SAN FRANCISCO -- Homeowners are lured to solar panels by ads filled with images of pristine landscapes and words about the technology's benefits for the environment and the wallet.
But the industry is grappling with a hazardous waste problem.The industry is creating millions of solar panels each year and, in the process, millions of pounds of polluted sludge and contaminated water.The companies must transport the material by truck or rail from their plants to waste facilities hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles away.After installing a solar panel, "it would take one to three months of generating electricity to pay off the energy invested in driving those hazardous waste emissions out of state," said Dustin Mulvaney, a San Jose State University professor who analyzes carbon footprints.The industry hopes to prevent the issue from undermining its green image."We want to take the lessons learned from electronics and semiconductor industries and get ahead of some of these problems," said John Smirnow of the solar Energy Industries Association.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
