A new study by North East experts says solar panels could become even greener in future generations.
The research, led by Northumbria University and published in Nature Communications, suggests that improvements in solar cell efficiency could bring wider environmental benefits beyond reducing carbon emissions.
Professor Neil Beattie, professor of energy innovation at Northumbria University, said: “Solar photovoltaics is a critical technology that can be used globally now to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create energy security.
“This is especially important as our demand for electricity soars over the next decade, driven by applications in transport, heating, and digital infrastructure for AI.”
The study was a collaboration between Northumbria and the Universities of Birmingham, Oxford, and Warwick.
It used life cycle assessment to measure the environmental impact of solar photovoltaics from raw material extraction through to the production of advanced silicon panels expected to dominate the market until 2035.
Professor Beattie said: “As we scale up photovoltaics to multi-terawatt levels to meet this demand, it’s important that we do so sustainably.
“Our research demonstrates that significant savings in environmental impact – including carbon dioxide emissions – are possible through manufacturing.
“More specifically, we find that this impact is sensitive to the composition of the electricity mix where the solar panels are made and we should work to decarbonise this as much as possible.”
The paper highlights that decarbonising the electricity used in solar panel manufacturing could save up to 8.2 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent.
This represents around 6.3 per cent of the remaining global carbon budget needed to stay within the Paris Agreement target of limiting warming to 1.5°C.
John Murphy, chair of electronic materials at the University of Birmingham, said: “Silicon-based photovoltaic technologies have immediate relevance to the UK and already play a major role in our strive for Net Zero.
“This groundbreaking study originates from a new collaboration between four leading UK University research groups who intend to work on all aspects of sustainability in the photovoltaics supply chain from raw materials through to end-of-life.”
Sebastian Bonilla, associate professor of materials science at the University of Oxford, said: “We are at a critical moment where solar power is rapidly scaling to become a significant portion of global electricity generation.
“This work uniquely identifies the environmental impacts of the ongoing solar energy revolution, helping us guide the choices of materials, technologies, and manufacturing locations that will minimise harm while maximising the benefits of terawatt green electricity.”
While reducing carbon emissions remains a priority, the study evaluated 16 environmental impact categories.
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It found that next-generation solar technology could cut climate impact by 6.5 per cent but increase critical mineral depletion by 15.2 per cent due to higher silver usage.
The authors suggested this should drive research into alternative materials, such as copper.
By 2035, new solar panels could avoid at least 25 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions compared to conventional power sources—within less than half their expected operational life.
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