Is solar safe?

 

How do solar panels make electricity?

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The electricity-making process starts with sunlight striking the solar panels. The energy from this action is converted into low-voltage DC electricity. This low-voltage DC electricity is fed into inverters where it is converted into low-voltage AC electricity. It is then fed into transformers where the electricity is converted into medium-voltage AC electricity. The medium-voltage electricity is connected to the power grid. 

 

Are solar panels dangerous?

 

Solar photovoltaic cell (PV) panels do not create heat and are composed of non-toxic materials. They do not erode. They do not produce emissions. The sealed PV panels do not leech metals into the environment and are recycled at the end of their lifecycle.

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Solar Power Facilities are made up of 3 key components; Modules, Inverters & Transformers. 

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All modules, inverters, and transformers used in solar panel construction are completely safe. 

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Solar panel composition is fairly simple—panels are constructed of glass (silicon), with common metals such as aluminum and copper wiring and do not contain heavy metals or other potentially toxic substances. Because solar panels do not contain toxic chemicals, there is no threat of contamination of soil or ground water.
 

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The materials found in the key components of solar power facilities are commonly used materials in our day-to-say life.
 

Modules

• Backsheet: Polyethylene (most commonly used plastic; used in water bottles)
   

• Frame: Aluminum (same as most cooking pans) 
   

• Glass: Tempered glass with anti-reflective coating
   

• Junction Box: copper wire and diode, solder for connections (halogen and lead free), polyethylene (plastic) 
   

• Wafer: silicon (glass) and aluminum
   

• Leads: wires coming out of module are copper and PVC plastic as insulation over the wires and polyethylene connectors. Similar raw materials as household wire

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Inverters

• Inverters are similar to the transformers on poles running to the resident’s houses or small electrical panels
   

• Inverters do emit some sound; it is comparable to that of home bathroom ventilation fan.

 

• Intverters do not operate at night.
   

• The Town of Rochester solar farm inverters will be positioned within the center of the solar array, more than 240 feet away from the closest household—and would cause no audible noise

​Transformers

​​Borrego specifies FR3 oil in all transformers used in their solar facilities. FR3 oil is made from 100% vegetable oil and is carbon neutral. If spilled, FR3 oil it is harmless. Many other solar producers use mineral oil which is a byproduct of petroleum manufacturing. FR3 oil has a burning point that is twice that of mineral oil, making Borrego transformers safer in event of a fire.

 

When solar panels reach the end of their productive lives, they can be broken down into their component parts and recycled.

More than 90 percent of a PV module can be recycled; 80 percent of that is glass, with the remainder metals (including silver and aluminum), plastic components, and semiconductors.

 

Do solar arrays emit dangerous electromagnetic fields?
No, solar panels do not emit harmful EMFs.

 

The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection has established 833 milli-Gauss (mG) as the limit for prolonged exposure to electro-magnetic fields.

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• The inverter is the strongest source of magnetic fields in the solar facility with levels varying from 150-500 mG at a distance of one to two feet.
   

• At 150 feet, the inverter’s magnetic field levels drop below 0.5 mG or less, often falling to the background level of earth’s magnetic field of 0.2 mG.
   

• No other solar PV component emits EMFs that are measurable above the earth’s magnetic field.

 

What about glare?

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Solar panels are designed to absorb light from the visible spectrum, not to reflect it. To assist light absorption, each PV panel is treated with an anti-reflective coating.

 

• Naturally occurring ponds and streams, snow, and even certain kinds of soil and vegetation are similarly reflective. In fact, the sunlight that is reflected away from solar panels produces the same amount of glare as a flat pond or lake.
   

• Solar panels are mounted at an angle that allows for the most light to be absorbed throughout the year, which results in the panels facing the sky at shallow angles (typically less than 25 degrees) As a result, what little light is reflected is not visible to ground-level observers. 
   

• All solar farms are required to be approved by the FAA as potential glare hazards for aviators. To date, no PV array has been deemed a glare hazard. In fact, there are a significant number of PV power plants built next to highways and on the rooftop of airports.