The potential environmental impacts associated with solar power—land use and habitat loss, water use, and the use of hazardous materials in manufacturing—can vary greatly depending on the technology, which includes two broad categories: photovoltaic (PV) solar cells or concentrating solar thermal plants (CSP).
The previous literature review reveals a well-established environmental impacts assessment of the solar PV systems is crucial. Currently, there is a gap in the literature regarding the impact of different PV system components on the environment.
Improper disposal of solar cells that have reached the end of their service life harms the environment through the stench they produce and the damage they cause to the soil. So, the positive and negative effects of green energy photovoltaic power generation technology on the environment should be considered.
The environmental impact of second-generation solar cells has been reported in the literature. The researchers explored the environmental impacts of the module with the aid of electricity from fossil fuel (Mohr et al., 2009).
Here are some environmental benefits of solar energy: Solar power lowers carbon emissions. With the burning of fossil fuels like natural gas, coal, and petroleum, billions of tons of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases are released into the air. In the United States, fossil fuel burning accounted for 73% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 7.
Solar energy systems have been grabbing most attention among all the other renewable energy systems throughout the last decade. However, even renewable energies can have some adverse environmental repercussions; therefore, further attention and proper precautional procedures should be given.