Archived copy — This is page is part of a snapshot of https://news.mst.edu captured on December 31, 2025. Its contents may be out of date.
Archived copy — This is page is part of a snapshot of https://news.mst.edu captured on December 31, 2025. Its contents may be out of date.
Comments on: Researchers urge Midwestern states to recycle solar panels efficiently https://news.mst.edu/2019/10/researchers-urge-midwestern-states-to-start-recycling-solar-panels/ Your source for the latest from Rolla Tue, 14 Jan 2020 15:43:39 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.7 By: Jerome Hirtz https://news.mst.edu/2019/10/researchers-urge-midwestern-states-to-start-recycling-solar-panels/#comment-224254 Fri, 10 Jan 2020 21:58:45 +0000 https://news.mst.edu/?p=30214#comment-224254 Are these panels available to individuals needing power in areas where the grid is not available,

]]> By: Terry W. Donze https://news.mst.edu/2019/10/researchers-urge-midwestern-states-to-start-recycling-solar-panels/#comment-222490 Mon, 11 Nov 2019 17:48:32 +0000 https://news.mst.edu/?p=30214#comment-222490 Renewable, clean solar power is an oxymoron. Although photo-voltaic cells have a maximum efficiency of 24%, even the American Solar Energy Society rates their average efficiency at 20% of rated capacity, but that’s when they are new. Other things also come to bear on efficiency: dirt, cloud cover, not to mention darkness. Earth’s axis and orbital distance from the Sun and transmission losses pull that efficiency down to about 13%. And they have to be renewed every 20 years. Solar panels don’t contain radioactive materials, they do contain lead, chromium, and cadmium as well as other metals and chemicals not good for us in large quantities. Key findings of a study by the group Environmental Progress found that solar panels create 300 times more toxic waste per unit of energy than nuclear plants. Disposal of nuclear waste is highly regulated while little regulation is considered for solar panel disposal. Poor people in China and India even scavenge the dumps and burn off waste to get to the copper for salvage. Toxic chemicals go into atmosphere and up your nose.

]]> By: ElectricGuy https://news.mst.edu/2019/10/researchers-urge-midwestern-states-to-start-recycling-solar-panels/#comment-222004 Tue, 15 Oct 2019 15:27:20 +0000 https://news.mst.edu/?p=30214#comment-222004 First Solar’s new factory in Perrysburg, Ohio includes a recycling facility for solar panels. At this time it is used for defective manufactured devices while in the future it can be used for other panels.

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