wind power, but have you ever considered whether solar energy is truly sustainable?

I’m here to give you a clear, fact-based look at both the benefits and challenges of solar power – no bias, just the information you need to make up your own mind.

Why Is Sustainable Energy Important?

Before tackling the question: “Is solar energy sustainable?”, it’s important to understand the state of the UK’s energy market.

Despite the push towards renewable solutions to meet net-zero limits by 2050, most of our energy still comes from fossil fuels like natural gas.

Natural gas is an imported fossil fuel that emits harmful greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and sulphur oxide when burned. To make things worse, the chemicals from coal plants account for 11 per cent of methane emissions in the USA alone.

Why does this matter? Because burning natural gas is simply not sustainable and contributes significantly to harmful emissions.

Current estimates suggest that natural gas reserves will last another 53 years, oil around 50 years and coal about 114 years. While that might seem like a long time, these resources are finite. Eventually, they’ll run out.

Therefore, it’s critical that we shift away from these polluting sources.

This is where solar energy comes in. As a clean, renewable and more sustainable option, solar power offers a viable solution to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and help secure a more sustainable energy future for the UK and beyond.

Now that the bigger picture is clear, let’s answer the key question: Is solar energy really sustainable?

3 Reasons Why Solar Energy IS Sustainable

1. It provides energy for the long term without relying on finite fossil fuels

As I just mentioned, finding alternative forms of energy that don’t depend on fossil fuels is crucial. Solar energy is one of our best options (alongside wind and hydroelectric power).

As of 2023, solar power contributed approximately 4.9 per cent of the UK’s total energy generation. Although it’s not as much as wind (which contributes 29.4 per cent), it’s still a valuable part of the UK’s renewable energy mix.

It’s also worth mentioning that solar power is virtually limitless (unlike fossil fuels) as the sun isn’t going anywhere.

The sun provides more than enough energy to meet the world’s needs. And while this needs to be captured by solar panels, solar energy remains a cost-effective and limitless option for tackling climate change.

Solar power is also fairly predictable. While cloud cover and shorter winter days can affect output, it’s generally a constant and predictable source of energy that requires very little maintenance once it’s up and running.

On top of that, it can reduce a home’s carbon footprint by 80 per cent in just one year.

So, when it comes to long-term sustainability, solar power gets a definite yes.

2. It’s a fantastic way to drive down the cost of energy in the UK

Switching to solar energy not only reduces our reliance on finite fossil fuels but also plays a significant role in cutting energy costs.

As mentioned earlier, fossil fuels are finite resources that release toxic chemicals into the atmosphere.

By switching to solar energy (and especially if you have panels installed at your home), you could make a big difference to the UK’s overall energy mix by reducing your reliance on finite fossil fuels. On a larger scale, solar power can significantly reduce the country’s reliance on imported gas.

The cost of energy in the UK is heavily influenced by the price of imported gas.

By increasing the use of solar power and other renewable sources, we can reduce this dependence on gas. As a result, energy prices would no longer be as tied to the fluctuating costs of fossil fuels.

Over time, renewables like solar and wind, which are cheaper to maintain than gas, would drive down overall energy prices, benefiting both consumers and the nation.

Now, planning regulations around renewable energy projects will need to loosen up for this to become a reality. But with enough pressure on the government to meet net-zero limits, it might be within reach.

3. The energy is relatively environmentally friendly

Aside from being super cost-effective, solar energy is far more environmentally friendly than natural gas.

Green energy sources like solar have an estimated carbon footprint of 4.5 – 48 grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt/hour of energy produced. We have natural gas and coal on the other end of the scale. These sources emit 272 – 907 grams and 635 – 1,633 grams of carbon dioxide, respectively.

As you can see, there’s a significant difference in pollution between renewables and traditional energy sources. If that wasn’t impressive enough, an average domestic solar panel system could save the individual up to one ton of carbon output per year.

If we consider the sheer scale of large solar farms, we’re looking at even less pollution across the country.

Plus, the average solar panel reduces carbon dioxide by over 900 kg annually. Now, that’s what I call environmentally friendly.

What Are the Limits to Solar Energy’s Sustainability?

