Renewable energy isn’t perfect, it has a dark side: hazardous waste and toxic chemicals associated with manufacturing solar components like solar panels. Evergreen Solar, a Massachusetts based renewable energy company produced a million pounds of hazardous waste in 2008 while operating at only 40% capacity.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the chemicals reported include nitric acid, hydrogen fluoride, sodium hydroxide, and sulfuric acid. When the plant reaches 100% capacity it will produce 800,000 solar panels per year, but it may rank as one of the top three hazardous waste producers in the state.
This article appears in Dec 9-15, 2010.