The Price of Energy Consumption - The Renaissance of Renewable Energy - page 207

more for reasons of image than because of genuine health risks. Alsema et al. ( 2006 )
calculated the amount of cadmium released in the life cycles of various energy sources.
They showed that thin-film PV technology releases less cadmium than silicon technology
(0.3 grams per GWh instead of 0.9 g/GWh), and much less than the oil industry (43.3
g/GWh) (Sinha et al. 2008 ). Ultimately, most studies have shown that PV power generation
is an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels (Arvizu et al. 2011a ) .
Some have raised environmental concern about PV once the whole life cycle (from
production to disposal) is considered. Indeed, of all industrial processes, silicon production
is by far the most energy intensive (it requires about fifty times the energy of steel
production). As a result, the indirect impacts of solar PV may be high, mostly through
the emission of GHGs during the production phase. Countering end-of-life-cycle concerns
is the fact that PV modules are highly recyclable. Silicon does not become less pure
over time, but merely needs to be reimpregnated with the 'doping' elements. Risks of
contamination can be minimized by take-back programmes that may be paid for by
insurance premiums incorporated into the cost of the product (Sinha et al. 2008 ). Recycling
of PV modules is already economically viable, and projections are that 90 per cent of
the glass, plastics and metals in PV panels will be recycled in the near future (Arvizu et
al. 2011a ) . The barrier, as is so often with energy, is one of economics. At present, the
solar sector is too small in most countries to support a viable recycling sector. However,
economics is likely to provide a solution, as the inevitable long-term rise in the global price
of fossil fuels will make solar power more competitive and cause the sector to grow.
Theeconomics ofconcentrated solarpower(CSP)requireinvestorstoseekoutlocations
with the most concentrated resources (i.e., sunny deserts). Therefore, there is little
competition with agriculture or urban development and land impacts are low.
Environmental problems mainly arise when protected species of animals and plants are
present. At present, CSP plants are only economically viable when located close to large
urban areas with an existing power grid. This may change, however, as CSP capacity and
economies of scale increase, making it viable to carry power from remote plants. This
would open up a range of very attractive sites in many regions of the world, including
southern Europe, northern and southern Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, western
China, northwestern India, Australia, Chile, Peru, Mexico, and the southwestern United
States (Arvizu et al. 2011a ; IEA 2009a ).
6.8 Bioenergy: Food Versus Fuel
The Tripa forest in Indonesia's Aceh province was supposed to be a protected area. Yet
in 2011 the governor of Aceh granted a permit to the Indonesian palm oil industry to