Have you ever heard it said, “It takes more electricity to make a solar panel than it will ever produce?” This is an urban myth that has been circulating since the 1980’s.
Although a difficult statistic to calculate, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, has performed a study to find the correct answer to this question. The study found that monocrystalline panels reach the energy payback point in 5-10 years, polycrystalline panels in 3-5 years, and amorphous silicon panels in 0.5-2 years. Be advised that because the question is so vague, there is a large margin for error with these figures!
In the January 2001 issue of Home Power magazine, there is a very detailed study about solar panel energy payback time. This study, by Karl Knapp, PhD, and Teresa Jester, finds payback time for a standard module to be about 3.3 years, and 1.8 years on a thin-film panel. The study factors in energy costs for ALL parts of the panel and manufacturing process.
Hopefully this research puts to rest this myth once and for all!
