Talking About Green

We all know that lead is bad for our health.  Lead poisoning can result in problems with the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and even reproductive system.  But a recent study has shown that the surge in the use of solar power could actually increase the production of lead and the potential threat of lead leaking into our environment.

Here is the reason for all of this.  Solar panels do not store energy.  They merely turn sunlight into electricity.  But that electricity has to be stored somewhere, and that’s where batteries come in.   The production of batteries, like the ones used to store solar power, is the number one culprit for the need of so much lead.  In fact, 80 percent of all lead produced is used in the production of batteries.  And with the solar power industry in full force right now, more batteries are needed than ever.

A recent study by the University of Tennessee in Knoxville has predicted that over 2.5 million tons of lead pollution will be dumped on China and India as a result of the ramped up efforts to produce lead batteries to be used for solar power systems.  And it’s not just the batteries themselves that will be causing the lead pollution.  The entire process of mining, smelting, and even recycling in these countries had already lead to widespread lead pollution because they have a power grid that is unable to handle the power produced by solar panels and must rely on lead batteries.

It’s the developing nations that are going to have a harder time dealing with lead pollution because they don’t have a complex power grid to be able to accommodate this renewable energy, and thus have to rely on an older technology for storing this electricity.  This is an even greater reason to not just focus on solar power but how we store this power.

China recently had to close over 500 facilities that recycled batteries due to lead pollution from these batteries, but with more lead production predicted for the next 10 years and not as many recycling centers to process older batteries, it looks like it’s turning into the perfect storm.

Solar powers’ promise of cleaner air and renewable energy looks great on paper, but the problem of increased lead production underscores the importance of new technology.  After getting rid of our mercury thermometers and lead-based paint, it’s ironic that a new technology for creating energy has re-introduced us to the threat of lead pollution.   It is abundantly clear that improvements in the production of batteries will have to be made if solar power is to be a viable option for the future of powering our world with the light of the sun.

Philip Richards is a writer for a solar power blog that also talks about how to make solar panels and other DIY projects for using solar around the home.