The overlooked environmental cost of renewables

Renewables are widely recognized as an essential, non-polluting alternative energy source. But are they really as clean as they seem? When we examine solar, wind and other renewables, we tend to focus on the last mile while neglecting the full supply chain.

This is a dangerous oversimplification that ignores the hidden environmental and ethical costs associated with their production, transportation and disposal. To truly assess their efficiency and impact, this scrutiny must also be applied when comparing them with other energy sources.

Suppose we take solar energy, which has the lion’s share of global renewable energy capacity. Indeed according to the latest data, solar photovoltaic systems alone contributed to nearly 75 percent of the renewable capacity additions worldwide in 2023. In terms of electricity generation, solar PV accounted for about 4.5 percent of the global total.

This is clean energy but what about its full supply chain? 

The production of solar panels involves the use of hazardous materials like sodium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid. Moreover, research indicates there is significant energy consumption leading to greenhouse gas emissions and potential water and land pollution from toxic waste such as cadmium and lead. 

The next step is transporting these panels. Most solar PV panels are produced in China, which dominates the global market. China and Taiwan together account for about 70 percent of the world’s solar cell and module production. Long distance freight adds to the carbon footprint. This adds approximately 0.02 to 0.05 pounds of CO2 per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated over the panel’s lifetime.

When we examine solar, wind, and other renewables, we tend to focus on the last mile while neglecting the full supply chain. This is a dangerous oversimplification.

Khaled Abou Zahr

Then, once solar panels reach the end of their lifespan, they ought to be recycled. However, the recycling process is close to nonexistent due to high costs and technical challenges. As such, many panels end up in landfill, contributing to soil and water pollution. It is estimated that by 2050, there could be around 6.5 million tonnes of solar panel waste.

This is why, when analyzing the benefits of a renewable source of energy, the entire scope and supply chain needs to be evaluated. And yet, to this day, we only focus on the last mile.

The same concept applies to electric cars. The entire supply chain must be analyzed — starting with the mines that extract the lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite essential for making batteries, often under questionable ethical conditions.

I recently read the news of a fully electric building in the US, which was hailed as a great success. Yet its power sources were predominantly fossil fuels. And just how efficient are such structures, considering the loss of power in the grid and other factors such as the inherent inefficiency of electric heaters compared to gas-powered ones?

For all these reasons, it is important to pursue efforts to improve the sustainability of production, transportation, and recycling processes to mitigate these environmental impacts. It is even more important not to politicize the energy and environmental debate, as it will only lead to flawed decisions.

• Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.