Environmentally Friendly
As sunlight is used to generate electricity all solar power systems are environmentally friendly and classified as a sustainable energy source.
Minimise Your Carbon Footprint
The most environmentally friendly systems are:
- polycrystalline panels as their embedded energy (energy used to manufacture the panels) is 1- 2 years compared to 9 - 12 years for monocrystalline panels
-
quality systems as they last longer. A good quality panel can still produce over 80% power output when it is 30 years old, whereas the performance of inferior panels may start falling in as little as 5 years.
Estimated Carbon Dioxide Savings
Emissions intensity varies due to each State's fuel mix. In Western Australia, purchased domestic electricity usage contributed 0.9kg of carbon dioxide emissions per kilowatt hour. (Source table 18 AGO Factors and Methods Workbook, Department of the Environment and Heritage, December 2006)
You produce negligible carbon dioxide emissions for electricity consumption from solar power you have generated ie a saving of 0.9kg of carbon dioxide emissions per kilowatt hour. (2006 figures).
