Vermont probes solar development owner about broken solar panels in Shaftsbury

[NNadir]

Vermont probes solar development owner about broken solar panels in Shaftsbury

Subtitle:

Agriculture agency says it is “working to learn more.”

Some excerpts:

High winds in October and March blew down a large number of solar panels in a field in Shaftsbury, and now regulators are looking into the potential environmental impact from the damaged panels.

This is one of the first times in Vermont that large swaths of damaged panels, which contain lead and silver, have raised the specter of potential environmental contamination and caused the state to examine the issue. In this case, concerns grew partly because the fallen panels weren’t immediately cleaned up, state officials said in a recent filing, causing regulators to investigate potential environmental impacts...

Note: Silver is not a particularly toxic element. It is generally not absorbed into human tissue. Lead, on the other hand, is not good for you.

A picture of the area of concern:



More excerpts:

...The damaged panels have caught the attention of environmentalists in the area. Among what they are seeking is pre-testing of soil near solar developments so there will be a baseline to measure against for possible contamination...

... The solar array is near another controversial planned solar site in Shaftsbury approved by the commission last October, though neighbors to the project appealed the decision to the Vermont Supreme Court.

Approved by the Public Utility Commission in 2022, the broken solar array, called ER Waite Cemetery Solar LLC, is licensed for 2.2 megawatts, the largest energy development allowed under a state program that facilitates long-term contracts and sets rates for renewable energy developments in Vermont...

The interesting part is a media outlet reporting that what the media calls "environmentalists" are questioning the effects of solar energy. There is actually burgeoning literature addressing this concern, particularly with respect to the 70 to 80 million tons of solar waste - largely consisting of degraded cells, but some of the many that are damaged by weather events - that soothsayers predict will exist "by 2050." (I just called up a cool paper on that topic.)

I consider myself a tree hugging environmentalist, but I'm quite sure I wouldn't fit the media's description of one. A part of my environmental views is that solar energy is neither clean nor sustainable, but I admit, I can be considered eccentric especially with respect to what a journalist might describe as an environmentalist.

My regular joke, more commonly observed than one would like, is that one cannot get a degree in journalism if one has passed a college level science course with a grade of C or better. These are the people "informing" us of environmental issues.