The requirement for minerals and water

While solar energy is a great renewable option, it’s not without its challenges. One of the main issues is the requirement for minerals like copper, nickel and cadmium to build an average solar panel.

These minerals are generally abundant, but the demand for them (mainly silicon and lithium for batteries and photovoltaics) will likely outstrip supply in a few years.

Solar panels are made from materials like quartz, which is mined and then processed into silicon for use in solar cells.

The extraction of materials like quartz can be dangerous for miners, who risk exposure to harmful dust and lung disease.

Moreover, the refining process of turning quartz into silicon requires significant heat. This process happens in enormous furnaces and creates carbon dioxide and sulphur emissions. The emissions aren’t anywhere near what you’d find from burning fossil fuels, but over time, they could have a significant impact on the environment.

During the manufacturing of thermal solar panels, engineers need to use large quantities of water for the cooling systems. Many of the naturally solar-efficient areas (sunny and arid spots) don’t have the necessary water resources, which poses a challenge to large-scale projects in those regions.

Waste issues

You might not know this, but solar panels create quite a bit of waste when they come to the end of their usable life.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) predicts that there’ll be a mind-boggling 78 million tons of solar panel waste by 2050. To make things worse, only about 10 per cent of solar panels worldwide are recycled, leading to a large amount of waste to dispose of safely.

The waste includes everything from toxic materials mined before panel production to the silicon waste generated during manufacturing, as well as the glass and silicon from old panels no longer in use.

If that wasn’t bad enough, The Washington Post found that a prolific polysilicon facility in China was dumping silicon tetrachloride waste on neighbouring fields. This made the agricultural land wholly useless and even went as far as to inflame the eyes and throats of nearby residents.

This behaviour isn’t the norm, but not every country around the globe will have the same disposal standards or legal obligations.

Of course, it’s important to mention that ALL electricity generation creates waste. This can be produced at a project’s extraction, building or running phases.

While solar has its challenges, it’s important to weigh both the positives and negatives when considering its sustainability.

The need for batteries

We obviously don’t have sun 100 per cent of the time. As a result, solar systems can’t constantly produce energy.

Intermittency isn’t exclusive to solar energy, as wind and hydroelectric power sources face similar issues.

While solar systems can still collect energy when it’s cloudy or overcast, they will collect it at a reduced rate. Plus, they won’t be able to collect energy at night as there isn’t any irradiation. For this reason, some systems require batteries that offer a constant source of electricity.

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Certain Lithium batteries can cause environmental and ethical issues as they require cobalt to function. Unfortunately, the majority of cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which uses child labour for its mining. So, obtaining batteries for solar systems is an ethical dilemma.

There has been a move towards lithium-iron phosphorus batteries that don’t require cobalt to function. However, it’ll be a while before these batteries are universally adopted.

Battery usage isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker for environmental sustainability. But it’s something to consider on the ethical side.

Wildlife/solar interactions

The final thing to consider when pondering the question: “Is solar energy sustainable?” is the potential wildlife impact.

Developers must conduct feasibility and wildlife impact studies before securing planning permission for large-scale projects. But even if a project has minimal impact on its surroundings, there will be some fallout for avian species, pollinator habits and local insects.

Most developers will try to minimise the impact on surrounding wildlife, but some disruption is unavoidable. Vegetation may need to be cleared, and construction can disrupt natural habitats with increased noise and light pollution.

Plus, most solar sites have some degree of stormwater runoff from photovoltaic panels to think about, which may affect water quality.

Final Thoughts

Although there are certain pitfalls to producing solar energy, the benefits far outweigh the downsides.

With global temperatures set to increase by about 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050, we need to take significant action to halt climate change. And if we look at things economically, investing more in solar energy will only help decrease energy bills and reduce our dependence on foreign energy.

If that wasn’t convincing enough, solar energy production will likely become more sophisticated as time goes on. So, it’s hoped that many of the arguments against solar sustainability will gradually fade.

There You Have It: My Answer to the Question: “Is Solar Energy Sustainable?”

If you’re interested in installing a solar project on your land (but need help figuring out where to start), get in touch. The friendly experts at Lumify Energy will gladly guide you through the process step by step.

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