Are there any environmental and social costs associated with solar energy?

No yes or no answers please.



Of course it takes energy to make solar collectors, to smelt the steel, or refine the aluminum, glass, silicon, whatever. But as far as net environmental cost, I'd say the cost is negative, as the collectors return more in energy than it cost to make them.





The social costs depend on the local culture. Some communities find them ugly. I find them beautiful. If you're the only house in the neighborhood with panels, it might flag you as a showoff, or rich, or the panels might be a target for thieves. Other social costs are hard to quantify. Less smoking means less jobs for tobacco workers, but also means healthier people. Similarly, if the air or water is incrementally cleaner because of solar energy, that might have a positive or negative social cost.




That would depend on if its a supplement to the building or a solar farm. Solar farms, like wind farms will have transmission lines, which have had medical problems associated with them. Since there is no transmission lines in supplemental systems for buildings there wouldn't be a problem. However, the money to subsidize people to get them to install such systems has been tried and usually run out before many can take advantage of it.


Not to mention that fact that a full solar supplemental system is costly, and therefore probably not available to all. And since we are in this great class warfare due to the Obama administration demonizing the producers of the nation, I'd imagine there would be some loser touting social unrest regarding the unfairness. But past that, no real problems that I can see.




The cost of the energy to produce the solar panels.




Doubt it (Aka Nope), unless you have to pay for the use of the sun...




Maybe.




no, it's totally free. ie, getting tanned by sunlight how much ...nil.. so theres your answer. zil.