Isra-Mart srl: Exactly How Big is a Solar Panel’s Carbon Footprint?

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People are quick to point out that solar panels have a carbon footprint which enthusiasts often tend to forget about. Even though this is true, research shows a solar panel’s carbon footprint is at least 20 times smaller than that of coal.

Based on the most cited study, conducted by Danish utility Vattenfall in 1999, solar photovoltaics produce 50 grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour of energy produced. Coal, on the other hand, generates 974 grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour.

Additionally, this study is ten years old, making it somewhat dated — solar technology has progressed leaps and bounds in the past decade — suggesting the disparity between the two carbon footprints could be even greater.

For those who continue to question solar’s carbon footprint, a barrage of scientific studies show that the carbon life-cycles of solar power (photovoltaic and thin film) are three years.

This means solar panels produce as much energy as was consumed during their manufacturing and installation within three years. After three years they are carbon negative.