Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
may be used in the production of future PV technologies, such as tellurium, indium,
and germanium (Fthenakis, 2009). First Solar
®
(Tempe, AZ), which manufactures
thin-film CdTe PV, established the industry's first comprehensive pre-funded module
collection and recycling program, which the company claims will result in recycling
90% of the weight of each recovered First Solar PV module. In Europe, the PV indus-
try has established PV Cycle, a voluntary program to recycle PV modules (PV Cycle,
2014). The United States could adopt this type of industry-wide approach to manage
the large-scale recycling and management of PV materials.
The major constituents of CSP plants include glass, steel, and concrete. In addi-
tion, some CSP plants will contain a significant quantity of nitrate salt and organic
heat transfer oil. All of these materials are recyclable (USDOE, 2012).
ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS
All development creates ecological and other land-use impacts. The primary impacts
of solar development relate to land used for utility-scale PV and CSP. Even with
the most careful land selection, the projected utility-scale solar development may
have significant local land-use impacts, especially on portions of the southern United
States. Solar development should be consistent with national and local land-use pri-
orities. With regard to direct ecological impacts of solar development, these include
soil disturbance, habitat fragmentation, and noise. Indirect impacts include changes
in surface water quality because of soil erosion at the construction site. The specific
impacts of utility-scale solar development will depend on the project location, solar
technology employed, size of the development, and proximity to existing roads and
transmission lines.
The potential ecological impacts in the southwestern United States are particu-
larly important because of the large scale of solar development envisioned for this
area. The Southwest supports a wide variety of plant communities and habitats,
including arid and semiarid desert-scrub and shrub land, grasslands, woodlands,
and savannas. The wildlife in these areas includes diverse species of amphibians,
reptiles, birds, and small and large mammals. Government agencies and conserva-
tion groups have identified a significant list of species that may be affected by solar
development (USDOE, 2010c).
Altering plant communities with development can strain wildlife living in or
near these communities, making it more difficult to find shelter, hunt, forage, and
reproduce. Fenced-in power plants can add further strain by affecting terrestrial and
avian migration patterns. Aquatic species also can be affected—as can terrestrial
and avian species that rely on aquatic habitats—if the water requirements of solar
development result in substantial diversion of local water sources. Large areas cov-
ered by solar collectors also may affect plants and animals by interfering with natu-
ral sunlight, rainfall, and drainage. Solar equipment may provide perches for birds
of prey that could affect bird and prey populations.
The potential impacts of solar development are not limited to ecological impacts.
Solar development could affect a variety of activities that take place on public and
private land. For example, conflicts may arise if development impacts cultural sites,
or interferes with U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) activities. In addition, loss
